Last Call, Cairo: A Novel

by Julie Tulba

Three strangers whose paths will cross on a trip to Egypt are unaware of the shared connections they hold. These unite them from times past to a sinister future.
Egypt, 1913

Alexandra Garis dreamed of something different, something tied to Egypt. But for a society girl from one of Philadelphia’s oldest and most affluent families, her destiny was predetermined, much in the same way as Egypt’s pharaohs' lives had been, and it did not include a college degree. However, a trip to Egypt on the advent of war would change all of that, forever altering her life’s path. From the streets of Cairo, to the still haunting memories of the Western Front in the aftermath of the Great War, to journeys on the River Nile, Alexandra's destiny would be forever tied to the country she had always loved.

Egypt, 1939

For Eleanor Mews, Egypt afforded her the opportunity to reinvent herself. It was there that she could finally shed the stigma of the person she had been, the poor girl from the streets of London’s East End, and become whoever she wanted. Although the war raging in Europe seemed so far away in Cairo at first, soon enough it came knocking on Eleanor’s door in the form of both love and loss.

For Eleni, a Jewish child fleeing the Nazi-occupied Greek island of Corfu, who would suddenly come into Eleanor’s life, it was Egypt but also the Englishwoman who saved her. Something she would never forget.

Egypt, 1997

For most people, a trip to Egypt is a trip of a lifetime. For Jimmy, Lux, and Eleanor, it turns out to be something entirely different.

Genres: Historical Fiction

307 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2024

About the author

It was series like Dear America, Little House on the Prairie, and American Girl books that instilled in Julie at a young age her lifelong love and fascination with history. And a childhood spent growing up in Philadelphia, colonial America's foremost metropolis, further cemented this love affair.

An ardent bibliophile (she can remember as a teenager carrying around a copy of young adult historical fiction author Ann Rinaldi's gripping Civil War tale, The Last Silk Dress, and reading it between rides at Disney World because she didn't want to wait until she got back to her hotel room to finish it) it came as a surprise to no one when she became a librarian. Julie currently works as an academic librarian in the Pittsburgh area.

Besides history, travel is Julie's other great love in life, especially when there's a food tour (or two) involved; she's taken more than 20 in 13 countries around the world. Nothing brings the past more alive than being, in the words of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, right in "The Room Where it Happened."

Julie published her first book, The Tears of Yesteryear, in 2019, followed by The Dead Are Resting in 2021, and Red Clay Ashes in 2022. Her newest book- Last Call, Cairo- comes out this fall. She lives in the Pittsburgh area, passport always at the ready for her next international adventure, but also brainstorming ideas for her next novel.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have the writing skills to do justice to this new book by Julie Tulba. It is simply exquisite, from the first page to the last. In just this one book, the author has covered the seismic changes that occurred in the 20th Century, both historically and socially while giving the reader a guided tour of the archeological wonders of ancient Egypt. This is accomplished with only a handful of eclectic characters whose lives were forever changed by living in Egypt. I adored these women who rose above the restrictions society placed on them and lived life to the fullest. I felt their frustrations, joys, and paralyzing grief. Be warned...it is impossible to put this book down for more than a few minutes. I was completely swept away and bereft when it ended. Last Call, Cairo is a stunning achievement and a book you cannot miss!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story with tales of ancient Egypt, moving forward to the Holocaust and beyond!

This was a fascinating tale of intertwined characters, all with the background of ancient Egypt, as a huge part of their individual life stories. I was fascinated by the spellbinding characters but also by the backdrop of ancient Egypt, which I believe is what the author intended. Highly recommend!!

[Kathleen Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read!! Not just for fans of historical fiction. Julie Tulba has woven an intriguing story which includes fascinating characters. She has you guessing throughout the read as to the final unveiling of their connections.
The writing is excellent and I love that I Iearned some history, too!

[Roberta Stoneback · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never been to Egypt, but after reading Julie Tulba's new book Last Call, Cairo, I felt as if I had. She weaves together three disparate story lines in different time periods, all having a common thread or two, and tells a gripping story against a background of Egyptian history in the 20th century. It may sound complicated, but she manages to keep all the characters interesting and firmly in their respective decades. I learned a great deal not only about modern Egypt, but also much more about the ancient pyramids, pharoahs, and dynasties that some of us remember from school. The extensive amount of research she did is evident on every page. But fear not, it isn't just a history lesson. The three stories are intriguing and infinitely believable, and the action propels the reader along. I also loved how she incorporated real life people like Agatha Christie and Howard Carter into asides in the narrative.

This is a real winner.

[rendezvous_with_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the prologue, three single travelers are introduced. Jimmy, Lux, and Eleanor are all visting Egypt for different reasons, but by the epilogue, their connections to Egypt and each other become more apparent. The novel covers the years leading up to WWI through WWII, but instead of a dual time narrative, each time period is covered in full before jumping to the next era. By covering these two periods the author gives a well rounded view of Egypt's history from the golden days of its archelogical exploration, to the post WWII years of the rise in anti British sentiment, to the Egypt of the 1990s. As with her other novels, the author pours a lot of time into her research of the places she writes about, and I learned a lot about Egypt's history through this novel.


This novel, with its romance, angst, and dramatic tragedies, reminded me of those Merchant Ivory movies I loved in the 1990s.  In 1913, Alexandra is wealthy American girl who is fascinated with the amazing discoveries being made by archeologists in Egypt. When she meets Alexnder Clarkson, who shares her passion for Egypt, she finds him far more fascinating than the railroad scion she's engaged to, despite her family's disapproval. In 1939, Eleanor is English girl who has escaped poverty in Spitalfields, by securing a position as a companion to Lady Stratton on her extended travels to Egypt. Through the eyes of Alexandra and Eleanor, the author plunges the reader into Egypt and the events that shaped it's history. This is my third novel by this author, and she has a gift for atmospheric writing alongside the history that shapes both the people and countries she writes about. This novel is clearly a love letter to Egypt and its history.

I received a gifted copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I am not normally a historical fiction reader, this is the 3rd book I have read by this author! The author draws you in by detailing the beauty of Egypt in such a way that I found myself exploring the landmarks online so that I can envision it through the eyes of the characters and their lives there!
One of the things that stood out to me was that the author portrayed the story over three different time periods, and THEN impressively intertwined them together in the end! Of course adding some heartache and hardships along the way was just another reason to be captivated by the story….
Great job and I’ll be waiting for the next book!