To Egypt With Love: Memories of a Bygone World

by Viviane Bowell

This book was written primarily as a legacy to the author's family. She was born in Egypt and grew up in Cairo in the 1950’s in a secular Jewish community which had its own unique customs and traditions. In its apogee, the community numbered 80,000 people. They all left or were expelled between 1948 and 1967 and there are now only a handful of Jews still living in Egypt. In the book, she shares memories of her childhood and describes in great detail a way of life which no longer exists. She evokes the scents snd smells of the busy Cairo streets and describes the local people she came into contact with every day. Jewish and Muslim festivals, mores, customs and superstitions are recounted anecdotally. She also talks about her experience as a refugee in England, initially living in a hostel in Gloucestershire and then settling in London. Apart from her father, her family did not speak English, so learning a new language, battling with the harsh English winter and adapting to a new culture had its difficulties. Her family, like most refugees, surmounted all these with a great deal of resilience and determination. She describes herself as British, but confesses to still feeling somewhat uprooted, even after all these years.Sara Ahmed, Egyptian Streets

To Egypt with love, a literary Jewish memento of a by(going) era

Bowell’s biography was not intended as one. Indeed, what was meant to be a recipe book passed down to her grandchild became a journey down memory lane, with recollections of her journey to the UK.

In her simple but lovely memoir, Bowell starts with introducing us to her family origins and the origins of many Egyptian Jews, a blend of Sephardi and Mizrahi. This book is an excellent introduction to anyone who wants to glimpse at a time Egypt’s communities were coexisting and thriving, as well as understanding the Egyptian Jewish genealogy.

Generally, there are usually various elements that are lacking in books that tackle Jewish culture in Egypt, namely the cuisine and the celebrations of religious festivals, which richly stand out in ‘From Egypt with love. With a love for cuisine that seeps out from the pages, the reader is invited to explore Judeo Egyptian cooking, largely inspired by Tunisian, Spanish, Moroccan, among others.

Bowell is a phenomenal writer. Her style is no-nonsense, but it is still poetic. It feels like sitting with an old friend who has a charming, but meaningful story to tell. She is, above all, an honest writer, in the candid manner in which she captures simplicity and complexity, never amplifying either.

True to its multifaceted purpose, the book is also constantly heart-aching and never fails to highlight the second tragedy of the exodus from familial separation. Distant relatives ended up moving to various kibbutz in Israel, London, Paris, and the US. It thus captures the unfurling of the Jewish diaspora before our very own eyes.

The book’s story is straightforward, with a strong focus on the documentation aspect that Bowell initially started with. Yet, little by little, Bowell revisits each aspect of her past as well as relationships with her family.

In the midst of capturing the exodus that she, and many like her went through, Bowell also manages to openly reflect on the cracks of her upbringing, namely her parents’ difficult marriage. She humbly admits that her parents’ upbringing of her was faulty, yet she does not deny them the humanity of their error.

There is more to explore in the book, such as her attempts to explore and reconnect with the Egypt that she had once known, and even venture into her familial home, now occupied. Yet it would be harsh to rob any reader the chance to learn more for themselves.

Genres: Nonfiction

337 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2021

Reviews

[Valectrice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming book about Viviane Bowell’s memories about her early childhood growing up in Cairo during the late 1940: and early 1950s. It is part memoir, part cultural history and 100% love letter to the city. She has a unique perspective on life in the predominantly Muslim city as her family was Jewish and considered themselves to be Egyptian as her father, Viviane and her two sisters were born there. This book truly describes a bygone world as few Jews remain in Arab countries. Anyone who has lived in Cairo can relate to her love of the city in all of its chaotic, kinetic glory and likely will take time to reminisce about their own Cairo memories as she writes about her favorite times in Cairo (and also Alexandria).

[Judy Podwil · Rating 4 out of 5]

mostly fascinating

I learned a lot for which I am grateful.
It’s must more than story about her Egyptian childhood.
Her honesty about herself is more than I expected.
A fascinating history but also cathartic.
A good editor would have helped the flow.
I’m glad I read it.

[Kathryn Dominey · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good story but the book itself needs proof reading as there were a lot of spelling mistakes and grammar errors. I also found that the same things were repeated a few times after being discussed in an earlier chapter.

[Marilyn]

DNF