The Cairo Chronicles

by Leslie Robin Lewis

In January, 2005, a young anthropologist boards a plane in Los Angeles with her husband and two young children, and flies to Egypt, a world both ancient and modern. So begins a year and a half sojourn in the most populous city in the Middle East. In these “reports from the field” the author dons the hijab, trips over Arabic, and interacts with the bemused citizenry, evoking laughter, tears and reflection. Readers will feel the heat of a Cairo summer, mingle with in-laws and ex-patriots, chafe under strict social norms, bow in resignation to a maddening bureaucracy, delight to the devastating wit of Cairenes, weep at the suffering of a struggling underclass, and open their eyes and hearts to the warmth, resilience and humor of ordinary Egyptians.

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2008

Reviews

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

For what it was, this book was great, but it was definitely not the quality of a best-selling novel. I got distracted at times by the lack of editing.