Imagine yourself as a Victorian woman, dressed in voluminous layers of clothing and trussed up with corsets and heavy stockings. Now imagine the unforgiving heat of Egypt. Why, oh why, would you ever contemplate what can only be a gruelling trip up the Nile? Apparently many did! Victorian men and women in search of better health, (in the case of Lucie Duff Gordon who had tuberculosis), the romance of the ancient land, and hoping to find adventure, battled the discomfort of extreme heat while stubbornly maintaining the habits of their own culture. Kate Pullinger has written a descriptive and fascinating book based on the true life adventures of Lucie Duff Gordon (who wrote her own book, "Letters from Egypt") and her ladies' maid Sally Naldrett. The story centers on Sally, a spinster of 30, who tends to the tubercular Lucie as they float in their hired dahabieh up the Nile from Cairo to Luxor where they settle for two years and adapt to native life. Sally in her new found freedom enters into an erotic relationship with Omar who has been hired as a guide and attendant to the ladies. Her subsequent adventures form the center of this gripping tale. Pullinger's research is meticulous in following the real story of these interesting woman and their Victorian lives. I highly recommend this book, which would also be an interesting choice for a book club read.
In contrast to our Victorian adventure, read Rosemary Mahoney's modern-day account of her travels in the opposite direction, downriver from Aswan to Cairo. Her difficulty in travelling as a single woman, and even more of a struggle to obtain a boat makes equally fascinating reading. Her uncomfortable skiff, battles against the current and difficulty with the sexual overtures of modern Egyptian men who are baffled by a woman who is rowing alone the Nile, keep one in suspense. Is Rosemary even more of an anomaly than her Victorian counterparts? This is another highly recommendable book which would make a good book club choice.
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