Harem Years: The Memoirs of an Egyptian Feminist, 1879-1924 0935312706, 9780935312706

Table of contents :
Table of Contents
List of Photographs
Preface
Chronology
Introduction
PART ONE: THE FAMILY
Circassian Relatives
My Mother
My Father
PART TWO: CHILDHOOD IN THE HAREM 1884-92
Two Mothers
My Brother
THe Eunuchs and the Maid
Lessons and Learning
Routines and Events
Feasts
Women Pedlars
Family Friends
Visiting the Palace
Childhood Companions and the Farewell
Betrothal to My Cousin
The Wedding
A New Bride
PART THREE: A SEPARATE LIFE 1892-1900
Lessons Again
Companionship
Attempts at Reconciliation
Sojourns in Alexandria
Portrait of the Hard Life of a Woman
A New Mentor and Her Salon for Women
PART FOUR: A WIFE IN THE HAREM 1900-18
Reconciliation
A Cure in Paris
Being a Mother
A Turkish Summer
The First "Public" Lectures for Women
The Mabarat Muhammad Ali
The Intelletual Association of Egyptian Women
The Final Illness of Niece Huda
A European Summer on the Eve of War
Two Deaths
The Bridge of Nationalism
Epilogue
Notes
Appendix
Glossary
Index

Citation preview

“Through her careful translation and interpretation of the memoirs of Huda Shaarawi—Egypt’s first and foremost feminist nationalist, born more than a hundred years ago—Margot Badran presents a complex picture of a fascinating reality. Born into an upper-class family, Huda Shaarawi tells of her bitter jealousy of the brother whom all favored over all, of the limits placed on the education she craved, and of her eventual triumph as a leader of other women. In the best tradition of feminist scholarship Margot Badran contributes substantially to our understanding of both Egyptian history and the development in Egypt of a feminist movement with roots in the harem.” —Hanna Papanek, Center for European Studies, Harvard University “This is a moving evocation of a vanished world. Harem Years shows how a gifted and sensitive woman, brought up in seclusion but with a knowledge of French that opened a window into European culture, gradually became aware of her own predicament and that of her sex and society. In Margot Badran’s faithful and elegant translation, Huda Shaarawi’s memoirs will have a permanent place in the literature of women’s studies and of middle eastern history.” —Albert Hourani, Fellow of St. Antony’s College, Oxford University “Provides a series of insightful glimpses into the social and political history of Egypt during the life of Huda Shaarawi, the best known and probably most important 20th-century Arab feminist . . . Offer[s] numerous insights into the character, personality, and turmoil of the life of a major Egyptian political figure.” —International Journal of Middle East Studies “Bound to fascinate . . . The story of how Huda used her brains, wealth and connections with the ruling family to push through education and social reforms for women makes for great reading.” —Chicago Tribune “A stimulating and highly readable account of . . . the life of one of Egypt’s original and most influential women leaders. Those concerned especially with the feminist movement or with the dynamics of revolution will find this material useful.” —Publishers Weekly Huda Shaarawi (1879–1947) was born in Al Minya, Egypt, in 1879. Liberated from the confines of the harem, she founded the Egyptian Feminist Union in 1923, which she led until her death. Margot Badran is the author of Feminists, Islam and Nation: Gender and the Making of Modern Egypt and coeditor of Opening the Gates: A Century of Arab Feminist Writing. autobiography / middle eastern studies / women’s studies ISBN 978-0-9353-1270-6

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