A Border Passage: From Cairo to America--A Woman's Journey

I really appreciated Leila Ahmed's thoughtful and informative book, "A Border Passage: From Cairo to America--A Woman's Journey". She grew up a Muslim, in Cairo. Her maternal grandparents were quite wealthy, but when Nasser came to power, most of their wealth was snatched away. Leila tells of her idyllic childhood in Cairo, then her schooling in England. She eventually went on to teach in the UAE and the US. Towards the end of her book, she addressed what it was to be both a Muslim and a feminist. Here is where I could only read a few paragraphs at a time, as I would have to put the book down so I could ruminate over what she had written. It wasn't that it was hard to comprehend, it's just that I wanted to savor the ideas. This is what a good book does. I was enchanted by this book because the first 4/5 were memoirs, and the last 1/5 was a philosophical dissection. Very sweet book. I have recommended it in a chat room as a "must read" book.

A courageous trip in search of identity of a woman's inter and intracultural challenges. Growing up in an affluent Egyptian family where the British and European culture was "fashionable", she was confronted by the changes of the revolution, political turmoil and nationalism and its confrontation to the European imperialism. Leila Ahmed is courageously and insightfully analysing changes that influenced a whole generation and challenged her to search for answers. She travels in time from Egypt to England and finally as an immigrant in the US. She objectively and sensitively tries to unwind the entangled conflicts of politics, religion, and culture, through her personal experiences. As an Egyptian immigrant woman, although from a different generation, I have learned from this book about the modern history of Egypt and identified with some of her experiences as well. This is an eloquently written book and a fascinating journey!

I especially liked the chapter about who she was: an Egyptian or an Arab, since this is the sort of self-identification we all can think about. I had heard this question in another context before: what are we first, Americans or Christians.

The first thing that caught me about this work is the exquisite writing--it made real an unknown (to me, at least) world. At the same time it engaged me in Ahmed's vision of her liberal Egyptian family. She also provides a point of view applicable to the present crises. This book is well worth the time spent reading it.

Beautifully written. Clarifies our understanding of the variety of pressures felt by a young woman growing up in Egypt amid turmoil as well as the new experiences that awaited her in her new land.

I have recently read the book, and enjoyed it, I share some of the authors background, I felt that I could relate to what was being discussed, at some points I would disagree with her, but I found it to be a very fun and stimulating read.

I wasn't sure what I would find when I chose this book. But Dr. Ahmed's thoughts on creating her identity and the societal forces that crafted her upbringing are astounding. Her tale of defining herself as a woman, an Egyptian, an Arab, a Muslim, and an American resonated very deeply with me.....

Required book for the coming semester. The book is perfect inside for reading and outside for looking. Completely new. Why it is an second-hand?

A much needed inside account of feminism and Islam.