A work that depicts the glamourous Egypt of the pashas and King Farouk, the police state of the colonels who seized power in 1952, the post-Sadat years and the rise of fundamentalism. It is a study of family and culture in transition and crisis, exploring the ambiguities of status and loyalty. Serageldin's richly observed study of family and culture in transition and crisis succeeds both as ironical Proustian reminiscence and as a telling exploration of the ambiguities of status, loyalty, and belonging. ― Kirkus Reviews Using a beautiful prose style, Serageldin makes Gigi's problems vivid and real... Fascinating and entertaining. ― Library Journal Used Book in Good Condition