(rough her careful translation and interpretation of the memoirs of Huda
Shaarawigyptàfirst and foremost feminist nationalist, born more than a hundred years agoargot 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
(is 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 Badranàfaithful and elegant
translation, Huda Shaarawiàmemoirs will have a permanent place in the literature of womenàstudies and of middle eastern history.—Albert Hourani, Fellow of St. AntonyàCollege, Oxford University
2ovides 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
¯und 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
`stimulating and highly readable account of . . . the life of one of Egyptàoriginal
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 (1879y47) 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 /
womenàstudies
ISBN 978-0-9353-1270-6
$17.95

Purchase answer to see full
attachment