Claire and Gabrielle Sahli are sisters growing up in 1920s Cairo. Of mixed descent, they occupy a precarious position in Egypts increasingly nationalist wealthy classes. While others like them leave, the Sahlis cling on to their homes and livelihoods as Cairo is rocked by violent anti-British demonstrations and government crackdowns.

Tracing the lives of Claire and Gabrielle from childhood to old age, Anne Marie Drosso brings to vivid life the bittersweet relationship of two intelligent, complex women forced to adapt to the unexpected.

A deft and delicate story of two sisters growing up in Cairo.

Anne-Marie Drosso was born in Cairo in 1951. She left Egypt in her twenties for Canada, where she studied and taught; she has most recently lived in London. Her collection, Cairo Stories, was published by Telegram in 2007. She now lives in Monterey, California.