Anne-Marie Drosso

Claire and Gabrielle Sahli are sisters growing up in 1920s Cairo. Of mixed descent, they occupy a precarious position in Egypt's increasingly nationalist wealthy classes. While others like them leave, the Sahli's 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 portrays 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.