The Mistress of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

Lady Duff Gordon was reknowned in mid-1800s London for her lively salons. Inquisitive and educated, she enjoyed discussing politics when most women of her time retired to another room while men had such conversations. Her children were still young when her bouts with tuberculosis became so severe she moved to the hot, dry climate of Egypt seeking respite. This historical novel colorfully tells the story of that life from the perspective of her long-time maid, Sally. With the invaluable assistance of their dragoman Omar (think translator + butler), they set up household in Luxor and were soon entertaining the locals. The heat leads both women to abandon their hot, formal English dress for less-confining Egyptian clothing. They also adopt less mannered behavior, becoming a close threesome for meals and activities in a way which would have been impossible in London. Lady Duff Gordon, however, never totally loses her class consciousness and when Sally is lulled into “inappropriate” behavior, she is quick to make the maid a “mistress of nothing”.

Winner of Canada’s prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award, this atmospheric portrait of Victorian-era Englishwomen abroad is also a telling tale of inflexible attitudes toward class and race. In many ways this tale of two strong women thriving in a foreign setting reminded me of another book set in Egypt, Mary Doria Russell’s wonderful story about the arbitrary shaping of the modern Middle East after WWI, Dreamers of the Day.

Check this item out in our catalog.

Recommended by Sarah Redman