Midnight in Cairo The divas of Egypt's roaring '20s

This is a lively view of the in-person entertainment industry and nightlife of Cairo from its growth in the mid- to late-nineteenth century through the end of its heyday after the 1952 revolution. Key to the picture are the celebrated women who paved the way not only in the theaters, music halls, and casinos of the day but also in journalism and politics. Chapters dedicated to these women's lives tell stories that will resonate regardless of locale--tales of defying disapproving families or critics, persistently pursuing dreams, and navigating a world that judges women for their appearances, their loves, and how others react to them. Background details cover the area's history and social movements as well as the cabaret world's legacy in the second half of the twentieth century. Cormack's final message is a hopeful one, reminding readers to focus on what these women accomplished and the impact they had on the world instead of moralizing their lives or painting them as tragic. For fans of theater history, 1920s and '30s drama, or stories of complex women.

Egyptian theater scholar Cormack (coeditor, The Book of Khartoum) debuts with a lively history of early-20th-century Cairo focused on the music hall singers, dancers, and actors who became Egypt's first modern celebrities. Chronicling the rise and fall of the city's nightlife district, Ezbekiyya, from the late 19th century through its "golden age" in the 1920s and '30s and decline after the 1952 Egyptian revolution, Cormack profiles seven women who "demand to be heard as they asserted their wishes, claimed their rights, and made space for themselves." Oum Kalthoum grew up singing religious songs in her father's band and became, according to Cormack, "the most popular icon in the history of Arabic music." Her rival, singer-actor Mounira al-Mahdiyya, was the first Egyptian woman to lead a theatrical troupe. Frustrated by gossipy theater journalists, comedic actor Rose al-Youssef founded a magazine (and named it after herself) where performers could go "to give their side of the story." Cormack portrays the colorful lives of these women within the context of the era's political and cultural upheavals, including Arab nationalism and the emergence of an Egyptian feminist movement. This sparkling account casts the history of the Egyptian capital in a new light. (Mar.)

In this debut, Cormack, an award-winning editor and translator who specializes in Arabic culture, offers a highly readable account of an era that is "often mythologized" in Egypt, but virtually unknown to Western readers: a story of glamour when Cairo was a cosmopolitan city and Egypt seemed to be on the verge of political, social, and religious change. Inspired by the revolt against British colonial rule, a new generation debated the country's future. Cormack effectively explains the emergence of feminism on the stages of nightclubs, theaters, and cabarets, where women with little formal education were defining their own places in the new country and new century. Utilizing archives in Egypt and the United Kingdom, among others, Cormack's thoroughly researched work focuses on seven exceptional women who sometimes operated on the margins of decency and inspired opposition from various quarters. The story of interwar Egypt is told through the eyes of these women--actresses, dancers, and singers--who enjoyed opportunities but also faced prejudice and exploitation as they called on each other to fight for equality. VERDICT An engaging social history that touches on issues of freedom and liberation, issues that continue to resonate today.--Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ

A vibrant history of Cairo's women-dominated cultural landscape between the wars. As Cormack shows in this singular work of scholarship, Cairo in the 1920s and '30s was a unique milieu in which women could excel as proudly feminist artists and entrepreneurs. Moving chronologically, the author, who holds a doctorate in Egyptian theater and has written extensively about Arabic culture, drills down on the neighborhood of Ezbekiyya, especially along Emad al-Din Street, where bars, restaurants, theaters, and other entertainment establishments flourished from roughly the turn of the 20th century to the 1950s. This is where Europeans--many of whom descended from 19th-century colonizers--mingled with the locals. During the 1919 revolution, "an example of unprecedented national unity," women played prominent roles. While women artists and performers endured numerous unfair stereotypes, the author ably shows their significance to the cultural scene. Via a dozen or so minibiographies of these fascinating, talented women, many of whom rose from humble beginnings--as well as scores of contextualizing photos--Cormack makes the convincing case that "at its core, this was a group of women demanding to be heard as they asserted their wishes, claimed their rights, and made space for themselves." Shining examples abound: Munira al-Mahdiya, thriving in the new genre called "taqtuqa" (a light, popular song), was "the first women in Egypt to lead a theatrical troupe." Rose al-Youssef, "one of the most famous actresses in Egypt," started a magazine that served as an important source of information on Cairo's nightlife. Fatima Rushdi became known as the "Sarah Bernhardt of the East." Oum Kalthoum "is the singer now remembered worldwide as the most popular icon in the history of Arabic music." Cormack also examines Aziza Amir's Layla (1927), which was considered "the first Egyptian film." A lively and original story of modern Egypt told through the lives of its first generation of women celebrities. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.