Memoir as Fiction - Rated 
The Cairo House is a compelling tale of love, loss, exile and tradition with decades of social and political change spun out in the history of one prominent family. It is a gripping and enjoyable read and is particularly poignant in the way in which it sheds light on the obligations, expectations and rights of women at the time.
It is described as a "memoir in fiction" of the author's own life and the warmth she has for her family radiates from every page. This autobiographical quality is also, for me at least, very apparent in some of Gigi's frailties and all to human choices.
Despite being a good, easy and enjoyable read, two things stopped this being a great book for me: a certain amount of repetition (with whole paragraphs appearing more than once at various points in the novel); and a labouring of themes. Serageldin has two heavy-handed themes throughout the book: the chameleon adapting to new circumstances and the kaleidoscope picture changing at the slightest provocation to reveal a completely different view. For me, the slightly clumsy and obvious repeated imposition of such undeveloping metaphors detracted from the authentic feel of the memoir. Still a good read but I would recommend Ahdaf Soueif's "Map of Love" as a better book.
Excellent Book Club Choice - Rated 
I recently read "Reading Lolita in Tehran" for my Book Club. I was disappointed by author Nafisi's aloof and professorial style. Reading her book, however, reminded me of much I liked "Cairo House," which also describes changes in a society following a revolution. I read "Cairo House" several years ago--as did my Book Club--and we all enjoyed the book very much. I have since read many other books written by Egyptian expatriates, and I think that "Cairo House" is one of the best of this expanding genre. Author Samia Serageldin succeeded in creating a sympathetic character whose reminiscences provide a view behind the scene into one family's experiences in a way that only a good novel can do.
A Journey In Time and Place - Rated
I bought this book on the recommendations of several friends, and I was not disappointed. The Cairo House is totally gripping as a novel and love story, but also succeeds in immersing the reader in a completely believable world of Egyptian politics and history from the Revolution to the present day. We learn about Egyptian culture from the inside; about the role of women, Islamic traditions, class warfare under successive regimes, the events leading up to the assassination of Sadat, and much more. There is so much about this book to discuss that I will recommend it to my reading group. The reader's guide in the back contains useful and interesting materials: interview, author bio and essay, etc., another reason I will recommend this novel.
The Cairo House - Rated
This is a haunting and very beautifully written book. It evokes the city of Cairo marvelously covering several decades in the last half of the century. Although the story focuses around a particular family house there, it is really a very personal story of an Egyptian woman and her life both in Egypt and abroad. I found it a very thought-provoking book and would recommend it without any doubt.
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