Leila Ahmed Timeline and Summary

•  Back
• More 

• Ahmed remembers her early life in the gardens at Ain Shams and talks about the turmoil of her teen years in Cairo, when Nasser's government became oppressive.
• She outlines her journey from Cairo to England and back again, where she finds her father ill and the house in shambles. She also mentions her difficulties in leaving for grad school.
• Ahmed tracks the development of modern Egypt, including the fall of colonialism, the revolution, and the rise of feminism.
• She remembers her life with Nanny and the family and addresses the conflicts between herself and her mother.
• Ahmed is nearly molested by the boy next door, and her mother reacts badly. She retreats from her mother into books.
• She travels to England with her family to bring her sibs to school and calls it the most magical journey of her early life. But, she can't stay in England and returns, disappointed, to Cairo.
• Ahmed skips ahead to talk about her mother's death wish for her—and how her father revealed it to her. When she gets to America, she makes a conscious effort to let go of this.
• She recalls life in the "harem" at Zatoun and gives us the historical 411 on women in Egypt.
• Ahmed remembers her aunties and grandmother and their community of support. She also describes their version of spirituality.
• Ahmed traces her academic journey from primary school to college. Her experiences are greatly affected by the political climate.
• She remembers the summer on the beach with her family before the Suez Invasion. Things were falling apart in her family as well as in the world around them.
• She moves with her family to Zatoun while the British attack Egypt. When she returns to Ain Shams, she learns that her BFF Joyce is leaving the country. Ahmed resents this.
• Ahmed is allowed to sit for the entrance exam to Girton College without having taken her A levels—and she's admitted to the school.
• She goes off to Girton and meets amazing female professors and has all the college experiences.
• When she returns to Ain Shams, she finds her father ill and dying and the family finances in ruins. Ahmed begins teaching at a women's college.
• After years of waiting, Ahmed finally obtains her passport to travel to Cambridge for grad school. She says a last goodbye to her father.
• Ahmed meets her future husband, Alan, when she returns to Cambridge.
• She gets a phone call from her father—his last one before dying. Ahmed's mother visits Cambridge and seems ill. Ahmed and Alan get married while she's there.
• After a second visit to Cambridge, Ahmed's mother dies of cancer. Ahmed herself falls mysteriously ill and can't get a proper diagnosis. She has conflicts with her doctor.
• Her marriage to Alan falls apart. Ahmed finishes her dissertation and moves on to a job in Abu Dhabi.
• Ahmed meets many strong women in Abu Dhabi and learns how to harness their power and the cultural structure to make positive change in women's education.
• She becomes interested in the history of Muslim women and decides to go to America to pursue her studies.
• Ahmed comes up against "white feminism" in the United States. She breaks into the new field of women's studies and works hard to figure out what and how to teach it.
• After many years, Ahmed returns to Cairo and finds everything changed. She interviews women about their lives there in her quest to understand more about the life of Muslim women.
• She makes a trip to the City of the Dead in hopes of finding her parents' tombs, but she doesn't succeed.