The Mistress Of Nothing by Kate Pullinger

There’s a noticeable change in Lady Duff-Gordon’s attitude and health as she entertains the locals.ĭespite being such an odd figure in Luxor society, she no longer sticks to the dreary formalities of employer and employee. Settling into easy intimacy and healthy camaraderie, the three grow relaxed and familiar, their gentle companionship a reflection of the transition into comfortable salon life. the women fall under the tutelage of Omar, a handsome dragoman. 'this broad stretch of glinting water under a tableau of hills and palm trees' House and shivering with pleasure at their newfound freedom, Sally and Lady Duff-Gordon are overwhelmed by the stark beauty that surrounds them.Įnthusiastically learning Arabic as the venerated Nile stretches out before them Safely ensconced in the lovely rooms of the French There is simultaneously alarming, entertaining and exotic, noisy Cairo as shocking as the vicious green waters of the Nile. The women make hurried plans to depart England, arriving in Egypt. The possibility of embarking on a foreign adventure is a welcome departure from Esther’s wet and windy winter. House owned by the French Consulate and perhaps mingle with the locals. Solution, Sir Alick, her husband, recommends that she move to the town of Luxor, where she can lease a His wife unable to bear the harsh British climate and himself desperate for a Now she is wracked by tuberculosis, her lungs tearing apart, the illness holding her in a vice-like grip, 'simultaneously shrinking and draining her.' For most of her life, Lady Duff Duff-Gordon has been hearty and adventurous. Pullinger’s astounding period novel has English travel writer Lady Duff-Gordon (1821–1869) traveling to Egypt under the care of her loyal maid, Sally Naldrett.

Book review: Kate Pullinger's *The Mistress of Nothing*

The Mistress Of Nothing by Kate Pullinger