Set against the backdrop of Cairo, the narrative explores the contrast between the familiar life of villagers along the Nile and the new experiences awaiting the characters in the bustling city. As they depart, they carry with them the rich history and connections of their past, leaving a lasting impression on their homeland. The story delves into themes of change, memory, and the impact of one’s journey on both personal identity and the community left behind.
Looking Both Ways is a collection of interlinked essays that explores family, language, politics, identity, and culture, often with a touch of humor. These essays move across time and space, beginning in Egypt and crossing the ocean to follow the author's travels and the challenges of adapting to American culture and creating a family in her new world. The collection is divided into four sections. "Making Home," centers on the notion of home, beginning in Egypt in the 1960s and moving toward the U.S. "In Transit," explores the connection between place and identity. "With Caution," engages with the idea of danger, highlighting issues related to being Arab in America. "Time Difference," begins with the 2011 Egyptian Uprising and delves into the blurring of cultural experience between Egypt and the U.S. Together, these essays create the impression of a memoir as they weave together to reflect the larger narrative of immigration.
Organized around a series of writing prompts and discussions of literary readings that address identity, place, perception, family, community, encounters, inheritance, and resistance, this book offers both writers and teachers a way to engage with the practice of writing from a multicultural perspective.