I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway. It is about Sally Naldret, the Lady's maid for Lady Duff Gordon ("Lucie") in the 1860's. Due to Lady Duff Gordon's declining health, the duo relocate from England to Egypt, with the hopes that the climate will prolong her life. In the opening chapters in England, Pullinger sets the tone for the hierarchy of servants and Sally's view of herself as the top of that class. She also establishes the interdependence of Sally and Lucie; Lady Duff Gordon provides employment and a privileged lifestyle for the orphaned Sally, while Sally provides companionship as well as medical care for Lady Duff Gordon. The attention to their background makes it even more heartbreaking when Lady Duff Gordon ultimately turns her back on Sally and treats her as sub-human.

The romance between Sally and Omar unfolds very realistically, and Pullinger captures the awakening of Sally as an individual very artfully. Her descriptions of the people, Egypt, and the politics were palbable and clearly well-researched. I wish she had spent more time theorizing on Lady Duff Gordon's and Omar's motives for their treatment of Sally. Additionally, even though the book is very short, I found that the middle section was needlessly long and repetitious. The events described in this period were indistinguishable.

I believe that this book would be ideal for book clubs - the choices of the various characters throughout is certain to spawn good discussions.