Reviews

Lewis' painstaking and imaginative exploration of the 'harem writings' of early twentieth century Ottoman women illustrates the complex ways in which these women manipulated cultural codes and tried to both challenge and accommodate well-entrenched stereotypes. She not only illuminates dilemmas facing late Ottoman women; she helps problematize issues of identity and change that remain central to Middle Eastern women today.
*author of A Culture of Sufism: Naqshbandis in the Ottoman World, 1450-1700*