In 1862, Lucie Duff Gordon left her husband and three children in England and settled in Egypt, where she remained for the rest of her short life. Seeking respite from her tuberculosis in the dry air, she moved into a ramshackle house above a temple in Luxor, and soon became an indispensable member of the community. She set up a hospital in her home where all were welcome, from slaves to local leaders. Her humane, open-minded voice and her enchantment with her Arab neighbours shines across the centuries through these letters — witty, life-affirming, joyous and self-deprecating.
