Used paperback in Very Good condition. Beginning in the 1920s under the shadows of the Pyramids and the Sphinx, this story is about two friends, Eugenie and Alicia. Their story begins in a small suburb of Cairo called Heliopolis-which is Greek for "Sun City"-where their parents and many others had fled after the Soviet Union had taken over the fledgling Republic of Armenia, which had been formed in the aftermath of World War I. It is from within this community that these expatriates tried to rebuild their lives in Egypt and Eugenie and Alicia begin their journey through life. After an idyllic childhood amongst Heliopolis' pristine white apartment buildings and ornate villas, the two girls come of age against the backdrop of the North African Campaign during World War II. After the war, changes in the political climate in their beloved Cairo compel them to begin anew in the United States. The story of these two girls from Heliopolis is a story filled with personal struggles and disappointments, love and romance, cultural and political conflicts and the desire for acceptance, but most importantly it's a story about their enduring friendship. While their lives don't always turn out the way they expected or planned, they know that they can count on each other. This nostalgic coming of age tale is a reminder that the journey can be joyful, hard, exciting and intimidating, but the keys to making the journey a successful one are love and friendship.
