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by Mona Fuad (Author), Lawrence P. Luby (With)
It's the 1940's, and the desert sun is setting on Cairo. Layla, a beautiful young girl forced into prostitution at age 12 by her mother, dreams of freedom in Europe. However, with no money and fewer options, Layla dives into a treacherous world few ever escape. Little does she know that she will not only survive the life of a call girl, but also rise to become mistress to the most powerful man in Egypt -- King Farouk. Cairo Unzipped tracks Layla's meteoric rise during the most fascinating period in Egyptian history. Due to the turmoil in Europe, Egypt became a melting pot of Europeans from nations, being put to the fire, by the Nazis. European influences flourished, modernizing the country but causing dangerous cultural friction. The handsome, young King Farouk fit the times of Egypt perfectly, just as Gandhi fit the times of India, but the clock was ticking on this golden age in Egypt, and revolution was afoot. After being overthrown and exiled in 1952, King Farouk dropped dead in Italy at age 45 -- an event shrouded in mystery. This story unveils that mystery and takes you on a journey of historical proportions.
