{"product_id":"tomorrow-god-willing-unni-wikan-9780226898353","title":"Tomorrow, God Willing: Self-Made Destinies in Cairo","description":"\"I, without earning a penny, have to be the provider!\" Thus Umm Ali sums up the nearly impossible challenge of her daily existence. Living in a poor neighborhood of Cairo, she has raised eight children with almost no help from her husband or the Egyptian government and through hardships from domestic violence to constant quarrels over material possessions. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUmm Ali's story is amazing not only for what it reveals about her resourcefulness but for the light it sheds on the resilience of Cairo's poor in the face of disastrous poverty. Like countless other poor people in Cairo, she has developed a personal buoyancy to cope with relentless economic need. It stems from a belief in the ability of people to shape their own destiny and helps explain why Cairo remains virtually free of the social ills--violent street crime and homelessness--that have eroded the lives of poor people in other major cities. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eUnni Wikan first met Umm Ali and her family twenty-five years ago and has returned almost every year. She draws on her firsthand experience of their lives to create an intimate portrait of Cairo's back streets and the people who live there. Wikan's innovative approach to ethnographic writing reads like a novel that presents the experiences of Umm Ali's family and neighbors in their own words. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs Umm Ali recounts triumphs and defeats--from forming a savings club with neighbors to the gradual drifting away and eventual return of her husband--she unveils a deeply reflective attitude and her unwavering belief that she can improve her situation. Showing how Egyptian culture interprets poverty and family, this book attests to the capacity of an individual's self-worth to withstand incredible adversity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Unni Wikan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0226898350\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780226898353\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University of Chicago Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 10\/01\/1996\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.02h x 6.11w x 0.91d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/1996 pg. 56\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 08\/01\/1996 pg. 1864","brand":"Unni Wikan","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44540314419455,"sku":"9780226898353","price":41.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_3185912a-a2b0-4fcd-b638-40d5c38d8de0.jpg?v=1700587208","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/tomorrow-god-willing-unni-wikan-9780226898353","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}