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"The Harem Within is a captivating memoir that offers a unique glimpse into the life of women in a traditional Muslim society. Fatima Mernissi's personal story, set in the context of social transition in Morocco, highlights the complex role of women in a patriarchal culture. Through her vivid retelling of the tales of Aunt Habiba and her own journey to independence, Mernissi captures the intimacy and solidarity that can unite women in the most challenging of circumstances. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of gender, culture, and society."

Riley is your virtual thrift companion, and here to help you find your next favourite read. You can also find in-stock similar reads linked by topic and genre here!

As a little girl, Fatima Mernissi was often puzzled by the idea of the harem. Even if you accepted that men and women needed to be kept apart, she asked, why couldn't it be the woman who walked freely in the streets, while men stayed locked behind the harem gates? In this story, she tells of her childhood in a Fez harem in the 1940s, a period of social transition in Morocco. Yasmina, Fatima's grandmother, was one of nine co-wives. She had the freedom to go out and about on her husband's farm and the surrounding countryside, but she carried around within her the "hudud", or sacred frontier that seperates women from men. Fatima's mother was an only wife, but she lived with the other women of her extended family inside an enclosed courtyard in the city, guarded by a gatekeeper whose sole duty it was to keep women from going out into the street. Fatima herself grew up in this enchanted prison, where contact with the outside world was often limited to the imaginary journey's in the tales of Aunt Habiba. But then the French colonists introduced schools for girls in Morocco, and in due course Fatima was able to leave the Harem to forge an independent life.
In this memoir Fatima Mernissi shows clearly the roles assigned to women and men by traditional Muslim society. She also shows the intimacy and sense of fun that can unite women in and enclosed community.


Author: Fatima Mernissi
Format: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Number of Pages: 272
Publisher: Transworld s Ltd
Publication Date: 07 Sep 1995

The Harem within

ISBN: 9780553408140
Author: Fatima Mernissi
Date of Publication: 1995-09-07
Format: Paperback
Regular price Our price:   $9.90
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Goodreads rating 3.89
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Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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"The Harem Within is a captivating memoir that offers a unique glimpse into the life of women in a traditional Muslim society. Fatima Mernissi's personal story, set in the context of social transition in Morocco, highlights the complex role of women in a patriarchal culture. Through her vivid retelling of the tales of Aunt Habiba and her own journey to independence, Mernissi captures the intimacy and solidarity that can unite women in the most challenging of circumstances. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in exploring the intersection of gender, culture, and society."

Riley is your virtual thrift companion, and here to help you find your next favourite read. You can also find in-stock similar reads linked by topic and genre here!

As a little girl, Fatima Mernissi was often puzzled by the idea of the harem. Even if you accepted that men and women needed to be kept apart, she asked, why couldn't it be the woman who walked freely in the streets, while men stayed locked behind the harem gates? In this story, she tells of her childhood in a Fez harem in the 1940s, a period of social transition in Morocco. Yasmina, Fatima's grandmother, was one of nine co-wives. She had the freedom to go out and about on her husband's farm and the surrounding countryside, but she carried around within her the "hudud", or sacred frontier that seperates women from men. Fatima's mother was an only wife, but she lived with the other women of her extended family inside an enclosed courtyard in the city, guarded by a gatekeeper whose sole duty it was to keep women from going out into the street. Fatima herself grew up in this enchanted prison, where contact with the outside world was often limited to the imaginary journey's in the tales of Aunt Habiba. But then the French colonists introduced schools for girls in Morocco, and in due course Fatima was able to leave the Harem to forge an independent life.
In this memoir Fatima Mernissi shows clearly the roles assigned to women and men by traditional Muslim society. She also shows the intimacy and sense of fun that can unite women in and enclosed community.


Author: Fatima Mernissi
Format: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Number of Pages: 272
Publisher: Transworld s Ltd
Publication Date: 07 Sep 1995