Download or read book The Open Door written by Latifa al-Zayyat and published by American University in Cairo Press. This book was released on 2004-10-01 with total page 393 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A landmark in women's writing set during the struggle for Egyptian independence, called "a must-read set in Cairo" by Electric Literature February 1946: Cairo is engulfed by demonstrations against the British. Layla's older brother Mahmud returns, wounded in the clashes, and the events of that fateful day mark a turning point in her life, an awakening to the world around her. Latifa al-Zayyat's acclaimed modern classic follows Layla through her sexual and political coming of age. Her rebellious spirit seeks to free itself from the stifling social codes that dictate a young woman's life, just as Egypt struggles to shake off the yoke of imperialist rule.