Rosemary Mahoney was determined to take a solo trip down the Egyptian Nile in a small boat, even though civil unrest and vexing local traditions conspired to create obstacles every step of the way. Starting off in the south, she gained the unlikely sympathy and respect of a Muslim sailor, who provided her with both a seven-foot skiff and a window into the culturally and materially impoverished lives of rural Egyptians. Egyptian women don't row on the Nile, and tourists aren't allowed to for safety's sake. Mahoney endures extreme heat during the day, and a terror of crocodiles while alone in her boat at night. Whether she's confronting deeply held beliefs about non-Muslim women, finding connections to past chroniclers of the Nile, or coming to the dramaticm realization that fear can engender unwarranted violence, Rosemary Mahoney's informed curiosity about the world, her glorious prose, and her wit never fail to captivate.

罗斯玛丽-马霍尼决心独自乘坐小船在埃及尼罗河上旅行，尽管内乱和令人不安的当地传统合谋在每一步都制造障碍。从南部开始，她获得了一个穆斯林水手不可能有的同情和尊重，他为她提供了一艘7英尺长的小船，并为她提供了一个了解埃及农村人文化和物质贫困生活的窗口。埃及妇女不在尼罗河上划船，为了安全起见，也不允许游客划船。马奥尼白天忍受着酷暑，晚上独自在船上忍受着对鳄鱼的恐惧。无论她是面对关于非穆斯林妇女的深刻信念，还是寻找与过去尼罗河编年史的联系，或者是戏剧性地认识到恐惧会产生无端的暴力，罗斯玛丽-马霍尼对世界的好奇心、她光辉灿烂的散文和她的机智永远都能吸引住人。