A truly gifted writer...I read passages over and over because the language was so well-crafted and beautiful. This is a wonderful memoir painted with impressionist strokes of a pen. One of the best travel books I've read in years.

I really enjoyed this book for it's interesting stories about one woman's life as she travels and studies through Egypt. She weaves word etymologies through the book, twining them with the things she sees in the landscape and people. Though there are some pretty depressing moments, her tone is always light and I found it to be a very quick read. The focus of the book is Susan and her life and how she came to study in Egypt. I would have liked more about language, because that is the what the title says it's about, but her travels are so interesting and the people she meets are described so well that the book is consistently enjoyable. I sincerely hope she writes another book, maybe about another place, since she alludes to other travels in her life.

I've read several charming books about Egypt recently, by Andre Aciman, Alhadeff, and Penelope Lively. This one is a beautifully written, haunting memoir by a woman whose encounters with an exotic world are delicately portrayed, with great empathy for landscape and its people.

Susan Brind Morrow brings onto paper the difficult task of writing of 'the names of things' Showing the reader through Egypt, bringing us elements of the good, the bad, the inbetween. She tells us of her love affair with this enchanting country, and how many times during her life she's had to return to this place, this haven of hers.If you have any interest in etymology, you'll love this book!