All in all this is a fascinating book. When worldly occurrences in everyday life are underpinned with relevant theoretical aspects, we enter a myriad world of profound learning. I salute the author for bringing a rare subject to life in all its glory. It is a difficult book to read but the rewards are genuine and lasting.
Author introduce the concept of ‘selfing’ to look at how women negotiate with the unknown space of the city, arguing that one’s experience with both the material and the affective dimensions of the space one inhabits. The book focuses on women experience of finding accommodation, negotiating with landlords, interacting with roommates and colleages, dealing with the feeling of security and safety, and building friendship and families, all within the cities where they are outsiders.
“The book shows powerfully how the shadow of patriarchy is constantly lurking behind the luminous narratives of empowerment, progress and independence of women who arrive in cities to work… The strength of the book is that the city is not looked at as a mere container or the stage in which the drama of the life of these single working women is enacted.”