CAIRO: “A small piece of bread given with love is enough to feed hundreds.
This is one of the many Egyptian proverbs Jeanne Eck has included in her debut novel “I Am Happier to Know You.
Eck is somewhat eccentric, in her Indian accessories and her ultra short pixie do, she stood out at Diwan bookstore in Zamalek where we met. Her warm, electric personality let the time fly by as we chatted about life, love and destiny.
Eck first came to Egypt on holiday in 2000. “I used my frequent flier miles and got as far as Athens then I came to Egypt with a tour, she says. Due to some political bumps, and a twist of fate, everyone on the tour cancelled so it ended up being an exclusive one on one tour of Egypt.
Nine days later Eck decided to move to Cairo. She was selling her house in Washington to move back to her home state in Rhode Island, so she decided to stay here a few months until it was finalized. Her sons had long grown up, she had spilt up with her husband and the dog had died so she was in no hurry to return.
During those months, Eck (a freelance journalist) was emailing annotations on Egypt to her friends. As she lived here she started to change and her writing became more personal.
“I started to receive very poignant responses from my mailing list readers and I realized by opening my heart and opening my life in ways that most writers feel uncomfortable doing, what was then called “Notes from Egypt became ‘I Am Happier to Know You’, says Eck.
The book is a spiritual documentation of one woman s personal venture into an alien culture. It captures the human feelings of self-doubt and self-regeneration without ignoring the setting, Egypt.
She describes the book as “funny, honest, personal growth . It’s not just about Egypt, it’s a book about life, wisdom and understanding different perspectives.
For Eck, coming to Egypt changed her in many ways, but she was determined to stay: Many people thought I was being crazy but I felt it was the right thing to do, she says.
As she was putting the final touches on the novel, some of her friends set her up with an American expatriate called Chuck. A dance on a balcony overlooking Nile sealed their fate as they fell madly in love and soon got married.
“We haven’t been apart since then. We have been looking for each other our whole lives, she says.
She ended up living in Egypt for four more years.
The nightmare she never expected was publishing her book. To send it overseas was too expensive and monotonous, so with Chuck s support and three times the cost, she did it.
She knew it was worth it when, on Nov. 1, 2006 the USABookNews.com, a premiere online magazine and review website for mainstream and independent publishing houses, announced the winners and finalists of its Best Books 2006 Book Awards (BBA). “I Am Happier to Know You made the list.
Eck now lives with her husband in Mumbai, India where she is working on a new book, and also working with expatriates to help them deal with culture shock.
