"Inspired by actual events . . . inspiring and enlightening!" - Ann B. "A heart-wrenching but inspiring tale of courage, resilience, and human survival. Beautifully written." - Jane R. "A must read! Tammy refuses to surrender and no matter what they do to her, her spirit is not broken." - Rachel M. "The suspense is intense. A sad story, but extremely well written." - Marie C. "This book really took me by surprise. It's fundamentally a horror story, a fascinating psychological study of what slavery does to the victim—and to her owners. An unflinching look at human trafficking carried out with finesse and grace." - Kristin W. "I stayed up reading this book until five a.m., then called in sick so I could finish it. I simply could not put it down. Best book by far I have ever read." - Chad K. "A fantastic book on a terrifying topic. I just wanted to curl up somewhere and keep reading. Fell in love with the gutsy heroine." - Doug H. "I didn't want to put this book down even long enough to eat. A revealing and restrained treatment of an explosive topic. Riveting!" - John H. "This book made me cry and shook me to the core. I was moved beyond words." - Leigh "I simply could not put this book down and polished it off in one day. The heroine's amazing strength of character and good heart shine through on every page." - Cathy D.

This book focuses on British efforts to suppress the traffic in female slaves destined for Egyptian harems during the late-nineteenth century. It considers this campaign in relation to gender debates in England, and examines the ways in which the assumptions and dominant imperialist discourses of these abolitionists were challenged by the newly-established Muslim communities in England, as well as by English people who converted to or were sympathetic with Islam. While previous scholars have treated antislavery activity in Egypt first and foremost as an extension of earlier efforts to abolish plantation slavery in the New World, this book considers it in terms of encounters with Islam during a period which it argues marked a new departure in Anglo-Muslim relations. This approach illuminates the role of Islam in the creation of English national identities within the global cultural system of the British Empire. This book would appeal to those with an interest in British imperial history; Islam; gender, feminism, and women’s studies; slavery and race; the formation of national identities; global processes; Orientalism; and Middle Eastern studies.

A study of the chief of the African eunuchs who guarded the sultan's harem in Istanbul under the Ottoman Empire.

The slave harem is all. If you enter, you can never leave. Contact with the outside world is forbidden. With a secret talent for seeing auras of physical and emotional arousal, Ren, a sought-after pleasure slave, is sold to a mysterious master in a foreign land where he will become part of a collection of beautiful men. Though the men appear welcoming, there is competition and jealousy among the ranks. And their mysterious master who is heard but never seen elicits more questions than answers. One friendly slave, Li Po, helps Ren settle in, but it is the voiceless man, Zanti, who draws Ren's attention. With his wicked beauty and bratty scowls, Zanti is the least welcoming of them all, and Ren's training and control are put to the test. Gay harem, slow-burn, enemies to lovers. Extraordinary and strange. Hot and cold. This book explores the many levels of sex, lust, loneliness and belonging. And maybe, just maybe, there can be love.

Kidnapped from her home in Cairo, Egypt, Laila is placed on an auction block in Constantinople and sold to work as a handmaid to a wealthy man and his daughter. Unhappy as a maid and leery of the lustful advances of her owner, Laila dreams of returning to her home. Laila is sold to a Turkish harem where she catches the eye of the handsome yet arrogant palace heir, Kudar al Numan. As Laila fights to deny her feelings for Kudar, their relationship is threatened by the jealous rage of another woman. To keep the couple apart, Laila's nemesis hatches a plan to force her to make a choice...return to the family she loves or remain in her new life with her new love. Either choice may be seen as an act of betrayal. Which will she choose? And does going back to relive the past mean there is no hope for the future?

The first study exploring the lives of female slaves of the Ottoman imperial court, drawing from hitherto unexplored primary sources