Book excerpt: Upon her arrival in Tirana, Albania, in April 1994, the author found a city unlike any other she had experienced. Rotting trash was piled in the center of the streets, animals shared the rutted roads with cars, and housing, when it could be found, was crowded and crumbling. But she found a people full of optimism, particularly the women. Despite the subservient role forced by tradition on nearly all Albanian women, they have increasingly become the foundation upon which the country exists. Not only are they responsible for caring for extended households, these women are now also becoming vital parts of the country's economy. Most importantly, however, they maintain a faith in Albania that belies the country's turbulent past and widely predicted future. Through interviews with over 200 Albanian women, this work is an insightful, often poignant, look at a country that remains a mystery to most in the West.