When twenty-eight-year-old Maliha Masood, a burned-out dot-commer from Seattle, bought a one-way ticket to adventure and rejuvenation, she found it in the most unlikely of places: the Middle East. With an infectious love of adventure, a zany sense of humor, and serious questions about her Islamic faith, Pakistani-born Masood begins an unforgettable journey. She camps in the Sahara with a Bedouin "desert fox," is mistaken for a spy in Turkey, takes a lesson in beauty from a Kurdish family, and falls in love with a poet. She experiences souks and mosques, open-air lingerie bazaars and nightclubs grooving to hip-hop. In a region associated with terrorist havens, Masood meets ordinary Muslim men and women navigating the politics of culture, religion, and identity. Zaatar Days, Henna Nights offers a street-savvy take on the contemporary Arab world that's seldom seen on the evening news. This is a story of discovery and faith, of making bonds and breaking stereotypes, and of finding oneself where one least expects to.
I was looking for a good read that might take me back to my own life changing travels in Egypt and across the world and this book was channel for that reliving. This book takes the ordinary experiences and shows them diffused through a prism of a spiritual self expiriment on her own muslim belief system. She takes a good look at the hidden sides of the clash between old muslim culture and modern liberations. I wouldn't use this book as a travel guide for the middle east; but I wouldn't use Kerouac's - On The Road as a guide for the USA either. The writing is often metaphoric, sometimes overly, but the filter of a young woman on a mythical adventure of self discovery shines in the descriptions of the people she meets and the sense of alchemy in the coincidences of her journey.
It's a tale of innocence abroad as she get herslef into, and out of, one sticky situation after another. I enjoyed this book as a recount of introspection as is only possible though the magic of travel, but there's a few scenes of block buster action as well.
As a devoted independent traveler, I am always interested in the journeys of others. What I found in this delightful book was insight and experiences that parallel my own. This is exactly the way it is. The author dives into a world unknown to the tourist, letting go of structure and planning, and instead allowing life to lead the way. Tapping into inner resources of trust, faith, and courage she embarks on a modern day quest--and takes us along for an illuminating ride. Often flying by the seat of her pants and living way beyond the comfort zone, she introduces us to a fascinating world inhabited by a very colorful cast of characters. Like everyone in the book, I would love to meet Bea!
"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."-Helen Keller
I have been to Cairo, Goreme, Kas, and Istanbul (places she covers in the book) and the pictures she paints with her words are accurate and entertaining. I, too, lightly touch on the sights that are so compelling to the tourist and instead seek to connect with the people and their culture. This is where the author excels and she takes us deeply into their world (and hers). This is a book written from the heart. We are given a real feel for a part of the world that is shrouded from our view. It is a book for our time. Highly recommend!
As an avid reader of travel literature, I was actually a bit reluctant to dive into this book as I have little interest in traveling to the Middle East. Once I started reading, however, I couldn't put it down. I kept wanting to know, "Where is Maliha going next?".
This book is very well written, exciting, insightful, intriguing and provides a perspective on the Middle East that (almost) makes me want to travel there!
I loved Maliha's descriptions of the desert and was completely fascinated by the perspective of this Pakistani-born American and her experience of living in two worlds and how this influenced her travel experiences.
In this post 9/11 world, it was refreshing to read an account of a woman's travels through the Middle East and to be swept along by her adventures of the heart, the mind and the spirit.
