Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen, Anthony Lewis
'Where you staying? the Bedouin asked. Why you not stay with me tonight - in my cave?' n nThus begins Marguerite van Geldermalsen's story of how a New Zealand-born nurse came to be married to Mohammad Abdallah Othman, a Bedouin souvenir-seller from the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. It was 1978 and she and a friend were travelling through the Middle East when Marguerite met the charismatic Mohammad who convinced her that he was the man for her. n nA life with Mohammad meant moving into his ancient cave and learning to love the regular tasks of baking shrak bread on an open fire and collecting water from the spring. And as Marguerite feels herself becoming part of the Bedouin community, she is thankful for the twist in fate that has led her to this contented life. n nMarguerite's light-hearted and guileless observations of the people she comes to love are as heart-warming as they are valuable, charting Bedouin traditions now lost to the modern world. n nEditorial Reviews n nFor anyone who enjoys travel books, especially about the Middle East, this is the real thing - a fascinating account of life as a Bedouin in the late twentieth century written by a Western woman-Mary S. Lovell n nIn a world troubled by Arab extremism, this sparkling memoir is a refreshing antidote and a rare window into the legendary hospitality and mysterious customs of the Bedouin Arabs-Publishing News n nIn a world troubled by Arab extremism, this sparkling memoir is a refreshing antidote and a rare window into the legendary hospitality and mysterious customs of the Bedouin Arabs' Publishing News n- From the Publisher n nIn 1978, a New Zealand nurse on holiday met a handsome Bedouin, Mohammad Abdallah Othman, in the ancient city of Petra, Jordan. Almost instantaneously, she chose to trade her free-spirited Western lifestyle for a Bedouin marriage, traditions and language she knew virtually nothing about, and a home in a cave with a breathtaking view. A romance novel? No-van Geldermalsen's autobiography. The author focuses on her transformation from an outgoing but unmotivated twentysomething New Zealander into a mature woman whose heart absorbs this often-mysterious culture. She lived in the Petra caves with her growing family until 1985, when Petra's inhabitants were resettled nearby (it became a UNESCO World Heritage site), at which point the author grows less interested in her story, adding only one chapter for her time since 1985. Her husband died in 2001. In the epilog, van Geldermalsen explains that I have mostly remembered the good times, but that is how I like to look at life. Perhaps this should have been stated in a prolog, as her massive transition between cultures comes across as surprisingly smooth and sunny. Yet readers will enjoy van Geldermalsen's detailed and deeply human depictions of celebrations, motherhood, and more in Petra. Recommended for public libraries and for academic library browsing collections. n-Karen Sobel n n- Library Journal
Publication Details
Title:
Author(s):
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Binding: Paperback
Published by: Little, Brown Book Group: , 2011
Edition:
ISBN: 9781844082209 | 1844082202
288 pages.
Book Condition: Good
cover worn. Text lightly wrinkled
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