An award-winning novel that's a book club favorite
Photos
Kurdish Iraq is prime grazing ground for sheep and goats.The real “Blue Angel” bike, and the author’s attempt at a unisex outfit.Choli Minaret in downtown Irbil, dating from about 1200 AD.Street vendors in downtown Irbil, viewed by the woman who inspired the indomitable Pat.Villagers near the Iran/Iraq border in traditional garb.
The waterfall at Gully Ali Beg is visited by tourists from all over Iraq.In this village “hotel”, guests get a mattress on the floor and a heavy blanket used by way too many smokers — and use of a communal squat toilet. You can fit in as many sleepers as you want.
Donkeys do well on the rough terrain in rural Iraq.Kurds love dressing up in colorful, sparkly clothes for a Nawroz picnic…… or just for a family Friday outing visiting friends.
Kurds love to dance anywhere — even on the side of a busy highway.Irbil, capital of the Kurdish Autonomous Region, is a city of 1 million. Its old city (center) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places on earth, dating to about 4,000 BC.Many Kurds have mountain homes, where they can retreat from the summer heat with their flocks and families.Maps were not available in 2010. This is the hand-made map used by the author during her road trips.