Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey

by Alison Wearing (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2000

  $3.23

  A compelling and delightful travel book, which presents an unexpectedly affectionate portrait of Iran. Alison Wearing inveigled her way into Iran under false pretences. The sneaking suspicion she'd had that it would prove an austere and hostile country rapidly dissolved when the overwhelming kindness and generosity she encountered from people of all walks of life most emphatically won her over. The months of listening to 'teach-yourself-Farsi' tapes seemed to have paid off when Alison was welcomed with open arms into homes and families, and her style of dress and shock of red hair became a preoccupation for Iranian women everywhere. From uncomfortable bus rides (stuffed to bursting with people and belongings) to an illicit day of sightseeing at the Shah's summer palace and from the traumatic experience of shopping for a suitable chaador to playing a highly competitive game of table tennis in a dusty courtyard, Alison's sojourn in Iran was coloured by a host of often bizarre and endearing encounters. Honeymoon in Purdah paints a beguiling portrait of a feared country. Alison Wearing's exuberant narrative explores the joys and sorrows of life in Iran and takes a long, hard look at the status of women in Muslim countries. Her beautifully observed and humorous account of a hardcore holiday is unforgettable.

• Used

  Paperback
  2001

  $3.23

  Alison Wearing went on a trip beyond the legacy of revolution, religious fundamentalism and veiled women to find the real people of Iran. Posing as a honeymooner, but accidentally on purpose setting out on her own at every opportunity, Alison Wearing reveals an irresistible curiosity at every turn. With a novelist's love of language and an eye for dramatic detail, she takes the reader into the homes and hearts of the people who welcome her, feed her, and send her off on one adventure after the other.Alison goes to hidden places of interest that recall the romance of Persia, on interminable trips into the desert, and to fading palaces by the sea - wherever she finds herself, she offers startling insights into daily life in Iran, an enigmatic country. Honeymoon in Purdah is beautifully written, fresh and fascinating at every turn, and is a glorious account of a hardcore holiday. We are presented with the view from behind a pair of hungry, sensitive and wholly human eyes - a vivid and endearing picture of Iran's people - Independent on Sunday .

• New

  Paperback
  2001

  $21.60