Like the main character in my book, I went to Kurdish Iraq as a well-meaning (but admittedly naive) teacher, and fell in love with the Kurdish people and their culture. To be more specific, it was village women I really bonded with. Listening to their stories, and watching them try to cope with so many practical restrictions, tore at my heart. Part of me wanted to “liberate” them from the seemingly outdated traditions that held them back. Simultaneously, I couldn’t help but envy them for the solaces their tight community offered them -- and which Western society denied me. Rather than claiming to be an expert on Kurds, I am now someone who studies them with the greatest respect. The humble Kurdish villagers gave me moral examples that I wish every Westerner could be fortunate enough to have.
I wrote...
The Kurdish Bike
By
Alesa Lightbourne
What is my book about?
With her marriage over and life gone flat, Theresa Turner responds to an online ad and lands at a school in Kurdish Iraq. Befriended by a widow in a nearby village, she is embroiled in the joys and agonies of traditional life. Her greatest challenge will be balancing respect for cultural values while trying to introduce more enlightened attitudes toward women -- and seeking new spiritual dimensions within herself.
"The Kurdish Bike has such strong characters and story that the reader feels like a member of the family. If you are interested in learning about the lives, culture, and hardships faced by people in the Middle East, this book is a must-read. Five stars." Manhattan Book Review
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The Books I Picked & Why
A Thousand Sighs, a Thousand Revolts: Journeys in Kurdistan
By
Christiane Bird
Why this book?
History, culture, politics, plus the zing of real personalities. This book has it all, presented by a gutsy but sensitive journalist. Bird traveled through the four nations that are home to Kurds -- Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey -- in 2003. Although a lot has changed since then, her book remains the gold standard for nonfiction about these fascinating and little-understood people. You’ll wish you could have stowed away in her backpack.
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No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison
By
Behrouz Boochani
Why this book?
Boochani fled his native Iran due to political persecution against Kurds, and ended up stuck in refugee hell, namely Australia’s notorious Manus Island. Not for the faint of heart, his memoir details nearly dying at sea, and then spending years in unimaginably wretched prison conditions. Most remarkable of all is that he wrote his book on a cell phone, smuggling poems on WhatsApp to the world at large. How can “civilized” nations treat persecuted populations so dismally? A mix of prose and poetry, the book is a haunting examination of ethnic dignity in the face of global indifference.
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The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State
By
Nadia Murad
Why this book?
I read newspaper reports about ISIS capturing and enslaving Yazidi women in Iraq, but had a hard time imagining day-to-day life within the Caliphate. Murad gives us an insider’s view. She was just 21 when ISIS overran her village. She survived repeated beatings, rapes, and other forms of degradation until risking a dare-devil escape. Although Yazidis are ethnically distinct from Kurds, they have lived surrounded and protected by Kurds for centuries. Murad’s story helps us understand why Kurds fought so valiantly against ISIS, and illustrates the tolerance for diversity in the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan.
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Daughters of Smoke and Fire
By
Ava Homa
Why this book?
I have immense admiration for Ava Homa, the first female Iranian Kurd to publish in English. Her novel is part political expose, part history, and part feminist coming-of-age story, all wrapped up in a nail-biter of an adventure. The narrator is a woman, adding unexpected plot twists. Given the repression faced by Kurds in Iran, and the wall of silence maintained by the regime, Homa’s book is an important and courageous plea to the world for empathy and action -- plus it’s a downright riveting read.
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Take What You Can Carry
By
Gian Sardar
Why this book?
A Californian woman travels to Iraq to visit her Kurdish boyfriend’s family. It’s during Saddam Hussein’s regime, when just being a Kurd can get you tortured or imprisoned. The author perfectly captures the smells, sounds and cultural details that fascinate a Western newcomer to Kurdistan -- including markets, weddings, dancing, and foods. All is not what it appears, however, and murky secrets lurk beneath the smiling faces. Like most books about Kurds, this one is disturbing in parts. But the romantic subplot keeps you turning pages. It also has great insights into the complexity of cross-cultural relationships, both pros and cons.
