Flight from Chador [Paperback]

Sigrid Brunel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

Anouk Turabi, an Egyptian woman pilot receives an urgent plea to rescue a teenage German girl from a forced marriage in Yemen. Preparing for this dangerous task Anouk is distracted by a beautiful American photographer, Karen Jensen. When they can no longer deny their passion, Karen insists on going with her. They sneak into Yemen disguised as man and wife, but the rigid Islamic laws test them to the limits of their love and power in this death-defying thriller.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Based in Ethiopia, Egyptian pilot Anouk Turabi flies tourists to various archaeological points of interest until an English cousin calls for assistance. It appears that a young female relation of mixed heritage has been sold unwillingly to a husband in Yemen by her estranged father. Anouk plots and schemes, reconnoiters, and finally carries out a rescue-and-escape mission with help from a visiting female American photographer with whom she falls in love. Great travelog stuff, women's equality issues, and unusual adventure make for an exotic journey set in 1970. For larger collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Stongly evocative prose and an undercurrent of eroticism. --Library Journal

This author skillfully blends intrigue and romance. --Lesbian and Gay News Telegraph

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: New Victoria Publishers (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892281066
• ISBN-13: 978-1892281067
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,189,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars African Masterpiece, February 4, 2001

By 

Vincent Jaeger-Booth (München) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flight from Chador (Paperback)

This book brings across the true spirit of postwar colonial Africa. A must for every lover of the African and Arab cultures. Sigrid Brunel succeeds in embedding an interracial lesbian love affair into the afro-arab world with a fine sense of respect and admiration for these contrasting cultures.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Adventure in Ethiopia & Yemen, March 23, 2000

By 

"blissengine" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flight from Chador (Paperback)

This adventure story got better around halfway through the book, where it became quite riveting. Anouk & Karen set out to rescue a young girl from an arranged marriage in Yemen, and fall in love in the process. The details are quite evocative of the African and Arab locales, and they don't overpower the story. What is so wonderful about this story is the interracial main characters, and the placement of lesbians in the Arab and Ethiopian worlds. A beautiful and thrilling adventure.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Conflict in character development, March 10, 2005

By 

Cedar Waxwing (Boulder, Colorado) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Flight from Chador (Paperback)

I read Sigrid Brunel's first novel and enjoyed it so much that I bought this book without seeking opinion. Although it is well written and some issues pull at the heart strings, I find the characters disquieting. With many twists and turn, the main character seeks pleasures in brothels or amongst ladies of the evening, as it were. STD's alone would warrant that behavior dangerous. The introduction of the new lover, a model turned photographer, is less than satisfying. She falls in love with her and as the main character leaves her to go to ladies in waiting, she wonders where she is going. Once the rumors get to her ear, she then wonders why she (the main character) won't seek pleasure in her.

Also, there is a disturbing scene when the pressure is on to rescue the main character's cousin from familial abduction. Stress mounts and the two characters (main & now lover) argue and come to blows. Although all is forgotten and patched up, those scenes again are at least disquieting from my perspective.

I did not enjoy the book. A women going to brothels, prostitution, a slap to someone's face, is not entertainment.
It glossed over the issues of abduction, female mutilation, gender annihilation, that the author illustrates with striking clarity and is common in these parts of the world.

All told, I would read another book by this author.