Customer Reviews

Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark

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As a lover of biographies, I became interested in this book after reading a positive review from Modern Library. What could be more interesting than to read about a woman ahead of her time, fearless, captivating, smart and daring? Dame Freya Stark was all of these things, as well as a little "difficult".

Drowning in the despair of a dead-end future and smarting after a broken engagement, Freya decides to embark on a journey to the Middle East and from that moment establishes the course of an adventurous and remarkable life. Having studied Arabic and arming herself with as much knowledge as possible about the people she is going to visit, Freya sets out to explore the mysteries of an often misunderstood people. Often with little else than a donkey and one guide, Freya would visit the remotest, most dangerous places of countries like Yemen and Iraq in search of lost civilizations and ancient ruins. Braving illnesses and occassional mishaps, her attempts prove fruitful as she is able to test the accuracy of British maps; and in proving herself a talented writer of her experiences, she is honored by the Royal Geographic Society. In time her successes win her the respect of both East and West and she becomes a hailed celebrity in her native Great Britain.

Leading a colorful life while making and breaking friendships, Freya is eventually given work with the British Foreign Service during World War II and manages to establish a successful pro-British propoganda organization in the Middle East. Having proven herself an invaluable asset to her country, Ms. Stark is eventually knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

Author Jane Fletcher Geniesse writes an honest account of this great traveler, neither glorifying or demonizing her. We are allowed to see Dame Freya as she truly is: a remarkable woman with all the quirks that make her human. Reading this book was an absolute pleasure and how wonderful to learn about such a courageous woman who did whatever the hell she pleased! To borrow from reviewer Jim Lehrer, "Passionate Nomad is a work of nonfiction that reads and sings with the drama and life of a fine novel".

Dame Freya Stark (who died in 1993 at the age of 100) was, simply, an amazing, uppity, wild woman - WELL ahead of her time and full of the demons and insecurities that frequently propel the great among us to show their true colors. Having lived in the Middle East I was absolutely absorbed by this incredibly well-documented and tenderly written portrayal of a woman who eventually became one of the England's most favorite travelers and 'royal geographers' (and, some say, an accurate foreteller of Arab/Israeli conflict)!  Stark struck out late in life (in her 30s) on a journey of solitary trips and exploration throughout Syria, Iran, Yemen, and other corners of the region, as well as living an extremely active British propagandist's life in Egypt during WW II. That she traveled alone in places where ne'er a Western woman had trod before is at first extraordinary, but in addition, she also had the skill, want, and presence of mind to write prolifically about her experiences and adventures, not only in the form of news articles but in detailed, emotional, voluminous letters to friends and family. And thank goodness. Stark's life was, in a sense, quite bi-polar. On the one hand she yearned to marry and have children and yet had she done that she would likely never have charted maps, discovered mythical ruins, and run rogue through various British attempts at diplomacy in the Middle East. Her parents split when she was young and her mother was a force to be reckoned with (and is probably responsible for destroying Freya's one attempt at a true marriage as well as destroying Freya's younger sister). Freya, in her search for marriage was drawn to gay men in the Royal British Foreign Service (whom she steadfastly refused to believe were gay). Outside of her (self-proclaimed) failed social achievements, her travel and her writing were extraordinary.

Geniesee has done a spectacular job of keeping us, as readers, balanced in our views and Freya, as our "quarry" balanced as well. She shares with the reader the frustrations of people who did not understand Stark, and we read in a number of places about what a difficult travel companion she could be. The reader is also privy to Stark's somewhat bizarre social behavior in which she shuns close friends suddenly and for very (ostensibly) strange reasons. Geniesse, in other words, has done a good job of keeping her protagonist honest for us... something that biographers can sometimes find difficult to do (the urge to glorify or demonize may overtake). This is a monument to women everywhere who find great joy (I do, obviously) in reading about the women who blaze the trails, who reach beyond society's expectations for them, who go and do and learn because they want to, damn it. It was such a pleasure reading about this grand dame.

Spending time with interesting women who are inaccessible to us in real life is one of the pleasures of a good book and Jane Fletcher Geniesse has just added to the list. The author gives us a detailed account of the life of a fearless wanderer, Freya Stark, whose 100 years on earth (1893-1993)were packed with adventures to rival the tales of the Arabian Nights. Freya, though hardly living up to the attributes of her Norse namesake (no goddess of love and beauty, she!), nevertheless conquered the Arab world by making full use of her strengths: drive, intelligence, and an extraordinary empathy for the peoples of the Middle East. Geniesse does not dismiss her shortcomings but offers good reasons for the bizarre behavior of her heroine. She also handles the historical background with grace and understanding. It was an extraordinary time, made even more so by an indomitable English woman, and the author is to be congratulated for presenting her with such skill.

This is a fair, rounded, and delightfully written biography ofa complex woman who was a brave, solitary British explorer in the Middle East and something of a social misfit in England. In addition to her acclaimed explorations, Stark put her experience to good use during World War II in the service of her country as a propagandist. Mrs. Geniesse bases much of her account on Stark's voluminous correspondence and on many interviews with people who knew her. In ably presenting the many facets of Stark's personality and achievements, she has also produced an extremely readable book.

Amily Dickinson's line "I dwell in possibility" echoed for me as I read this beautifully-crafted biography. Freya Stark saw possibilities where others apprehended obstacles; her ability to seize opportunities for adventure and to record her unusual experiences with intelligence and wit not only saved her from the conventional life of a spinster, but provided her contemporaries with fascinating information about about a part of the world they understood poorly. Her readers and listeners were mesmerized by what she had to tell them. Jane Geniesse's great achievement is that like Stark, she is able to convey a great breadth of learning and observation in a way that is entirely entertaining. This book has taught me a great deal more about Freya Stark, the Middle East and modern European history, but I seem to have no bruises to show for it! Thank you, Ms Geniesse!

There ought to be a law against an author writing a biography of a person whom she doesn't really like, respect, or understand. According to Geniesse, Freya Stark was a homely, erratic opportunist who could never commit herself to a loving relationship. The only good thing I have to say for this book is that it has encouraged me to read Freya's own words. Having started now with "The Valley of the Assassins," I now see how utterly Geniesse missed Freya's humor, compassion, and intellect. If you're interested in the life of an incredibly perceptive, funny, and courageous adventurer, and would like to learn something about what the Middle East was like a generation or two ago, my own recommendation would be to give this book a miss and head straight for Freya Stark's own writings.

Jane Geniesse has captured Freya Stark, an English original, with flair and insight. Her biography is a colorful and thoughtful portrait of an intelligent, determined and sometimes infuriating woman who, under the most difficult circumstances, chose to explore -often alone- remote and mysterious areas of the Arab world largely unknown to the West. It is the fascinating story of a lonely lady driven to leave behind very real personal problems by traveling through some of the most dangerous parts of the world and returning to write several award- winning accounts of her adventures. A wonderful book!

This book is for anyone who loves adventure, different cultures, exciting and interesting characters, and history. I had never even heard of Freya Stark before stumbling upon a recommendation for this book. I started it with some uncertainty, but soon I couldn't put it down. The author has done a wonderful job of presenting the life of this fascinating woman in the context of the times. I learned so much about the history of the Middle East and have a little bit better understanding of the many complexities facing that area today.

I loved the writing syle, the pictures, and the use of quotes from Stark's writing as chapter headers (several I have copied to keep on file). This book is definitely readable, informative, entertaining, and has lead me to explore Stark's own writings as well as information about the many individuals who appear in the book (such as Gertrude Bell).

The only annoying element of this book was the author's focus on Stark's appearance. Apparently, however, this was a huge concern for Stark herself, but by looking at her pictures, she certainly was not that unattractive. And her smile is delightful.

I thank the Amazon reader who lead me to this book. I highly recommend it as well.

In a captivating book about one of the great English-language interpreters of the Middle East, Geniesse (a novelist and former New York Times reporter) draws on the huge and expressive bulk of Freya Stark's letters to paint a personal and professional portrait of rare accomplishment. Stark (1893-1993) lived a tumultuous, semi-privileged, and constricting early life, which she broke out of by learning Arabic and then in 1927 sailing off to Lebanon. She quickly found her double vocation, as intrepid explorer and eloquent letter-writer, then pursued and built on these skills through two glorious decades, achieving best-sellerdom, fame, and the company of the high and mighty. During the war years she even acquired a modicum of political influence. (That said, Stark's one sustained political effort, a British government-sponsored speaking tour to the United States in 1943-44, was a disaster, with her anti-Zionist message finding much attention but very little sympathy and she, late of Persia and the Hadramaut, finding little in turn to charm her in America's modernity.)

But if her public life was a roaring success, the private life was notably less so. Two amusing chapters concern the "three foolish virgins" (about an episode in 1937-38, when Stark and two female scholars went off to Yemen) and her only marriage (at age 54) to a man who very soon after the wedding revealed his homosexuality (or rather, she could no longer pretend not to see it). In general, with the advancement of Stark's career, her biography becomes more interesting. But early or late, the evocation of a world only sixty years back but so removed from ours in its rhythms and its concerns - with the intense letter writing, the extended visits to country houses, and the imperatives of empire - will keep the attention of every reader.

Middle East Quarterly, December 1999

A fascinating book, especially in the light of the current activity in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. Many of the observations she makes about the culture, the great religious divides, and the inclination of the West to intervene to try to provide stability and leadership in the region are as true today as they were in the 1920s and 30s. The rifts that exist between the various Muslim sects have histories that date back hundreds of years, and are the same ones that continue to cause so much tension today. Besides the historical content, it is entertaining and inspiring to read about Ms. Stark, a woman who despite her insecurities, unconventional upbringing, and lack of formal education, went on to become a leading expert and advisor on Middle Eastern affairs. Better than fiction...it is all true!