Customer Reviews

Zaatar Days, Henna Nights: Adventures, Dreams, and Destinations Across the Middle East

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I picked up Za'atar Days and Henna Nights with interest, because I'm always on the lookout for travel books about the Middle East, where I have traveled, lived, worked (and indeed found a spouse) myself. Maliha Masood tried to delve a bit deeper than most travelers to the region do, and her book has many anecdotes about her interactions with the people she met, all of whom she approached with an openness and willingness to understand, despite language barriers. For this and the locale, I appreciated the book.

Nonetheless, I couldn't help but cringe when I noticed that most of the people she encountered were those that I would normally avoid - they were often guys who make a habit or living off of hanging around in touristed areas, either offering guide services or looking to pick up girls. In the Arab countries particularly, casual, short-term, nonsexual friendships between men and women are uncommon, though she tried to build them, leaving a trail of liquid brown/ green / dark eyes full of unspoken messages behind her. Going camping with one man, lying out in the grass looking at the sky and just being in the one on one situations she cultivated seem wildly inappropriate to me, given prevailing cultural mores.

Her prose was somewhat overblown, between the eyes and the search for self amid the alienation of travel, oneness of the universe, hyperawareness of people around her and the dark dome of stars. All things considered, I'll take Freya Stark.

There is a lot about this story that is alien to me. I'm not Muslim, I'm not particularly spiritual, I'd never travel off into areas unknown with no concrete plan, goal, or even a crude itinerary, and I would never be so trusting of strangers or open to spontaneous suggestions by dodgy characters.

Perhaps that is why this story was so eye-opening to me. I thought Maliha Masood did a good job of bringing to life a reality and an adventure entirely outside of my experience. As a result, I feel like I know more not only about the culture and countries she explored, but also about a type and level of spirituality I'm unfamiliar with. I don't feel any urge to drop everything and go aimlessly wander a foreign region, but I do feel like I have had my horizons widened and my understanding of the world increased.

I found it interesting to compare Ms. Masood's descriptions of the people and customs with what I know, and think about the ways they are different and similar to what I know. In America we get so little exposure to Arabic culture outside of television images of violence or non-christian religious behavior, it can seem a little surprising to discover how much generosity and friendliness is a part of Arabic culture. Or how steeped in western culture they are. I can't speak to the wisdom or appropriateness of the author's behavior, but I can appreciate the guided tour through unfamiliar territory, both literal and existential.

Definately worth the read.

Masood travels alone across Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey, though she does not speak the languages of these countries and though she is both a foreigner and a woman. All of these get Masood into deep trouble at times. In the process of traveling she deepens her Muslim faith and makes many new friends.

A surprising story of adventure.

This is primary a book about about Maliha Masood, 28 years old, burnt out dot-commer with Pakistani roots from Seattle and only 2nd or 3rd a book about the middle east, or if you like - a Travel diary with stress on diary.

Maliha tells us about her joys and conserns, glourious moments and dissapointments - how it feels to live in the shaddow of a more physically attactive and outgoing girl-friend, how she sometimes feels lonely, how she sometimes enjoys just being in her own company, about people that she meets, about falling in love, some admitting of her limited knowledge of the Middle East and about concerns for women traveling alone in the Middle East.

Only seldom though do we really get to know the life and situation of these people that she meets. That is a pity as she seems to meet a lot of interesting people along the way that really could have provided us with some insight about what life is like for ordinary people in the middle east. Her Egyptian friend Ghuma tells her that it is easy to be a white foregner in Egypt, but poor Egyptians are treated very bad is one of the few cases where we are given some insight into the life of the poor Egyptian majority. Her Jordanian friend tells her about the frustrations of the big, educated and unemplyed young popolation. During the spontanious visit at the house of Um Jasim and her Beduin family outside Aleppo, we get an insight into the Beduin unconditional and natural hospitality and the diffenence in how traditional women dress outdoors and at home. But it often takes 50-100 pages between the situations where you get this glimpses into life of ordnary people in the Middle East.

Another nice thing with the book in case ylou learn basic Arabic, is that Maliha includes useful expressions like thanks, first on the left, numbers, tea without suger etc.

I can unconditionally recommend this book if you are (or have a girl-friend or sister in law) in your late 20s from Northern America with Asian roots, burnt out former employee of the IT industry and travel in the Middle East to find yourself. I am confident that you will recognice a lot of what she writes about.

If, on the other hand, you look for a book that will give you backgoround information about the Middle East, because you want to travel there or learn more about the people living in the middle East, you will find some of what you look for here and there, but if you only intend to read a book or two, I recommend that you start elsewhere.

Jan

I've only read two travelogues, or memoirs--Eat, Pray, Love and Zataar Days, Henna Nights, and both share a basic premise or setup, a personal crisis of some sort, sending the protagonist reeling into self-doubt and in search of self, thus beginning a personal pilgrimage across foreign lands in search of an antidote for whatever emotional ailments. What is starkly different in my mind is that Elizabeth Gilbert's (Eat, Prey, Love) voice is mostly internal, constantly giving the score on her emotions at nearly every turn, whereas Maliha Masood's voice is external, keeping her secrets and feelings closely guarded even when she finds herself in the most absurd of situations.

The first chapter, A Leap in the Dark, where we find our protagonist sitting in the backseat of a car while her parents drive her to the airport is one of the few times the reader gets a peak behind Ms Masood's emotional curtains, as she describes a quiet panic of doubt, questioning her decision to uproot her life. The comfort, and encouragement she receives in the airport before departing from her parents reveals the deep connection she has with them, and conjures up the childhood feelings of being left behind by your parents on your first day of kindergarten.

Masood's prose style is surgical, not giving any more details than necessary, for which there are advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that she mostly avoids the self-indulgence of writing a memoir, that is, the heighten self-involvement that seems absurd when juxtaposed with people lives in an under developed country. The disadvantage is having the author's voice be at times detached, and having to read between the lines of what she is feeling. There were a couple young Arab men in Zataar Days with whom Ms Masood bonded. They were her Sherpa, helping her navigate through the cultural terrain of local customs and traditions. She clearly developed emotional attachments throughout her journey, but both platonic romances seemed to build up, only to end abruptly and without closure. You'll have to read between the lines, or triangulate the behavior of a free spirit Australian, who joins her early in her trek.

Masood's spirit and writing comes alive as she recounts the meeting and traveling with an adventurous, Australian named Bea, whom she met while in Europe. Bea joined her on a significant leg of her journey across the Middle East. Bea is at the opposite end of the spectrum, gregarious and sexually expressive, and she seems to be the one who gets the two women in the most bizarre of situations. Through Masood's eyes, there are hints of admiration as she watches Bea hypnotize men with her looks and wit. Masood tastefully sizes herself up to Bea, but allows Bea's actions to speak for itself.

Masood's non-judgmental writing style feels like a documentary, allowing the Egyptians, Syrians, and Lebanese people she came across to speak for themselves, without romanticizing their poverty, politics or overly nobelizing the natives as Westerners tend to do. Zataar Days, Henna Nights is a well-written personable tome, involving, and at times, moving.

It is clear to the author as well as the reader by the end of her journey that traveling was only the beginning of dealing with the aches and pains of life, and that running off to Egypt, or Syria was only cosmetic, and that real growth occurs from within, no passports needed.

I was looking for a good read that might take me back to my own life changing travels in Egypt and across the world and this book was channel for that reliving. This book takes the ordinary experiences and shows them diffused through a prism of a spiritual self expiriment on her own muslim belief system. She takes a good look at the hidden sides of the clash between old muslim culture and modern liberations. I wouldn't use this book as a travel guide for the middle east; but I wouldn't use Kerouac's - On The Road as a guide for the USA either. The writing is often metaphoric, sometimes overly, but the filter of a young woman on a mythical adventure of self discovery shines in the descriptions of the people she meets and the sense of alchemy in the coincidences of her journey.

It's a tale of innocence abroad as she get herslef into, and out of, one sticky situation after another. I enjoyed this book as a recount of introspection as is only possible though the magic of travel, but there's a few scenes of block buster action as well.

I found Zaatar Days, Henna Nights to be a wonderfully inspiring book of adventure. I have not read many travel books written in the first person that provides such great personal thoughts and emotion. What a brave thing for a young woman to do on her own without a real plan. This is what is so inspiring to me. It seems we are often so afraid to discover new parts of the world on our own and Maliha Masood showed me it is okay and that the adventure is more about the people then the place. I reinforced my belief that interesting people are everywhere and that people are more alike than different.

The first chapter really set the tone for me and had me wanting to finish the rest of the book in one sitting. I especially identified with Maliha's rationale for taking her adventure.. "What I really wanted was to escape from routine and find new ryhtyms in a world that would reawaken my senses. I wanted to knwo the meaning of wonder and freshness, to regain the wide-eyed openess of a child." Throughout the book I felt like I was vicariously living through her adventures in the Middle East. I have to say they are very different than what I imagined and a far cry from the negative images and tones that are repeated by the media.

Bravo!

This book is a great attempt at questioning social norms and breaking stereo types. The adventerous spirit of the author is not only inspiring but invigorating at times.

As a devoted independent traveler, I am always interested in the journeys of others. What I found in this delightful book was insight and experiences that parallel my own. This is exactly the way it is. The author dives into a world unknown to the tourist, letting go of structure and planning, and instead allowing life to lead the way. Tapping into inner resources of trust, faith, and courage she embarks on a modern day quest--and takes us along for an illuminating ride. Often flying by the seat of her pants and living way beyond the comfort zone, she introduces us to a fascinating world inhabited by a very colorful cast of characters. Like everyone in the book, I would love to meet Maliha and Bea!

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."-Helen Keller

I have been to Cairo, Goreme, Kas, and Istanbul (places she covers in the book) and the pictures she paints with her words are accurate and entertaining. I, too, lightly touch on the sights that are so compelling to the tourist and instead seek to connect with the people and their culture. This is where the author excels and she takes us deeply into their world (and hers). This is a book written from the heart. We are given a real feel for a part of the world that is shrouded from our view. It is a book for our time. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed Maliha Masood's debut travel memoire that takes you through the Middle East with her unique perspective - that of an adventurous backpacking Muslim woman traveling alone, sans male escort - on a journey of self-discovery. As she makes her way through the ancient capitols of the region, she visits local mosques, makes friends, and has a couple of harrying 'close calls'. What makes this book different from so many Middle East travel books, is the path that she takes at every turn. Hers is the back alley, the roof-top terrace, the women's prayer hall, and the midnight bus. As she goes in search of clues to her own identity, she shares a world-full of friendly and not-so characters, and doesn't hold back on criticism when warranted. Her voice is refreshing, devoid of prejudice, and true to the trusting innocent that she was on this journey. The story is especially poignant since she returned home to the U.S. from her travels just weeks before 9/11. Highly recommended.