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  <id>110104</id>
  <title><![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0312263449]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780312263447]]></isbn13>
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  <description><![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]></description>
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        <name><![CDATA[Alison Wearing]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <rating>3</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jul 09 13:52:34 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 17 13:35:04 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[An interesting travel journey across Iran, written by a young woman who pretended to be married to her male friend. Lovely to read how welcomed they were virtually everywhere they went. My one complaint is her insistence on quoting the Iranians, who showed them such hospitality, in the pigeon Englis...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62811322">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>61043342</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
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    <rating>2</rating>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people interested in Iran ]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Jul 24 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jun 25 05:43:13 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 24 15:44:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Posing as newlyweds on their honeymoon, Canadian Alison Wearing and a male friend make a five-month clockwise tour of Iran. Wearing's travelogue describes her experiences wearing the hijab and chador, but mostly her encounters with the Iranian people, recorded in <em>their</em> English. What I enjoyed most a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/61043342">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Maggi]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <date_added>Sat Jul 19 22:51:59 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 19 22:52:28 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[One of my favorite books ever!]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27759575]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27759575]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>25224185</id>
    <user>
    <id>1262860</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jennifer]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494m/110104.jpg</image_url>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>184</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <date_added>Mon Jun 23 12:14:24 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jun 25 22:44:11 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Knowing very little essential about Iranian culture prior to this travel account, for me this was a compelling and informative read. I love that Wearing spends most of her writing painting pictures of the lives of those she encountered rather than blathering on about herself. My chief objection to '...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25224185">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25224185]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25224185]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Dolores]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is absolutely one of the most unbiased, open-minded &quot;outsider&quot; views on modern-day Iran that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Alison Wearing went into Iran with an open mind and an open heart, and a double dollop of tenacity and courage. She emerges a person who has viewed the...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3819413">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Alison Wearing gives us her view of life inside Iran as an Iranian women traveling on her honeymoon.  Alison had a male friend traveling with her and they pretended that they were on their honeymoon.  Alison describes what it was like to wear the chaador, the hospitality of the various people they m...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78194584">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah]]>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Fascinating story of the author's travels in Iran as she poses as a new bride travelling with a gay colleague posing as her husband. She tells of her experiences as an invisible, veiled woman, and the camaraderie she builds with other women whilst the men are astonished by the actions of her 'husban...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63978944">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[This is an excellent book. The author writes fluidly and offers an honest, compassionate portrait of life inside Iran. I found myself laughing out loud more than once at her description of various incidents, such as the 300 meter taxi ride. I think the most valuable aspect of this book though is tha...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47093678">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[One of the most wonderful books on Persian culture.  It took my breath away and gave me a different view into Iran.  It was recommended to me by the most beautiful man who used to run a persian restaurant in Kensington Market.  He said it would &quot;show me his country through the eyes of one who l...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40543234">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
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    <body><![CDATA[Easy one-day read, and while I question her motives in writing it - and her ability to get into the Iranian culture in depth in any way as a result - it was interesting. It's just that I have a problem with someone who decides to write an expose by doing the &quot;hijab undercover&quot; thing, think...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2034361">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>48474024</id>
    <user>
    <id>1992959</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sharilyn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <id type="integer">110104</id>
  <isbn>0312263449</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312263447</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">36</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494m/110104.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494s/110104.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110104.Honeymoon_in_Purdah_An_Iranian_Journey</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>184</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Mar 06 20:01:24 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Mar 06 20:04:04 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A really excellent read if you are interested in that part of the world or just interested in other cultures in general.  Wearing is able to look at Iranian culture relatively objectively for a westerner.  Many parts made me laugh--sometimes because I could remember being in a similar situation.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48474024]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48474024]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>57158731</id>
    <user>
    <id>84982</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Monica]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Peru]]></location>
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  <isbn>0312263449</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312263447</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">36</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494m/110104.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494s/110104.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110104.Honeymoon_in_Purdah_An_Iranian_Journey</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>184</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun May 24 11:14:11 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun May 24 11:17:44 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[wonderful travel literature.  wearing does a good job of bringing forward many different human perspectives on the the revolution and the current state of Iran while always giving dignity to all her travel companions.  honest &amp; hilarious at times, its also a great intro to Iranian culture.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57158731]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/57158731]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>81646210</id>
    <user>
    <id>2953485</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lori]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Tucson, AZ]]></location>
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  <isbn>0312263449</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312263447</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">36</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494m/110104.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494s/110104.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110104.Honeymoon_in_Purdah_An_Iranian_Journey</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>184</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Dec 21 07:15:49 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Dec 21 07:20:15 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[still haven't finish it yet even though I started it last summer of 08. This book was interesting in describing cultures/countries difference. I need to finish it soon.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81646210]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/81646210]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>50288656</id>
    <user>
    <id>290848</id>
    <name><![CDATA[John]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Seattle, WA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/290848-john]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">3009844</id>
  <isbn>0330393065</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780330393065</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3009844.Honeymoon_in_Purdah</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>184</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at>Mon Mar 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 24 09:26:39 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Mar 24 09:28:17 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Interesting story, but I would´ve liked to hear more from her &quot;husband&quot; Ian on his observations of the country, from the point of view of a gay male.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50288656]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/50288656]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>29129486</id>
    <user>
    <id>1391973</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Andrea]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New Lexington, OH]]></location>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">36</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494m/110104.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494s/110104.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/110104.Honeymoon_in_Purdah_An_Iranian_Journey</link>
  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>184</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 03 10:48:24 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 03 10:52:57 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This was a really interesting book. It gave a portrait of Iran from seemingly, one person for each facet of society. This book left me convinced that, while I absolutely would not want to go to Iran (it sounds like a highly dangerous place to visit), it has a lot more cultural significance than I wo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29129486">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29129486]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29129486]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>67933930</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Deborah]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Montreal, QC, Canada]]></location>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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  <average_rating>4.40</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 18 14:42:37 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Aug 18 14:44:31 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Loved this autobiographical story of a 3 month long journey in Iran by two Canadians.  Surprising insight into the people and the burka.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/67933930]]></url>
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      <review>
  <id>63402540</id>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>2000</published>
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  <read_at>Mon Aug 24 16:31:08 -0700 2009</read_at>
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    <body><![CDATA[Alison and her gay roommate Ian pretend to be on their honeymoon in Iran? <em><strong>How</strong></em> did I not find out about this sooner? This is precisely the kind of comedic and comprehensively anecdotal book about Iran I've been looking for. Which I didn't get from <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3985545.Honeymoon_in_Tehran_Two_Years_of_Love_and_Danger_in_Iran" title="Honeymoon in Tehran  Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni">Honeymoon in Tehran</a>, due to the author's limited soci...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63402540">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah]]>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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    <body><![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey by Alison Wearing (2000)]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>18584355</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Marina]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171631494m/110104.jpg</image_url>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 25 08:28:19 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jul 01 10:48:35 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This may be the most culturally thought provoking book I have ever read.  The author reveals to me a culture different from my own,  a culture that in many ways flies in the face of all the things that I value, and describes her experience with blunt honesty and tenderness.  Though my lack of religi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18584355">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18584355]]></url>
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>7936768</id>
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    <id>182835</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Crystal]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.03</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[Twenty years after the Iranian revolution, most westerners still imagine Iran to be a warren of anti-American rhetoric, terrorism, and fanatical repression, especially of women. Not surprisingly, only an unusual woman would choose to travel there, and Alison Wearing is certainly that. &quot;I refused to believe that such a place of unalloyed evil truly existed,&quot; she writes. &quot;I like to look for saints where there are said to be demons.&quot;  Since it is the only country the world traveler could not imagine going to alone, she takes her fussy, gay roommate Ian, along with a fake wedding certificate and a story that they're on their honeymoon. Then she dons a black cloak, scarf, and chador (the full body covering required by Shiite Islam) for a five-month journey from the Caspian Sea (breaking into the Shah's ramshackle summer palace) to the holy city of Qom (and Khomeini's shrine) to a hidden Zoroastrian prayer site (where she faints from heat stroke).  From the moment she steps into the country, she's surrounded by Iranians touched by her eagerness to learn about their country. There is the housewife who challenges her to a game of Ping-Pong in her long robe and scarf, offering food to her guests in between killer serves, and the Anglican minister who is &quot;wholly enthralled by the art of living.&quot; There is the couple who spirit her away to a mountain oasis when she complains of the heat (leaving a message for Ian, &quot;Mister Canada, we take your wife. We make her cold&quot;), and the mother who tries to marry off her doctor son, joking that Wearing can't leave &quot;not without my doctor&quot; (a reference to the American film <em>Not Without My Daughter</em>).<p> Wearing has a gift for connecting with others and the humility to let them tell their own stories. She also sees the hilarity in the most absurd situations. As it turns out, so do the Iranians, which makes for some wonderful laughs. Wearing is also a poet, and she unveils the Iranians with innocence and grace--their hospitality, their quick acceptance and easy intimacy, and the real life of women beneath the veil. And while there are strict defenders of the revolution, most are philosophical: &quot;Friends, please forgive us, but our country is not perfect.... it will make us very happy if you enjoy. Keep your hearts in our people, my friends. We are strangers, but we try to be kind.&quot; This is a gem of a debut. <em>--Lesley Reed</em></p>]]>
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  <read_at>Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Fri Oct 19 09:09:51 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I definitely decided after reading this book that I'm not interested in visiting Iran anytime soon. I don't think I would deal well with the restrictions and the government's control that dare not be questioned.  But the book was fascinating--and Ian's identity was a really funny twist.  I think it'...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7936768">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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