Married to a Bedouin

De: Marguerite van Geldermalsen

Narrado por: Cat Gould

"Where you staying?" the Bedouin asked. "Why you not stay with me tonight - in my cave?"

Thus begins Marguerite van Geldermalsen's story of how a New Zealand-born nurse came to be married to Mohammad Abdallah Othman, a Bedouin souvenir-seller from the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. It was 1978, and she and a friend were travelling through the Middle East when Marguerite met the charismatic Mohammad who convinced her that he was the man for her.

A life with Mohammad meant moving into his ancient cave and learning to love the regular tasks of baking shrak bread on an open fire and collecting water from the spring. And as Marguerite feels herself becoming part of the Bedouin community, she is thankful for the twist in fate that has led her to this contented life.

Marguerite's light-hearted and guileless observations of the people she comes to love are as heart-warming as they are valuable, charting Bedouin traditions now lost to the modern world.

©2006 Marguerite van Geldermalsen (P)2019 Tantor

Loved it!

Well written and described. I wish I had known of it before visiting Petra. Honestly, the book has made me want to go back again!

Fascinating story, rough narration

As someone with an Arab father and American mother I was very curious to hear Marguerite’s story. It’s fascinating and touching; she clearly seems to have loved her family and life in Petra. The story can also get bogged down by minute details—though I also wonder how accurate her memory is, given that she says she kept no diary during her time in the cave. My biggest issue was the narrator’s pronunciation of Arabic phrases. Granted, it’s a book for English speakers, but most of it so far from correct it’s off-putting, and almost feels disrespectful. If the story hadn’t been compelling I might not have stayed with it.

Moving story showing the power of love!

Candid account of Bedouin culture and a peek into life in Petra. The narrator gives the reader a first hand account on how she integrates into such a remote culture. Captivating.

An interesting tale of adopting a new culture

This book is great for travelers or those interested in hearing about daily life in other cultures. This book was advertised in several places in Petra when we visited. It is a great narrative of adjusting to life among the Bedouin people. The stories make it easy to envision the area and the people there.

Fascinating memoir

The life story is wonderful, and I learned a lot. I wished the author had given more insight into how and why she fell in love with her husband. Too bad the actor/reader delivered a flat performance.

Wonderful Story

This is an amazing account. As with all books it took a while to really get into the story. However, once I did, I was mesmerized by the people of Petra. Marguerite has an amazing personality. She was so open and accepting of the culture, even though it was so different from her own. I really admire her. It is also a love story of commitment and longevity. I highly recommend this book as it is such an enjoyable read.

Very tough to get through

So many details about unimportant things, but lacking details about those that for me matter.

Disappointing

I felt like I was listening to a travelogue. Although the author tells us she loved her husband, there was so little personal information about their relationship or communication with each other, that I felt no connection to her or her life.