:::about the book
I wanted to know what else I was capable of beyond the bullet points of my resume.
After years of working behind a desk, Seattle dotcommer, Maliha Masood, left it all behind to travel the world on a one-way ticket. Six months into backpacking around Europe, Maliha headed to the Mideast and found herself an apartment in Cairo. Compelled to explore her Islamic roots as well as satisfy her wanderlust, she embarked upon a year-long, overland journey, taking to the streets of Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Istanbul, and countless detours in between.
With a relentless curiosity and knack for misadventures, Maliha befriends an eccentric cast of characters, revealing the stories beyond the headlines. Meet Jordanian college students enamored with Hollywood, have a cup of tea with an Egyptian doorman turned philosopher, learn to dance with a Syrian cross-dressing couple, go for a run with a Kurdish poet, convene with Sufi mystics. Part travel memoir, part cultural commentary, Zaatar Days, Henna Nights is a warm and witty look at the contemporary Arab/Muslim world, busting stereotypes and questioning faith and identity when East meets West.