Publisher's Synopsis
Iraq in the 1950s was a place of terrible poverty, poor water systems, and rich cultural traditions. As Doris Goodrich entered the society as both an American and an intellectual, she found herself granted access to parts of the Iraqi world many other women were not.
Sent to Iraq as part of a cultural research assignment, Doris kept a remarkably open and detailed journal of her eighteen-month experience living in Iraq and traveling throughout the Middle East.
In lighthearted prose full of rich insight, My 18 Months in Iraq offers colorful descriptions of the culture, locations, and environments-from the Mongolian influence on the Kurd's wardrobe, to the traditional marriage customs, to a special excursion to swim in the Caspian Sea-that draw the reader in to Goodrich's journal entries, which often feel more like serials in a travel magazine.
Packed with vivid descriptions, her captivating, provocative, and entertaining observations offer a rare glimpse into life in 1950s Iraq from the unique perspective of a female outsider who's also intimately familiar with the history and culture of the country.
