Daren
Published in 1940, this book runs in two parts, both covering Freya Stark's time in Yemen from November 1937.
After a brief introduction to explain her return (Stark had been in Hadhramaut in 1934 in what is now Yemen - a journey that ended in her illness and evacuation), then Stark provides a diary covering about four months spent settled in Hadhramaut. She settled with two other women - a geologist and an archaeologist, Stark is an unofficial accompaniment to them, although it is obvious she is more benefit to the British rule (Aden was a part of British India until 1937 when it became a British Protectorate) in terms of building relationships and her ability to explain some of the decisions the British made.
While her diary is fairly repetitive, it explains her everyday interactions and makes fascinating reading. Stark builds relationships with a whole range of people from high officials to her servants to the ragtag children. She is very even handed - those who treat her well are likewise treated - those seek to take advantage, are rude, or break their word are given short shift. Mixed in with her daily observations and interactions are commentary on some of the work undertaken by the other two women of the house; the three of them having quite an impact on Arab and Bedouin society at this time. Amongst other challenges throughout their time, each of the three women are troubled by illness during their time in the village, often coming down with fevers, Malaria is a risk, as are all forms of food poisoning for which European and local remedies are sought.
Stark keeps it amusing with her sometimes dry sense of humour.
P29
No one in their senses would say, 'I have spent ten years in holland and therefore I know all about Bulgaria'; but it is a fact that seven people out of ten will assume that a visit to Morocco opens out the secrets of Samarkand. The East is just East in their mind, a homogenous lump, and I take it the fault lies with the printers of maps, who give to almost every state in Europe a page to itself, while they separate the infinite variety of Asia only by faint lines of pink and green and yellow.
P58
"You will like it" said Husain. "There will be horse racing. You should have been here last year, for there were three horses, but now two have died."
"Then who does the racing?" said I.
"The one that is left," said Husain, evidently surprised as so evident a question.
At a point around two thirds of the way through the book, the three women all move on, albeit in different directions. Stark elects to hire camels and make the journey to the coast, and the book takes a more standard travel book format where some of the daily repetition falls away.
I always enjoy reading Freya Stark. She is intelligent, a good person, is a good judge of character & fairness and has a good sense of humour. She writes well - not always very fast paced or action filled, but always interesting.
4 stars
Published in 1940, this book runs in two parts, both covering Freya Stark's time in Yemen from November 1937.
After a brief introduction to explain her return (Stark had been in Hadhramaut in 1934 in what is now Yemen - a journey that ended in her illness and evacuation), then Stark provides a diary covering about four months spent settled in Hadhramaut. She settled with two other women - a geologist and an archaeologist, Stark is an unofficial accompaniment to them, although it is obvious she is more benefit to the British rule (Aden was a part of British India until 1937 when it became a British Protectorate) in terms of building relationships and her ability to explain some of the decisions the British made.
While her diary is fairly repetitive, it explains her everyday interactions and makes fascinating reading. Stark builds relationships with a whole range of people from high officials to her servants to the ragtag children. She is very even handed - those who treat her well are likewise treated - those seek to take advantage, are rude, or break their word are given short shift. Mixed in with her daily observations and interactions are commentary on some of the work undertaken by the other two women of the house; the three of them having quite an impact on Arab and Bedouin society at this time. Amongst other challenges throughout their time, each of the three women are troubled by illness during their time in the village, often coming down with fevers, Malaria is a risk, as are all forms of food poisoning for which European and local remedies are sought.
Stark keeps it amusing with her sometimes dry sense of humour.
P29
No one in their senses would say, 'I have spent ten years in holland and therefore I know all about Bulgaria'; but it is a fact that seven people out of ten will assume that a visit to Morocco opens out the secrets of Samarkand. The East is just East in their mind, a homogenous lump, and I take it the fault lies with the printers of maps, who give to almost every state in Europe a page to itself, while they separate the infinite variety of Asia only by faint lines of pink and green and yellow.
P58
"You will like it" said Husain. "There will be horse racing. You should have been here last year, for there were three horses, but now two have died."
"Then who does the racing?" said I.
"The one that is left," said Husain, evidently surprised as so evident a question.
At a point around two thirds of the way through the book, the three women all move on, albeit in different directions. Stark elects to hire camels and make the journey to the coast, and the book takes a more standard travel book format where some of the daily repetition falls away.
I always enjoy reading Freya Stark. She is intelligent, a good person, is a good judge of character & fairness and has a good sense of humour. She writes well - not always very fast paced or action filled, but always interesting.
4 stars