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Marguerite van Geldermalsen
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Married To A Bedouin Kindle Edition

by Marguerite van Geldermalsen (Author), Anthony Lewis (Illustrator) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 1,554 ratings

'A fascinating account of life as Bedouin in the late twentieth century' Mary S. Lovell

'This sparkling memoir is a refreshing antidote and a rare window into the legendary hospitality and mysterious customs of the Bedouin Arabs' Publishing News

'"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. She lived with him in a two thousand-year-old cave carved into the red rock of a hillside, became the resident nurse for the tribe that inhabited that historical site and learned to live like the Bedouin: cooking over fires, hauling water on donkeys and drinking sweet black tea. She learned Arabic, converted to Islam and gave birth to three children. Over the years she became as much of a curiosity as the cave-dwellers, with tourists including David Malouf and Frank McCourt encouraging her to tell this, her extraordinary story.

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  1. Print length
    320 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Virago
  4. Publication date
    September 2, 2010
  5. File size
    1.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Recommended for public libraries and for academic library browsing collections."  —School Library Journal



"For anyone who enjoys travel books, especially about the Middle East, this is the real thing—a fascinating account of life as a Bedouin in the late 20th century written by a Western woman."  —Mary S. Lovell, author, Beth of Hardwick

About the Author

Marguerite van Geldermalsen was widowed in 2002. She now divides her time between Sydney, Australia, and Jordan.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00GVFZ5FS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Virago; Illustrated edition (September 2, 2010)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 2, 2010
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 1,554 ratings

About the author

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Marguerite van Geldermalsen

Marguerite van Geldermalsen

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
1,554 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book engaging with a fascinating look into Bedouin culture and love that transcends boundaries. The writing quality receives mixed feedback - while some find it well-written, others say it's not fine literature. Customers appreciate the book's authenticity, with one noting it's based on the author's true life experiences, and another highlighting its beautiful word pictures. Some customers find the book boring.

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105 customers mention "Story quality"105 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's story engaging and interesting, with one customer particularly enjoying Marguerite/Fatima's narrative.

"This is a must read for anyone going to visit Petra. An amazing story of love and adaptation...." Read more

"...Worth the read if you are curious to take a rare peek inside..." Read more

"...She tries to keep it light & entertaining & you can feel yourself in her place, living her life...." Read more

"Regardless of the cultural value of this book, and the amazing story she tells, the fact is that her writing is weak, disorganized, and clunky...." Read more

65 customers mention "Culture"60 positive5 negative

Customers find the book fascinating and insightful, providing a great view into Bedouin culture, with one customer noting its detailed descriptions of places and people.

"...She is such a sweet person & courageous. Her book, which I not only purchased an autographed copy, but I also purchased on kindle, is fantastic...." Read more

"Regardless of the cultural value of this book, and the amazing story she tells, the fact is that her writing is weak, disorganized, and clunky...." Read more

"We recently returned from a trip to Jordan and Egypt. Petra was fascinating. Our guide explained the ruins as we walked the length of the valley...." Read more

"...The writer gives you insight into the Bedouin way of life which takes you through her cultural confusions and missteps in an amusing way...." Read more

23 customers mention "Love story"23 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the love story in the book, describing it as a fascinating tale of love and culture that transcends boundaries, and one customer notes how it captures the essence of life.

"This is a must read for anyone going to visit Petra. An amazing story of love and adaptation...." Read more

"...She is such a sweet person & courageous. Her book, which I not only purchased an autographed copy, but I also purchased on kindle, is fantastic...." Read more

"...This is a wonderful love story and important cultural book." Read more

"...her respect for persons and cultures make this not only a personal love story and account of family life but also a winsome primer in how to build..." Read more

17 customers mention "Attractive design"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's design fascinating and without embellishment, with one customer noting the beautiful word pictures and another mentioning the wonderful color photos included.

"...The color photos included in the book are wonderful and insightful, too...." Read more

"...This book is an intimate look into the ways she adapted to and adopted as her own the different customs of the tribe...." Read more

"...The woman paints a pretty clear, interesting image of being a westerner living amongst Bedouins...." Read more

"...This is such a beautiful setting, and van Geldermalsen provided the human element of the Bedouins who have lived here for generations and preserved..." Read more

3 customers mention "Authenticity"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the authenticity of the book, with one noting its very candid approach and another highlighting how it shares the author's true life experiences.

"A unique story written in a very candid way...." Read more

"One of the best, most intimate books I have read by a welcoming woman living a life she loved. How O wish she has written another." Read more

"...and seeing Petra, I was intrigued by the book and the author's true life experiences. The writing was a bit weak, but the story was interesting...." Read more

46 customers mention "Writing quality"30 positive16 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it very readable and well told, while others note it is not well written and sometimes difficult to follow.

"...They seem to know how to enjoy life. The author tells the story so well as one who was both a part of the community and an outsider at the same..." Read more

"...She writes the book in a simple, factual manner...." Read more

"...this book, and the amazing story she tells, the fact is that her writing is weak, disorganized, and clunky. There is no ignoring this...." Read more

"...If you have no knowledge of the people or culture this is a nice easy read...." Read more

6 customers mention "Boredom"0 positive6 negative

Customers find the book boring, with one noting it reads more like a travelogue than a memoir.

"...I found the book to be poorly organized, lacking of structure, and repetitive...." Read more

"Dislike: somewhat more like a travelogue that a memoir. Use: A biography book club pick for discussion...." Read more

"...However, the book is full of dull minutiae that is just not interesting...." Read more

"Didn’t care for it. Very boring" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • John B.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fun story well told.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a must read for anyone going to visit Petra. An amazing story of love and adaptation. You'll understand it better as you walk through the narrows of Petra and see the handsome young Bedouins riding through the canyon on their powerful little ponies. They seem to know how to enjoy life. The author tells the story so well as one who was both a part of the community and an outsider at the same time.

    We hired the author's sister-in-law as our guide for one of our two days in Petra. She was excellent. We enjoyed meeting one of her sons who guided us on the back entry into Petra. Well worth the longer hike as you see areas that many tourist don't get to see.
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  • BookLoversinFL
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Peek Inside
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Much of the book I would shake my head and wonder WHY a woman so young would have be traveling in the middle east alone/with another young woman when it would be culturally inappropriate/insensitive. Or wondering WHY a young woman would think it ok to spend the night with a muslim man in a culture that absolutely frowns upon such things and makes assumptions about westerners. Or wondering WHY a a woman would give up living in a first world nation to live in a cave with no running water/electric etc. At the end I was somewhat sad to read how the bedouins had been "resettled" and moved into modern housing and the way of life she saw had disappeared in that region. Worth the read if you are curious to take a rare peek inside...
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Crystal
    5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic!!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I found out about this book while I was vacationing in Jordan & was blessed to be able to visit Petra. Our tour guide mentioned Marguerite & we found her selling her books, as well as jewelry, etc, in Petra. She is such a sweet person & courageous. Her book, which I not only purchased an autographed copy, but I also purchased on kindle, is fantastic. I gave the autographed one to my daughter. She writes the book in a simple, factual manner. It is almost like a documentary on National Geographic except you can feel the love that she has for Mohammad & their commuity. It traces her slow but eventual love for the people & their customs. She doesn't go in to many sad things that happened except near the end of the book. She tries to keep it light & entertaining & you can feel yourself in her place, living her life. She wrote with her heart & although she speaks through Mohammad's illness & death quickly, you still catch the poignant pain that she is feeling. Walk a mile in her shoes. That's what I did by reading it, although it was....only a mile. Thanks Marguerite. Your love is amazing to have done what you did & Mohammad's was true also, as he tried to "westernize" some of your surroundings, in order to make you comfortable & feel loved. I am sorry for you loss of him, but remember, his love will always remain with you.
    20 people found this helpful
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  • Ian Hutchison
    3.0 out of 5 stars Someone get this woman an editor!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    Regardless of the cultural value of this book, and the amazing story she tells, the fact is that her writing is weak, disorganized, and clunky. There is no ignoring this. I honestly can't remember ever reading a book with such unclear and awkward writing...

    Having said that, this book is worth reading for those interested in Petra, Jordan's Bedouins, and quirky memoirs. I read this book before visiting Petra, and I'm glad I did; it really enriched my experience there. The color photos included in the book are wonderful and insightful, too.

    If you are going to visit Petra, I would suggest that you read this book. If you've been to Petra and loved it, I would suggest that you read this book. If you enjoy stories and memoirs of love found in unlikely places, or cross cultural confusion and fun, you'll probably enjoy this book.

    However, just brace yourself for disorganized and unclear storytelling, and jumbled syntax. If you can wade through these shortcomings and be patient with her, you'll enjoy this book and her unique story.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • JG, Shreveport, LA
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wanted more explanation of Why, but still loved it
    Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    I had heard about this book before visiting Petra, but some of the Amazon reviews deterred me from buying it. Several people said it was not well written. However, after visiting Petra, and seeing Ms. Van Geldermalsen in her shop there (October, 2019) I decided to order it when I got home. I very much enjoyed the book, and was glad I didn't read it until after visiting Petra, because you can visualize the place, having been there. I disagree with the reviews that say it is not well written. I think people wanted her to explain her feelings about accepting a lifestyle so different from ours, because it is so difficult to understand, or even imagine. In other words, we would have liked a viewpoint that identified with ours more. But I think she was so integrated into the lifestyle, and loved it and loved her husband so much, that she is unable to explain it to those of us with a different world view. For me, this is a very cool case of reading a book and it being connected with the current time, i.e. it seemed so foreign and long ago, but then there she was (or her son, many days) right there in Petra.
    26 people found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great read if you have visited Petra
    Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    We recently returned from a trip to Jordan and Egypt. Petra was fascinating. Our guide explained the ruins as we walked the length of the valley. As we checked out some of the vendors, I came across Marguerite's booth. She was selling her silver jewelry and her book. It was crowded and I didn't want to carry anything extra so I decided to look for her book when I got home. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her story as her life unfolded. Very interesting to learn what life was like for the locals before they were relocated. She describes the area were we walked and saw the locals with donkeys and selling their wares which made her book so much more enjoyable having been there.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • MRS JENNIFER EDMANS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I read this after visiting Petra earlier this year. I would highly recommend it. An insight into the history of the Bedouin
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating read
    Reviewed in India on July 3, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The cover of this book only attracted me when i saw it at a bookstore. I really enjoyed this book as not only did i read about Marguerite adapting to a Bedouin culture but i also got an insight of Bedouin culture.. I enjoyed this book even more since i was listening to Arabic music simultaneously while reading the book. Would love to make a trip to Jordan one day and meet the author.
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  • Hilary Parker
    5.0 out of 5 stars worth a read
    Reviewed in Canada on October 15, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting story ,well written.
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  • Raf
    5.0 out of 5 stars Regalo richiesto perchè considerato introvabile
    Reviewed in Italy on May 5, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Arrivato in tempo grazie ad Amazon. Molto gradito dalla persona che lo aveva cercato, per vario tempo, e perso la spranza di trovarne una copia!!!
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  • IsabelaL.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 22, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Good
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