Dimensions
152 x 228 x 29mm
A lively, often hilarious, and always warm hearted exploration of Arabic language and culture After years of studying Arabic, Zora O'Neill faced an increasing certainty that she was not only failing to master the language but was also driving herself crazy. So she stepped away. But a decade later she still couldn't shake her fascination with Arabic and returned to her studies, this time with a new approach. O'Neill embarks on a grand tour through the Middle East ? to Egypt, the UAE, Lebanon, and Morocco ? packing her dictionaries, her unsinkable sense of humour, and her talent for making fast friends of strangers. She travels along quiet, bougainvillea-lined streets and amid the lively buzz of crowded cities and medinas. She jumps off the tourist track, into families' homes and local hotspots, and makes a part of the world that is thousands of miles away seem right next door. With lively prose and an eye for the deeply absurd and the deeply human, O'Neill explores the indelible links between culture and communication. 'All Strangers Are Kin' is a powerful testament to the dynamism of language and how learning another tongue leaves you rich with so much more than words. AUTHOR: Sora O'Neill is a freelance travel and food writer. Her work has appeared in the New York Times and Conde Nast Traveler, and she has authored or contributed to more than a dozen titles for Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, and Moon. SELLING POINTS: ? Books like 'Eat Pray Love' and 'Wild' have shown that there's an audience for stories of intrepid women traveling the world. 'All Strangers Are Kin' gives us a thoughtful new entry into this genre by adding language learning and new, exotic destinations into the mix. ? Popular myths perpetuated by the media about the Arab world. She introduces us to its people and sheds light on its ever-complicated, ever-fascinating language. ? O'Neill has authored and contributed to over a dozen titles for Rough Guides, Lonely Planet, and Moon, and her writing has appeared in the New York Times and Conde Nast Traveler. ? Along the way, O'Neill offers us everything from tidbits to more extensive explanations on the nuances of the Arabic language. Her insights will appeal to language lovers everywhere. REVIEWS: "Zora O'Neill is the perfect travel companion: smart, curious, witty and knowledgeable. In time where the news out of the Middle East is too often grim, she finds warmth and humor. By refusing to tread along the same paths that so many news reporters are confined to, and in so doing, she reveals to us rich new possibilities for understanding--all in a deceptively breezy tone." - Carla Power, author of National Book Award Finalist 'If the Oceans Were Ink' "Zora O'Neill is a wonderful writer, a hakawati who can spin a tale with the best of them." ? Rabih Alameddine, bestselling author of 'The Hakawati and An Unnecessary Woman' "Let Zora O'Neill take you by the hand and lead you on this dazzling journey through the word factory. You will travel through countries and across centuries, meeting professors and poets, revolutionaries, nomads, and nerds. O'Neill's generous storytelling makes the intricacies of Arabic grammar seem fascinating and inexplicably glamorous. And the most unforgettable character you encounter may be the Arabic language itself, which will feel like an old friend by the time you finish this warm and hilarious book." -- Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey
