Neither East Nor West

A fusion of eloquent travelogue, historical inquiry, unforgettable portraits of people and interviews with Iranians from all walks of life, NEITHER EAST NOR WEST is a landmark contribution to both travel writing and cultural studies, as well as a timely illumination of an enthralling nation deeply misunderstood by Westerners. Bird, who spent several years of her early childhood in Iran, sets out to write a safarnameh- the Persian word for travelogue or, literally, travel letter- but soon delivers much more. In describing the sights, sounds and overall tenor of life in Iran today, she helps to break through the silence that has surrounded the country's culture, as opposed to its politics, for nearly twenty years. Bird's travels take her from the sacred pilgramage site of Mashhad, visited by more than 12 million Shi'ites every year, to the haunting, isolated valley of Alamut, once home to the legendary cult of Assassins. She visits mosques, public baths, Khomeini's former home and a Caspian sea resort; she attends prayer meetings and a horse racing meet. Along the way, she talks to everyone from muleteers to ayatollahs, Kurds to Turkomans, Westernised Iranians to Traditional Iranians- many of whom invite her home for dinner or a cup of tea.