A review by raniahanna
Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen

I chose to listen to Married to a Bedouin on audible.com. The memoir of a New Zealand woman who married a Jordanian bedouin, I LOVED the story, but hated the narration.


I expected an Arabic-speaking narrator, or at least correct Arabic pronunciation, but the words were so mispronounced that is was distracting to me (I speak Arabic). Having said that, I think having an Australian pronounce the Arabic was more realistic since Marguerite is a New Zealander who would've pronounced the words similarly.

Still, I loved Marguerite's story of being in her early 20's and traveling the Middle East. She ends up in Petra, Jordan, and ends up with a crush on Mohammed, a bedouin living in Petra. He liked her because a "European wife was considered a catch." Her Arabic name became Fatema, and then, when her soon was born, Umm Raami (mother of Raami).

The two married in no time, and Marguerite, born and raised in developed New Zealand, found herself settling in to her life with Mohammed in a cave.

What was most interesting was how Umm Raami settled into her life as the wife of an Arab. She learned Arabic, respected the customs, and settled in living in the wadi, or valley, including using donkeys, selling items to tourists, and climbing up the jabal, or mountain.

>mm Raami clearly appreciates Arab culture and bedouin life, and I LOVED how she showed the beauty of Arab culture, the hospitality, generosity, and the richness of their history.