Although its themes are serious, it is also filled with humor, cultural insights and stories of resilience. The Kurdish Bike is gripping, tender, wry and compassionate, an eye-opener into little-known customs in Kurdistan and the Middle East- one of the world's most explosive regions - a novel of love, betrayal and redemption. Theresa's greatest challenge will be balancing respect for cultural values while trying to introduce more enlightened attitudes toward women - at the same time seeking new spiritual dimensions within herself. When she is befriended by a village widow, Theresa is embroiled in the joys and agonies of traditional Kurds, especially the women who survived Saddam's genocide only to be crippled by age-old restrictions, female genital mutilation (FGM), brutality and honor killings.

She yearns to experience a more 'real' Kurdistan, and buys a bicycle, which lets her explore the nearby villages and countryside. Responding to an online ad asking for 'courageous teachers to help rebuild a war-torn country,' she finds herself working in a repressive school for elites. Based on a true story, The Kurdish Bike follows Theresa Turner, an American teacher who takes a job in northern Iraq in 2010. The Manhattan Book Review also gave it five stars, and called it a 'must-read' for anyone interested in the Middle East.This award-winning novel is quickly becoming a book club favorite, and is widely considered to be the definitive classic on modern village Kurds. San Francisco Book Review gave the book five stars and compared it to The Kite Runner. Theresa's greatest challenge will be balancing respect for cultural values while trying to introduce more enlightened attitudes toward women - at the same time seeking new spiritual dimensions within herself.īased on true events, The Kurdish Bike is gripping, tender, wry and compassionate - an eye-opener into little-known customs in one of the world's most explosive regions - a novel of love, betrayal and redemption. Befriended by a widow in a nearby village, Theresa is embroiled in the joys and agonies of traditional Kurds, especially the women who survived Saddam's genocide only to be crippled by age-old restrictions, brutality and honor killings. With her marriage over and life gone flat, Theresa Turner responds to an online ad, and lands at a school in Kurdish Iraq. 'Courageous teachers wanted to rebuild war-torn nation.' Gold Medal, Best Regional Fiction, Independent Publishers Book Awards 2017

The kurdish bike by alesa lightbourne