by: Stefanie Parsons

As the summer job looms in my future, I can imagine the long, hot days of work, work, and more work without the possibility of leaving my fine country for a far away mission trip destination.  “Bringing in the sheaves” has a whole other meaning when you’re a student worker on the grass cutting crew at the City of Cambridge. 

The next best things to going there, (wherever ‘there’ might be), is to read a good book about ‘there’.  It’s almost guaranteed that there is probably a book about anywhere or any culture that you would like to experience, so check out your library for these titles (they come highly recommended):

Honeymoon in Purdah: An Iranian Journey by Alison Wearing

A look inside Persian culture and family life with this American traveller who explores the back allies and experiences warm hospitality at every turn from Iranians that she and her ‘husband’ meet along the way.  From sharing tea with a young drug dealer to playing badminton with a house wife, the author discovers a country far different from the threatening fundamentalist label that the U.S. media has given Iran. 

Secret Histories – Finding George Orwell in a Burmese Teashop by Emma Larkin

Ever wondered if Big Brother is a reality in 2007?  This book that I picked up in Thailand describes a country where one of the oldest military dictatorships controls its citizens through fear, lies, and the very real threat of jail time.  George Orwell is a prophet in the minds of the well-read in the country of Myanmar who have learned the art of revolution in reading. 

Almost French (Love and a new life in Paris) by Sarah Turnbull

I loved this book so much that I went out and bought a copy after reading it from the library.  This ‘love’ story explains that the French aren’t really rude, it’s just their culture.  But as the author, an Australian journalist finds out, it can be tres difficile trying to figure out how to be accepted in the land where cheese courses at dinner are a must and wearing a sweatshirt to the market is a non-non.

Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran by Azadah Moaveni

What can young people do for fun in a strict, somewhat oppressive Islamic country?  The author of this eye-opening book lets the reader into the different worlds of Iran today where teenagers slow dance at house parties and women can still be publicly beaten for not wearing a headscarf.  For the author, the reality of living in Iran is very different from the idealized version she grew up hearing about in her birthplace of California. 

The Good Women of China by Xinran

This book tells the true stories of Chinese women as told by the former host of a talk-radio show.  She discovers the hidden tragedies and losses suffered by many women as a result of the Communist revolution.  Heartbreaking and raw, this is an essential book for anyone who wants to learn more about the lives of Chinese women and how the communist system and centuries old Chinese culture has impacted them on a personal level.