Synopses & Reviews
The unforgettable experiences of a young Australian journalist posted in Israel to report on the conflict in the occupied territories are documented in this compelling memoir. Unafraid, or perhaps just stunningly naïve, Jamie Tarabay, an Arabic-speaking Australian of Lebanese descent, dove headfirst into the thick of Middle Eastern politics. From the great optimism following the Camp David summit in 2000 to the start of the intifada in 2001, Jamie was in the thick of itNablus, Ramallah, Hebron, suicide bombers, hard-line Jewish settlers, Palestinians living under curfew, and the arrival of the new millennium after a Christmas in Bethlehem. This entertaining, unique, and highly illuminating memoir chronicles a transitional period in the Middle East and traces the author's experiences as she redefines her sense of nationality, morality, heritage, and religion.
About the Author
Jamie Tarabay is a foreign correspondent on NPR and has recently covered the Shiite militia for "Morning Edition," the Saddam Hussein trial for "Day to Day," and the lives of Iraqi widows for "All Things Considered." As an Associated Press correspondent Jamie has traveled throughout Southeast Asia, reporting from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia as well as her native Australia.
Jamie Tarabay is currently a foreign correspondent for National Public Radio and giving constant updates on Iraq from in and around Baghdad. She has recently covered the Shiite militia for "Morning Edition," the Saddam Hussein trial for "Day to Day" and the lives of Iraqi widows for "All Things Considered." All three shows are syndicated widely on National Public Radio.
She first began reporting from the Middle East in September 2000 for The Associated Press, arriving in Jerusalem ten days before the second intifada erupted. The outbreak of violence plunged Jamie straight into a heady mix of death, political power plays and heart wrenching stories of the people caught in the middle of just one of the many tumultuous issues sweeping the region.
As an AP correspondent Jamie also traveled around Southeast Asia, reporting from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia as well as her native Australia. Her Middle Eastern experience has also taken her to Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt, where she is now based.
Jamie has been traveling to Iraq since the end of formal hostilities in 2003. She was the only journalist to interview a woman who said she was married to former leader Saddam Hussein for ten years.
Jamie spent her formative years in Sydney, Berlin and Beirut before returning to Australia and receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Government and French from the University of Sydney.