Review
------
San Francisco Book Review
Star Rating: 5 / 5
The Kurdish Bike is a gripping story of one woman's immersion
into a not-so-comfortable world, where she struggles to make
sense of critical issues, like violence, lack of respect for
women, poverty, and the general sense of the absurd
characteristic of war-ridden areas. But it is more than that.
When Theresa answers the ad to teach at a Kurdish school, she has
no idea of the challenges that lie ahead. Now, thrown in an
unknown world, she has to reconcile with new cultural values and
witness the aftermath of war and its implications on culture and
lifestyle. Can her voice be heard? What does it take to replace
structures of oppression? What hope do the marginalized have
vis-à-vis the cultural divide and the harsh political landscape?
Alesa Lightbourne's debut explores such critical issues and a
lot, lot more.
Set against the backdrop of a powerful political landscape The
Kurdish Bike offers a stunning social, political, and cultural
commentary of what it is like to live in a third world country
torn apart by war. The single mom, the newly recruited teacher on
a bike, makes friends with native women and her contact and
relationship with them lead her to get glimpses of the
not-so-obvious conflicts that threaten life in the country.
Bezma's family stands out as a symbol of the oppressed and fans
of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and A Dry White Season by
Andre Brink will adore Alesa Lightbourne's evocative writing, the
reminiscences of war images, and the general malaise felt by
millions of people, plus the pain of belonging to their own
country.
As a debut, The Kurdish Bike underscores success at many levels.
First, the prose is polished and rings through the ears like
music. The author has the rare gift of weaving national conflict
into the lives of individuals. And then there is the biting sense
of humor, the ability to portray hope through simple
relationships, to find meaning in the will to survive each day at
a time. The characters are well grounded, sculpted to reflect the
social landscapes from which they sprang. In spite of the
powerful conflict that permeates every layer of this book, the
unspoken words and the silent cries, there is a current of
positive energy communicated through laughter, love, and
friendship. The novel is beautiful in a haunting sort of way.
Reviewed by Romauld Dzemo
Manhattan Book Review
Star Rating: 5/5
Few books have the ability to engage the reader so much that they
feel the emotions of the author and characters. The Kurdish Bike
by Alesa Lightbourne is one of those books that have strong
characters and story, so much so that the reader feels like a
member of the family.The novel begins with Theresa Turner, who's
a single mother and looking for work. After a teaching job in
Saudi Arabia, she applies for a teaching job at a school in
Kurdistan, in Iraq; to her surprise, she lands the job.
Wary of a country ridden by ethnic conflict, Theresa is amazed to
see the poor living conditions of people living in Kurdistan.
Determined to make the best of her time in Kurdistan, Theresa
purchases a bike and sets out to explore the nearby villages.
Theresa meets Bezma, a village girl, and her life gives her a
peek into the lives of women in third world countries. Each
conflict in Bezma's family makes her realize the importance of
being educated and independent in this world, but also highlights
the fact that women all over the world suffer from similar
problems. Recently separated by her ex-husband and losing her
life savings in the process, Theresa feels her problems are
inconsequential, as she is appalled by the suffering of women in
Kurdistan, who have to endure genital mutilation and child
marriages. Being in the company of strong women of the village,
Theresa learns the value of her comfortable life back in the
United States and vows to make a difference in the lives of Bezma
and her students at the Academy.
The story is admirable for its characters, for they are not only
well-thought out, but also reflective of a country whose people
are torn by a decade-long war. The characters of Ara, Bezma, Pat,
Seema, and especially Theresa herself are well-developed and are
a mirror to the courage and strength shown by women in times of
distress. Alesa Lightbourne has shown excellent penmanship
writing this novel based on her personal experience and shows how
involved she was in the lives of the people she taught and met in
Iraq. If you are interested in knowing about the lives, cultures,
and hardships faced by people in the Middle East, this book is a
must-read.
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From the Author
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The first question readers ask me about The Kurdish Bike is
how much of it is true. The answer is, almost everything except
for a few scenes at the end. Given the ultra-sensitive nature of
the topics addressed, such as female genital mutilation, honor
killing and terrorist groups like Al Qaeda, I felt it necessary
to protect my friends in Kurdistan from shame, ostracism and
possible imprisonment.
Given the remarkable generosity of Kurdish village women, and the
fact that Kurds are in the headlines today, I felt honor-bound to
write their story. I wanted the Western world to understand the
hardships these women have faced, and continue to face on a daily
basis. Many of their challenges are the result of global
politics. But others arise from an age-old culture of male
dominance, where women are given few choices, and have very
limited options for self-reliance.
I have lived and worked in six countries around the globe. My
time amongst the Kurds in 2010 was the most transformational by
far, due to the lessons I learned from humble village women. Many
of my friends were illiterate. All had lost family members to
Saddam's genocide. Most were (and still are) living in poverty,
because they lack the means or social rtunities to better
their own lives.
My greatest joy arising from The Kurdish Bike has been speaking
to book clubs, churches, college classes, libraries and other
civic groups. When audiences see real photos, and hear the real
back story behind the book, they are moved to compassion for the
brave, tenacious and wise people of Kurdistan. Any donations from
audiences go directly to the main characters in the novel, who
are in dire circumstances. To request a presentation (in person
in Central California, otherwise via Skype), contact the author
via social media or the book's website.
Learning more about the Kurds is important, given current
conditions in the Middle East. The Kurds were the primary ally of
the United States in fighting ISIS, laying down their lives by
the tens of thousands under our direction. However, now that ISIS
is more or less contained, the Kurds expect a pay-off, namely the
political independence they have long sought. The US is caught
between rewarding the Kurds, and standing strong with an even
bigger ally, Turkey -- with no apparent resolution on the
horizon.
I think that one of the reasons the book has won two big prizes,
and is such a popular book club book, is that it addresses tough
issues like cultural sensitivity. Being immersed in Kurdish
culture made me re-evaluate the training I'd received in college
anthropology classes, where the social scientist is expected to
be a non-judgmental sponge, absorbing cultural practices that
form part of a cohesive whole. But this is easier said than done.
At the same time, I wanted to convey the often-hilarious
situations that an expat teacher finds him or herself in. I am
delighted every time a reviewer calls places in the book "funny".
Expatriate fiction can be tricky. You don't want to be arrogant
or an Ugly American. You also want to maintain your own identity
and self-respect as you adapt to the foreign culture. I really
hope that The Kurdish Bike, like The Kite Runner, walks that fine
line, and provides a window of understanding to Western hearts
and minds.
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