SAN ANGELO, Texas, Nov. 3, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Americans may not be the most popular visitors to Baghdad these days. There was a time, however, when Americans could safely visit Iraq and teach in their universities. The new book, Baghdad Letters (now available through 1stBooks), by Jay Farrington and Carole Chaney Farrington, is a diary recording their one year stay in Iraq.
The Farringtons never planned to go to Iraq, but when one of their friends balked on a Fulbright program to teach English at Baghdad University, the native Texans decided to fill in. With only a week to pack, get inoculations and passports, the Farringtons were flying to the Middle East before they knew it. Baghdad Letters collects their numerous correspondences to the people back home about adjusting to life in a foreign country. The Farringtons deal with their culture shock as they observed the customs and attitudes in Iraqi society.
The book serves as a time capsule of Iraq before Saddam Hussein and his regime. Jay Farrington's letters are heavily concerned with the differences he saw between American and Iraqi college students. In the 1960s, many of the Iraqi college students were just beginning to look towards the Western world for political ideals. These students are now old enough to be in influential positions in current day Iraq, which adds another interesting aspect to the book. Carole Chaney Farrington bore the brunt of the culture shock. Many of her letters are focused on the difficulties of women in Iraqi society. She struggles with setting up a household in a new place. Her aim is on Iraqi customs, family life and the daily lives of Iraqi women.
A truly unique look at Iraq's customs, Baghdad Letters is a glimpse into the normal lives of Iraqis from two fresh perspectives.
The Farringtons both grew up in rural Texas. Both hold master's degrees, his in English and hers in theater. They have also both taught writing and literature at the post secondary level and agree their time in the Middle East was a highlight of their lives. Baghdad Letters is the first book they have written together.
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