Honeymoon in Purdah - Alison Wearing

A female Canadian travel writer goes to Iran with a male gay friend pretending to be a married couple on their honeymoon. The book came out in 2000. I think the actual trip took place in 97 or so. I particularly liked her descriptions of how she experienced being covered at all times. Her full-length black manteau is outfitted with big shoulderpads in order to fall straight down and not reveal any curves. Her headcover is a slippery scarf with a clip that she and other women struggle to keep in place sometimes with the help of their teeth. She writes about the heat and sweating profusely under all the layers of fabric but also about the freedoom of being invisible under her cloak as she is sitting in the corner of a temple or walking down a busy street. The most lasting impression of the Iranian people, as experienced and conveyed by her, is the overwhelming friendliness of the warmhearted Iranian people. Strangers invite them in, feed them, entertain them, and drive them around everywhere they go. The Iranian people's questions are always about America, "Are people bad in America?" and "Do Americans hate us?" They are always relieved to find out that Wearing and her "husband" are not American but Canadian. Hm.... Very enjoyable. 8.