A Cross and a Star
Memoirs of a Jewish Girl in Chile (Click to read more)
by Marjorie Agosín
Imprint: Garnet Authors: Marjorie Agosín Categories: Biography & Memoir ISBN: 9781859641125 Binding: Paperback Publication Date: 1997 RRP:
£3.50

The Perfumed Palace: Islam's Journey from Mecca to Peking is a tapestry of words and pictures portraying one of the oldest and most distinctive Islamic communities in the world: the Muslims of Peking. While it is not widely known, Islam first arrived in China in the 7th century CE and rapidly became an integral part of China's social fabric.

Like other international cities, Tehran is filled with the religious, the irreligious and the indifferent. However, for a capital much in the news, its secrets are well-guarded -- parties where the kids let rip; falling in love with someone whose face is never seen; random breath-testing of pedestrians for alcohol; religious acceptance of transsexuals; needle exchanges in public parks; and martyrdom demonstrations.

Dame Freya Stark, a British traveler once earned herself many medals and awards shared her insight with us: To travel properly, you have to ignore external inconvenience and surrender yourself entirely to the experience. You must blend into your surroundings and accept what comes, in this way, you become part of the land and that is what reward comes. Her wholehearted efforts to bring understanding and to bridge the gaps between the East and the West continues to be cherished to this day.