Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 I had decided to take my medical credentials to the Middle East, where U. S. medicine was widely practiced. I had finished a fellowship in sleep disorders medicine in which I would be certified. My short years in New York had been productive.

#2 I was one of a handful of Westerners on the flight. Very few passengers were like me, single, female, and non-Saudi. I was curious about how the Saudis prayed, and how their head coverings stayed in place.

#3 I was constantly reminded of my religion on that first journey to Arabia. I was drawn to the direction of Mecca, the spiritual anchor for all Muslims. Muslims call this direction the Qibla. I could not sleep, and I was unwilling to pray.

#4 I was nervous about my appearance. I was worried about everything, most acutely about my appearance. I was dressed in loose-fitting, beige slacks, a turtleneck, and a gray, long-sleeved cardigan. I was worried that I didn't have an abbayah when I landed in Saudi Arabia.