Gene Lepere

I saw the movie and that got me interested in the book. It's a true story of a middle aged woman who goes on a cruise in Turkey. She wanders off and finds herself surrounded by some local men who pressure her to buy a souvenir replica of an ancient head. When she goes through customs she is arrested for smuggling, since the head turns out to be an actual relic, (although a fairly common one)and Turkey has very strict laws against smuggling. The ship's captain doesn't handle the situation effectively and the American embassy is concerned about keeping good relations with Turkey. So this middle-class, middle-aged divorced American working woman suddenly finds herself in a Turkish jail.
It is clear that she has an adventurous spirit, that's why she wandered off in the first place, and that helps her in tolerating the situation for the months she is there. She had a lot of courage, and that impressed me. Her courage also helped her to finally escape the country, along with ingenuity and the help of people she befriends in prison and out.
She is not a writer, but a very intelligent woman, a keen observer, and gives a very dispassionate detailed description of the events. It's quite fascinating and a real cautionary tale. I think many of us think that being an American will protect us in foreign countries, but that isn't always true.… (más)