Lydia Laube set off in search of adventure to work as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. Soon she found herself embroiled in a society that did not allow women to drive, vote, or speak to a man alone. As soon as she stepped off the airplane, Lydia's passport was confiscated and quickly she felt like a prisoner, trapped in a country with no means of escape. Wearing head-to-toe coverings in stifling heat, and battling against unfathomable bureaucracy, Lydia maintained her sanity throughout her year of service. This is the gripping account of one woman's resolve to survive in the hostile environment of a Saudi Arabian hospital.

About the Author

In twenty-five years of nursing, Lydia Laube has delivered babies on her knees in New Guinea, tended clinics in dug-out canoes in Papua, worked on a junk in Hong Kong harbour, served the poor in the slums of Naples and flown with the Australian flying doctor service. She has been marooned by floodwaters in rugged mountains, cut off by cyclones on a tropical island and cast adrift in a disabled boat during a typhoon. None of this prepared her for her experiences as a nurse in Saudi Arabia. She is currently taking a break from her adventures and living in her hometown of Adelaide.

Reviews

'Furious, funny and informative.' The Weekend Australian 'Lydia's book is written with her indomitable spirit and a quirky sense of humour.' Sunday Mail 'Behind the Veil lives up to its publicity as a ripping travelers yarn.' The Advertiser