MY KHYBER MARRIAGE

Morag Murray Abdullah

Octagon Press, London, 1990

World War I was raging in Europe when young Scottswoman Morag Murray met and fell in love with the handsome son of a Pathan chieftain. This is her own remarkable story, full of romance and adventure.

Overcoming the resistance of both their families, they married, eventually settling in the prince's Khyber homeland.

Though far from the familiar routine of life in Edinburgh, Morag's heart is soon won by the hospitality of her husband's family and friends, their rich traditions, and the intrigue of a way of life unchanged for centuries.

She describes her adventures in exquisite detail: the luxurious spa-like treatment in preparation for her marriage; a fairy-tale wedding with thousands of gift-bearing guests spread out for miles in a city of tents; defending a fort with her sisters-in-law during a raid by a rival tribe.

Murray leaves the reader sharing her deep affection for her husband's country, its people and culture. And her openness, curiosity, and zest for life are inspirational. She enters her new world with energy and respect -- even managing to plot a marriage of love for her sister-in-law that ends hostilities between two rival clans.

My mother-in-law's veils, jumpers and trousers were all so lovely ... I closed my eyes and put my hand on one at random. It proved to be blue, a gauzy dreamy sapphire blue, with mauve veil and gold trousers shot with sapphire blue, and a sapphire-blue jumper. The light made the sequins twinkle like stars. My mother-in-law was in pink with embroideries in black and gold ...
Just then I thought my mother-in-law a strange mixture of bravery and appealing femininity. She looked almost fragile as she stood silhouetted against the wall of the fort, yet one could have imagined her holding the fort with eye and hand steady as any man.
--From My Khyber Marriage © 1990 by Octagon Press