Where the Paved Road Ends: One Woman's Extraordinary Experiences in Yemen

In 2004 Carolyn Han left her comfortable life in Hawaii and a position as a college English instructor to live in one of the most remote and mysterious places in the Middle EastùYemen, known in the West primarily for providing a haven for terrorists affiliated with al Qaeda. The previous year, she had sold her gold jewelry to travel with Bedouin by camel from Marib to Shabwa, a life-changing experience that opened the path for her to become, in 2004, the first American English instructor in YemenAÆs wild tribal area, Marib.
Guided by fateful encounters and unfazed by warnings of danger, Han allowed her life to unfold as it might, illustrating her sense of trust and her belief that life gives us the lessons we need, but not always those we want. Han paints a vivid portrait of YemenisAÆ customs, including their enjoyment of the stimulant qat and their proclivity for carrying AK-47s wherever they go, and she conveys what it was like to be a woman alone surrounded by a culture not her own. As Han soon discovered, she was the student and not the teacher. Through her experiences, readers are given a rare glimpse into an isolated culture that most will never encounter.