Desert Queen review

Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A random find at the local Goodwill, I had been meaning to read a biography when I saw this book. I wasn't quite sure how interested I would be in Gertrude Bell, but she ended up speaking me to me very clearly.

There are a lot of confusing things about Gertrude. While she rejected the common ideal of what the Victorian woman was supposed to be, at the same time she embraced her femininity and used it to her advantage throughout her political career. She also rallied against the suffrage movement, although later in life she had more complaints about the restrictions on her gender. She seemed to have a level head, but then at times would be vulnerable to her fits of romance and fancy. Although she was too naive and trusting at times, her womanly intuition was mostly spot on. She adopted the typical role of the Victorian woman, and her power was held mostly behind the scenes, out of limelight. Her politics were built on the relationships she had, which is a good message in any career choice. Build genuine friendships with as many people as possible because you never know.

Gertrude was amazing because her politics were always personal. She put so much of herself into the work she was doing, it was hard to separate her politics from her personality. To me, this can be ideal, but at the same time it can unravel a human being, as we see with Gertrude. As her political prominence begins to fade, her purpose in life became less and less clear for her. She had nothing outside of Iraq.

I love the imperfection in her. This book does well to portray her in the best light, but you can't help but notice the pervasiveness of her flaws. Stubborn, yet sometimes indecisive, easily depressed and never quite emotionally in touch with the world. Separate, snobbish, and often petty, Gertrude represented many negative stereotypes of a Victorian woman. However, the differences are much more noticeable.

I relate to Gertrude's quest to become a "Person", someone who matters. It's unfortunate because I don't think that feeling ever lasted for her. But if anyone was ever a Person in the Middle East, it was her.

In a time in my life where possible majors are taking up most of my thoughts, and days have been spent agonizing over every last class and career detail of each, this biography has inspired me to pursue an education in history and foreign language. The world out there is huge, and we actually can make a difference. It takes a certain ambition and strength of character, something Gertrude possessed like none other. It has inspired me to make my own mark in history and politics as an educated, passionate woman.

The writing style was literary, yet easy to follow. It gave personality and romance to the endless deserts and the seemingly hostile Middle East. This book brought my heart there and has inspired me to go. So much of our past is there, and much of our future as well. I have a clearer understanding of where Gertrude's passion for the place came from, and how its differences from the West is what makes it so compelling. Unfortunately, this book did little to restore my hope in the Middle East, as it is obvious to me that their struggles have existed for quite some time, and will for quite some time after. From an outsider's perspective, it seems like a petty feud, but for Iraqis, it is a matter of the Prophet and of honor and of history. This is not something that can be easily resolved. Gertrude's work was well-done, but it feels almost as if it were in vain. Everyone blames imperialism for Iraq's downfall, but the violently tribal Arabia was already destined for misfortune. It's funny how the most obvious theme in the history of politics is that, on a micro level, people change, but looking at the bigger picture, they never really did.



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