All Strangers Are Kin: Adventures in Arabic and the Arab World

An American woman determined to learn the Arabic language travels to the Middle East to pursue her dream in this "witty memoir" (Us Weekly).

The shadda is the key difference between a pigeon (hamam) and a bathroom (hammam). Be careful, our professor advised, that you don't ask a waiter, 'Excuse me, where is the pigeon?'—or, conversely, order a roasted toilet . . .

If you've ever studied a foreign language, you know what happens when you first truly and clearly communicate with another p...