I imagine my mind would have still been focused on Southeast Asia and the sorrow of coming out of the Vietnam War. I wonder if I even knew Kurdistan was a place or the Kurds a people back then.

When I began this novel, what struck me right away was how little I knew about 1979 Kurdistan. All of it will be tested when Olivia captures a shattering, tragic moment on film, one that upends all their lives and proves that true bravery begins with an open heart. But in this world torn apart by war, there are intoxicating sights and scents, Delan's loving family, innocence not yet compromised, and small acts of kindness that flourish unexpectedly. Yet when the return home proves less safe than Delan believed, Olivia is confronted with a reality she had not expected, and is awakened to the dangers of a town patrolled by Iraqi military under curfew and constant threat. More important, though, the trip is a chance to understand Delan's childhood and bridge the differences of their pasts. When opportunity arrives, she seizes it, accompanying her Kurdish boyfriend, Delan, to northern Iraq for a family wedding, hoping to capture an image that lands her a job in the photo department.

Olivia Murray, a secretary at a Los Angeles newspaper, is determined to become a photojournalist and make a difference with her work. An aspiring photographer follows her dreams and faces her fears in a poignant novel about finding beauty, promise, and love amid the chaos of war-torn Kurdistan.

Take what you can carry by gian sardar