The remarkable journey of one of the first women to become a curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and an internationally recognized scholar in the field.

The author became a curator of Islamic art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and an internationally recognized scholar in the field. She took more than 50 international trips, most of which were to the Middle East, at times and in locations where women were not exactly respected or welcomed in a capacity of authority. She came to enjoy an enduring friendship with Kuwaiti royalty. And, last but certainly not least, she became the wife and partner-in-adventure of a wonderful gentleman from Damascus who was a professor at Columbia University and also a Kurdish agha.

This memoir is meant to inspire others to dare to take their own road less traveled.

Editorial Summary:

The Lure of the East is a vivid blend of personal story, art history, and cultural exploration, offering readers a window into the life of a pioneering woman in the Islamic art world.