8:55 to Baghdad by Andrew Eames

8:55 to Baghdad was written because of a chance meeting Andrew Eames had while on tour in Aleppo. He discovers his hotel proprietor's mother remembers a very famous guest that stayed at the hotel many times. She remembers Agatha Christie, and Eames's curiosity is stirred. Why was Agatha Christie in Aleppo, and why was she a regular guest? What was her journey to the Middle East like? How did it influence her work? Eames sets out to answer those questions, and in the process provides a very interesting look into how much the world has changed, and how far-reaching Agatha Christie's works actually are.

Eames takes the journey to trace Agatha Christie soon after 9/11, so the journey itself becomes even more out of the ordinary. Not only is he revealing the truth behind the romantic vision we readers have of train travel and of Agatha Christie, but he also offers insights into the pre-Iraq war Middle East and surrounding areas. He meets people, lingers with them over tea, and gets them to share their stories. He does this even in Baghdad, where the U.S. is on the cusp of invading. You get a more discerning look into how people in Iraq reacted to 9/11, and more so, how these peoples' lives are everyday. In his realistic portrayals, you warm to even of some of the more aggravating characters that share his journey.

It's chance that while I was reading this book, I also listened to an old radio broadcast of Murder on the Orient Express, one of Christie's major works, and one of the works that was directly influenced by her journey to the Middle East. It made a nice foil to the early parts of the book, where Eames traces Agatha's journey to Turkey. He takes the Orient Express out of England, which due to world wars and changing politics, has dwindled down to a mirror of its former self. It is a tourist thing, with a few cars and not as much class as you might imagine due to the old 1970's movie.

Reading this book was almost like reading an Agatha Christie mystery itself. He compares each step of his journey with her life and her writings. You get a sort of mini-biography, a travel guide, a biography of her later work, and a history of the areas he travels through, all in one book. It's well worth the read if you are a fan of Agatha Christie (which I definitely am). If you aren't, I'd recommend it anyway, just because you get a glance at what life is like in the Middle East and surrounding areas, out of the mouths of the people themselves.

Rating: 5 Purrs