The Good, the Bad and the Gringo by Kae Bahar

The Good, the Bad and the Gringo by Kae Bahar

At the age of ten Merywan Rashaba's life is shattered when the local Mullah declares him a neuter, neither a boy nor a girl, and therefore a doomed child. Merywan is terrified. If his father gets to know about his gender ambiguity, he will put a knife to his throat. Growing up as a Kurd in Saddam's Iraq, he feels he doesn't belong to this twisted society, but finds inspiration and comfort in the magic world of cinema. He secretly writes letters to his hero, Clint Eastwood, whom he calls Gringo, begging him to help him escape to America. As his plans are disrupted, Merywan is drawn deeper into a dark roller-coaster ride of savagery, passion, betrayal and heroism, which makes the movies he adores almost seem trivial by comparison.

• "Kae Bahar's protagonist, Merywan, is one of the most remarkable in contemporary fictionPersecuted and abused as a 'boygirl' in Kurdistan, his personal trials are soon subsumed in a titanic war for independence, the only light in the darkness his correspondence with his hero Clint Eastwood, who he dreams of joining in America. In equal parts a hymn to personal resilience, a call for justice for the Kurdish people and a celebration of the magical, border-defying powers of cinema, The Good, the Bad and the Gringo is unmissable." -James Attlee, author of Isolarion: A Different Oxford Journey
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• "It makes me laugh out loud and gasp in horror, too. I think it's really, really special and I feel very excited about it and honoured to read it." -Barbara Marsh, writer, poet and musician, author of To the Boneyard and Mr Ferndean Takes Stock
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• "Intriguing and informative, a page-turner, very absorbing, and difficult to put down." -Audrey Swindells, MBE

Kae Bahar is a writer and filmmaker. He grew up in Kurdistan under the regime of Saddam Hussein and was arrested and tortured by the secret police at the age of fourteen. With his family's help, he managed to escape to Italy to avoid a second arrest and possible death. What kept Kae's hope alive was storytelling and watching films. Most of his films have won multiple awards.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781738555239
ISBN 10	1738555232
Title	The Good, the Bad and the Gringo
Author	Kae Bahar
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Afsana Press
Year published	2024-10-09
Number of pages	432
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable