Discuss Gertrude's role in Victorian England. How is she the perfect model for the time and in what ways does she reject the model?

Gertrude has an extremely strong relationship with her father all throughout her life. How does this unusual relationship both help and hinder Gertrude's relationships with other men?

To Gertrude, the Arabian desert represents the perfect escape. From what or whom is it that Gertrude wants to escape?

Why do you think the Arabian people so readily accept Gertrude, an assertive Englishwoman with a strong drive for success?

What do you think Gertrude would consider to be her greatest success? Her greatest failure?

At the present time, the United States is at war with Iraq. Does this book shed any light on your understanding of Iraq, its culture, and why it takes the positions it does?

After her death, Gertrude is...