Ex-pat Annie Lester is single-handedly bringing up her three sons in the fictional Arab Emirate of Hawar, during the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. On the day of her eldest son’s wedding, Annie’s middle son suddenly announces that he is gay. His coming out causes consternation within Annie’s western family and wider Arab society. Geraldine joins Jane to discuss how mothers handle teenage homosexuality, how to cope with prejudice, and whether anybody will read this book in the Middle East.
'The Gulf Between Us' by Geraldine Bedell is published by Penguin, ISBN: 978-0-141-03860-5
