Life Goes On in the Garden of Eden

At the heart of Paradise Lust is a small town in southern Iraq, located at the former junction of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, called Qurna.  They have a small park there which contains a tree supposed to be the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Usually Qurna stays out of the spotlight, but recently there’ve been some quiet, positive stories come out of this beautiful but much beleaguered place.  Firstly, the Kuwait Times reports that river boats along the Shatt Al Arab which had once been used for smuggling were being reclaimed for a much more civilized purpose: floating cafes where Iraqis can unwind by smoking shisha and listening to music. And in other news, Austrian Airlines has announced that beginning June 8th, they will offer direct flights from Vienna to Baghdad, for the first time in 21 years.  I’m hoping that by the time my book is published, people will be able to visit The Garden of Eden for themselves.