Author Note

Last spring I traveled to Jordan to write a story set in Petra (ancient Rekem)—that famous city of giant, stone-carved tombs.

Having quit my day job, I decided to reach Petra via the Jordan Trail—a long-distance footpath that runs the length of the country. The Jordan Trail is young—inaugurated in 2015—but also ancient, following trade routes that are thousands of years old.

The trek rocked my world. Passing through terrain where Moses, Jesus and Muhammad are believed to have traveled, I was transported to another time. Equally inspiring were the Jordanians I met along the way. I have never felt more welcome anywhere.

When I finally reached Petra, I was astounded. The ruins were both larger and more numerous than I had expected—true wonders of the world.

Thus the climax of the story takes place in Petra, but the rest is set along the Jordan Trail. I hope I have captured some of the magic of the Trail’s storied landscape and conveyed some of the beauty of Arab culture, which buoyed me wherever I went.

I am grateful to Bashir Daoud and The Jordan Trail Association, to Ahmad Alomari, my wonderful guide in Gadara, to Shuayb Twaissi, my fantastic guide in Petra, and to Jane Taylor, the author of Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans, whose painstaking research forms this story’s bedrock—pun intended!

Thank you for reading!