Gilgamesh - Joan London

When Edith realizes that she is pregnant, she knows that there is nothing left for her in Australia. Her mother and sister are resigned to life in the rural backwater of Nunderup but Edith is restless. She longs to find the father of her child - Aram, the handsome archaeologist who was staying with the family - and to visit in the magical places that he described. It is 1939, and the world, it is said, is about to explode into war. Unruffled by these rumours, Edith sets out with her baby, Jim, on the long journey to London and then on to Aram's homeland of Soviet Armenia. Her quest takes her to the Middle East, the ancient land where Gilgamesh, the fabled king of Mesopotamia, once travelled in search of enlightenment and understanding. Edith is also looking for an answer too - and she is asking one of the most heartrending questions that can emerge when love meets war. A captivating tale of passion, loss and self-discovery, Joan London's novel examines what happens when we decide to strike out into the world, and how, like the wandering king, we find our way home.