In 1970, at the age of 19, Sarah Hobson decided to explore Iran. In order to travel safely alone in remote areas, she dressed as a boy. This disguise give her entree to a world still closed to women. In Qum, a holy city renowned for fanaticism and bigotry, she stayed in a male theological college. She was offered a bride, approached by homosexual men and, unmasked on one occasion, the subject of eager bargaining.
