After discovering that her Greek husband was unfaithful, and heartbroken at the death of her six-year-old son, she became an inveterate traveller in the Orient. For a time she became the mistress of an Albanian general and was thrilled to share his rough outdoor life as queen of his brigand army, living in caves, riding fiery Arab horses and hunting game in the mountains for food; until she found that he too was unfaithful and left him on the spot.

   Middle-aged but still stunningly beautiful, and vowing to renounce men, she headed for Syria where she met and married the love of her life, a Bedouin nobleman, Sheikh Medjuel el Mezrab who was twenty years her junior.

   During the remainder of her life she adopted for six months of each year the exotic but uniquely harsh existence of a desert nomad living in the famous black goathair tents of Arabia; the remaining months she spent in the splendid palace she built for herself and Medjuel in Damascus. As wife to the Sheikh and mother to his tribe this passionate woman found not only genuine fulfilment but further adventures, all of which she committed each year to her diary

   Bestselling biographer Mary S Lovell has produced from these diaries not only a sympathetic and dramatic portrait of a rare woman but a fascinating glimpse into the centuries-old tradition of the Bedouin that is now almost lost.

" Enthralling tale of a nineteenth century beauty whose heart - and hormones - ruled her head."
Harpers and Queen.

" A rollicking good tale. Mary S. Lovell has researched widely and gves a rich picture of this remarkable women's life."
Sunday Express.

" If ever there was a female equivalent of Byron, Lady Jane Digby was she ... hugely entertaining."
Country Living.

" Few romantic novels could convincingly tell so astonishing a story."
Good Book Guide.

A:  I travel there alone frequently, but it is always worth checking the Foreign Office web site for the latest 'advice to travellers', if you are concerned in the current climate.

   There is only one guide in Syria who knows all the Jane Digby sites because he and I found most of them together, and I mentioned his part in the research in the Jane Digby biography (see Introduction pages).  He is Hussein Hinnawi.

   Hussein lives in Damascus (born 1966), is very happily married with three small children.  He is a professionally qualified Tour Guide, and is a graduate of Damascus University in English Literature.  He speaks fluent English.  I can recommend him 100%.

   Apart from being a guide for all leading UK tour companies, he has also been used by the British Embassy and the British Council in Damascus, to accompany visiting VIP's (for example HRH The Duke of Kent).  One of Hussein's specialities is that he will take visitors to interesting places, that other tour guides don't know about, which adds considerably to the experience of getting to know Syria and its people.  He is happy to guide groups or individuals.

You can contact Hussein direct on E-mail: hinnawi66@hotmail.com
If you do not recieve an Email reply within 48 hours please Email at hinnawi66@mail2world.com

His Website address is:  www.husseinhinnawi.com

His telephone/fax is:  (963) 11 633 5421   Mobile:  (963) 944 545754

In Jane Digy’s UK footsteps – websites of places in the UK associated with Jane:

Holkham Hall, Norfolk, see www.holkham.co.uk

Minterne House gardens, Dorset, see www.aboutbritain.com/MinterneGardens.htm

Woodlands Lodge Hotel, Sidmouth, Devon, see www.woodlands-hotel.com
(although not mentioned in the book this was the Digby family’s seaside villa and retains many original features).