Description
"The Diplomite" is a compelling account of the author's life experiences growing up so far from home. From India to Vienna, Diana Carr was always an outsider, and learned what it is like to be the "other". This is a story about what it is like to be a young representative of the United States and staying calm in the face of danger. This is a story about how no matter what, the author's parents kept her family safe. This is a story about the strength and importance of family.
Carr's father joined the Foreign Service in 1945. The world was in turmoil as it settled into the aftermath of World War II. British colonialism was ebbing, communism was rising, nuclear war had become a possibility, and the cold war had begun. People wondered how they would survive the times.
Their first post was New Delhi, where they experienced the caste system – cobras and kraits in the garden, loving and leaving a monkey, and perched high on a gate post, watching the flow of mourners grieve on their way to Mahatma Gandhi's funeral. Next came Paris, war worn and weary but determined to recover. After that, they were sent to Vienna. The Viennese, defeated, trudged through the British, French, Russian, and American sectors of their city. The last stop was Cairo just after General Naguib and Colonel Nasser took over from King Farouk. Egypt was in a state of flux between monarchy and republic.
This is a powerful story about being everywhere, but somehow nowhere. Diana Carr's journey is filled with adventure, lessons, and stories that will stick with you. A life like no other, this book shares the complexities of a life overseas, and the profound impact it had on Diana and her family. This book is so much more than a memoir. It is a literary reflection of strength, courage, and the significance of family. It offers commentary on history, culture, and the social implications of the post-war world. A masterpiece of non-fiction, this is a must-read account of an unforgettable life.