WAMU 88.5
: The Diane Rehm Show 
"I'm a barefoot girl from red-dirt Oklahoma, and all the marble floors in the world will never change that." That's the first line in a new novel by award-winning author Kim Barnes. It's the story of a young woman who leaves the dusty farmlands of 1960s Oklahoma to follow her husband to the oil fields of Saudi Arabia where lucrative work awaits. Like her heroine, Barnes grew up dirt poor and in a conservative Christian home. Her family members left this life for jobs in Saudi Arabia. Drawing on their memories and years of research, Barnes writes of a woman coming of age on an American oil compound in Saudi Arabia. She joins Diane to talk about a woman's quest for knowledge in a male-dominated world in her new book, "In the Kingdom of Men."
Read An Excerpt
Excerpt from "In the Kingdom of Men" by Kim Barnes. Copyright 2012 by Kim Barnes. Reprinted here by permission of Knopf. All rights reserved.
James Gandolfini Dies; 'Sopranos' Actor Was 51
Actor James Gandolfini, 51, has reportedly died. Variety magazine reports that he suffered a "sudden stroke." The cause of death is not yet known with certainty, but HBO says the actor may have suffered a heart attack.And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto
The prize is sometimes called the "Nobel Prize for food and agriculture." And this year's winners include Monsanto executive Robert Fraley, a pioneer in genetically engineered crops. If there's a single person who personifies the company's controversial role in American agriculture, it's probably Fraley.Meet The New Governor: Sharply Partisan And Upwardly Mobile
For years, governors were considered the most pragmatic figures in politics. Now, they're using their states to run ideological experiments.Microsoft Responds To Fan Outcry, Changes Xbox One Policies
Microsoft has changed policies regarding Internet connection and used game capabilities for its upcoming Xbox One gaming console. The company says it is responding to feedback from consumers.Leave a Comment
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