Zoroastrians’ Fight for Survival
ZOROASTRIANS' FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL 
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The first edition of this book was published in 2016 and the second edition in 2020. Zoroastrians' Fight for Survival is book one in The Viking's Kurdish Love series. It is considered the first in-depth account about the ancient populations of Scandinavia, Mesopotamia, the Middle East and Byzantium, published in novel form. The book follows two Vikings from Birka, in present-day Sweden, and their journey to Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and then to Miafarqin, the capital of Kurdland. With a refreshing approach to writing, Widad presents the delightful love story between Ivar and the Kurdish healer, Vesta.
Description of Second Edition
An epic tale of romance and reminiscence. A meeting of hearts in the most unlikely of circumstance!
A woman with a dazzling mind. A man makes impulsive decisions. A royal wedding turns into beheading, a nation at risk of annihilation, and a battle for survival is on the horizon.
Two vikings – one of whom is the formidable former Varangian Guard whose name is carved on a marble slab in Constantinople's Hagia Sophia – settle down in Kurdland. Though defined by the different opportunities and challenges imposed on them, Ivar and Halvdan are both desperate for recognition and affection. As their lives intertwine with the enchanting and virtuous doctor, Vesta, the successful Palace manager, Zara, and the newly coronated Kurdish King, Swar, they try to deal with the inevitable trials of love and loss at a time when uncertainty continues to cloud their future.
Well-researched and seductively charming, The Viking's Kurdish Love series spans across continents, cultures, religions and decades of tumultuous regional and global history. Widad's lyrical prose sensuously wraps the readers in the story of how the people of the era refuse to be trapped by their past experiences.
Untold Tale
With storytelling in her blood, Widad brings to life the untold tale of the struggle of Kurds, Christians (including Armenians, Greeks...), Jews and other minorities in Upper Mesopotamia, to survive the invasion of Kurdland over 1000 years ago. She leaves no stone unturned in her quest for answers to the most pressing questions of our time.
Taking on the pressing questions of our time, The Viking's Kurdish Love tells the fascinating history of the ancient cultures of Kurdland, Scandinavia and Byzantium.
Based on Historical Events
The book is based on historic events and the characters presented have historic counterparts. For instance, Ivar's father was Halvdan, whose name has been found as inscription in Hagia Sophia's upper gallery. A version of his name also appears on the records of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople. The Kurdish King Hasan, whose third wedding turned into beheading, ruled from 990-997. Queen Patê was the widow of Hasan's predecessor, King Pad - the founder of the Kurdish Kingdom. After Pad's assassination in 990, she married Hasan, King Pad's nephew, and had him declared the King. A few years later the relations between Kurdland and Armenia were consolidated by a royal marriage between Hasan and the Christian Princess Maria. Isaac Moshe Abraham was a wealthy Jewish merchant and storeowner in Miafarqin. Elias Eisa was a pastor in Bedra and later became the well-respected bishop of Nesebin. His brother, Dr. Mensor Eisa, was the director of Miafarqin hospital, where Dr. Vesta also worked. The political situations chronicled in the book are the result of years of intensive research.
Description of First Edition
Born in Birka, a Viking trading center built on an island west of today's Stockholm, Sweden, Ivar is 16-year-old and has hope of finding happiness with a slave-girl from Mercia. However, his high hope ends in year 988 when his Dad, Halvdan, sends her to the slave markets and forces him to accompany him on new raids.
It proves to be a life-altering journey that changes them forever.
Two years later, Halvdan joins the Varangian guard in Constantinople, yearning to find a better life. Unfortunate chain of events brings Ivar to Upper Mesopotamia in 997.
When he arrives in Miafarqin, searching for his Dad, he falls in love with Vesta, an attractive Kurdish, Zoroastrian doctor, and she in turn falls in love with him. They decide to bind their fates at a time when a ruthless invasion and a large-scale, lamentable migration into Kurdland are still ongoing. The Kurds vow to fight for their freedom, determined to win a persistent battle for survival. As the new normal begins to emerge, the bloodthirsty invaders are breathing fear and tyranny into Vesta's society.
What does destiny have in store for them?
