About Ann Gaylia O’Barr

Life and Work

My life’s occupations include wife and mother, computer programmer, historic preservation planner, Foreign Service officer with the U.S. State Department, and full-time writer (more or less).

During my Foreign Service years (1990 until 2004), I served in Saudi Arabia (twice), Tunisia, Algeria, Canada, and in Washington, D.C. at State Department headquarters. I was evacuated from Algeria after three months due to terrorist activities in that country. Later I returned for a couple of temporary tours.

Fantasy vs. Reality

Many Americans imagine a Foreign Service officer (diplomat) as one who flits in and out of meetings with VIP’s in exotic overseas capitals. This hardly describes my work. I did develop contacts with foreign government officials, for help in resolving problems of U.S. citizens in those countries.

I worked mainly as a consular officer. I interviewed foreigners who wanted to come to the United States as visitors or to immigrate to this country as permanent residents. The job introduced me to those desperate millions who seek better lives in developed countries by legal or illegal means.

Serving Americans Abroad

My work with American citizens provided me with my most memorable experiences. Routine tasks included renewing U.S. passports and performing notary services. However, duties were never routine for long. With my colleagues, I aided U.S. citizens who were jailed for various offenses. Most incarcerations in Muslim-majority countries resulted from American citizens involved with drugs, alcohol or pornography.

Difficult Duties

When American citizens died or were killed overseas, we notified next of kin in the States and took care of the remains as dictated by the family. Tragically, a few of these deaths resulted from terrorist attacks. I was in Saudi Arabia for both Gulf wars, in 1991 and after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

Americans married to foreign spouses presented us with the most emotion wrenching problems, especially the custody cases. Such marriages and divorces face the same challenges as those of two Americans, but problems are magnified by different laws governing children, religious beliefs, and the requirement for exit visas to leave some countries.

Inspiration for Writing

Though I have written all of my life, published or not, my novels and blogs since living abroad are influenced by those overseas years. I return to certain topics: immigration, current Arab unrest, and American Christians’ views of both Islamic culture and their own country’s role in international events. After seeing this country from abroad, the challenging role of American Christians always fascinates.