A couple of years ago, I didn't know much about Iraq or its culture. I had wanted to visit the country as it was still under the rule of Saddam. Unfortunately, that never happened. So when the company I work for asked me to stop over in Baghdad on a 3-day mission, I took this book with me to read on the plane. It was a smart decision: landing in Baghdad's international airport felt like stepping back in time, from the architecture to the infrastructure and even the (mostly) male workers, and their mustaches, and although I did not have a lot of free time planned for my trip, the narrative would be an excellent companion at night. Driving into Baghdad and our quarters was a silent ride, me gasping at the remnants of what appeared to be a colossal civilization on the brink of falling: huge abandoned parks, enormous cement blocks on certain streets to prevent or redirect traffic, unfinished, half-erect monumental constructions with high fences to prevent any unwanted entrance. I couldn't wait for the evening to start reading...
Manal Omar was born to Palestinian parents in Saudi Arabia. The family moved to the USA when she was just 6 months old and she grew up to be an American citizen. She is a practicing Muslim and had decided to move to Iraq to assist women in rebuilding their lives. Being a humanitarian worker of Arab descent grants her access, and sometimes also gets her in trouble in dealing with officials. Living in a war-torn country is not always an easy task, and when you are a foreigner things can get complicated. And at times dangerous. The author depicts her relationships with many Iraqi women and men. She alludes to the cultural differences between the USA and Iraq in multiple instances. The political opinion of Omar's perception of the American operations on Iraqi soil is pointed out repeatedly throughout the book. After all, this is a sort of a memoir recounting a personal experience and should be read as such. I found it helpful to read about the Green Zone, to which I was very closely located during my stay and it was really deplorable I wasn't able to visit any museum or historical memorial for security reasons.
This saga was an interesting read. Not as captivating as some reviews had depicted it. Maybe because I grew up in a war-torn country and many of the hardships the author faced seemed like a regular daily event to me. I am always curious to find out about perspectives different from mine since I also find myself between oriental and western cultures. I struggled at times to keep on reading while in Baghdad and I had to find out the end of the story as the plane was finally rolling out on the tarmac, taking me to my next destination...Overall, the book was smooth and moved me at times but I don't think I would read it again.
