This is the grizzly account of surviving in Baghdad during the 1991 Gulf War and in exile during the later years until 2002. Iraqi born Nuha Al Radi, a painter and eco-sculptor educated in the West, views the war in its minute everyday details with little commentary but with outrage at the forces who bring such death and destruction on ordinary people. She recounts the First Gulf War almost on a day-to-day basis, emphasizing on the realities of the embargo and the bombing, showing the endurance of the human spirit and celebrating its tiniest triumphs over such adversity. Throughout the war and afterwards, she tries to work at her art and manages a social life with her family and friends.
After the war, she lives in a self-made exile in Beirut and Amman and travels to New York, London, Yemen and Mexico, suffering the humiliation of being born an Iraqi.

viewing the events of the last twelve years from a different perspective.

the writer’s intensity and power with simple prose and her attention to detail. Her style shows that she is an artist and can detect the tiniest nuances in nature and in people’s behavior.

the narrow focus; that is, her casting blame on one group -the mighty- only and not being able to see the wider picture in the world of politics.

Nuha Al-Radi, is a potter, painter and eco-sculptor from a prominent and sophisticated Iraqi family. She was born in Baghdad in 1941 and trained in London as an artist. Her artwork and sculptures have been shown in many places in the world.

it shows the futility of war and its destruction on masses, bringing up doubts and questioning the strength of our joined efforts to prevent such calamities.

I don't like anyone talk against my presidents; however, this writer has suffered greatly and she speaks with candor. Though I respect what she has to say, her opinions are very different from an average American like me. If people cannot bear to face opinions different than their own, this book could offend them.

The writer gives such detail in a way even a very imaginative fiction writer could not make up and the most profound question this book implies for anyone on any side is:
Do we have destroy and kill in order to save people in the name of humanity?

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Created Nov 11, 2003 at 4:39pm • Submit your own review...