Mayada - Daughter of Iraq

What a read...That was a gripping tale! Hardly do I have the habit of finishing novels in a day or two (forget one go!) but this novel by Jean Sasson was different. This is the true life story of Mayada Nizar Jafar Mustafa Al-Askari, the grand-daughter of Sati Al Husri, a highly respected educationist and writer. It tells the story of this woman who was arrested by Secret Police of Iraq under the Baathist regime and had to spend few days of torture in the infamous Al-Baladiyat prison. I know many things will tend to be new but just read this book and you will know the atrocities committed by the Saddam regime during his hey days. I dont know what the ground realities are but tend to believe in what the author is trying to convey through this novel.

The closeness of the 'shadow women' in the prison, the inhuman attitude of the soldiers in the prison, the love of mothers for their children, the sheer torture heaped on the innocent prisoners, the hope in the women that they will get to see the beautiful sunrise one day, the killing of thousands of Iraqis, the chirping of the bird that brings some hope!

A must read for those who like to read facts and some insights on Iraqi rule