Review of Daughters of Iraq & Thursday Hops

Hosted by  Sniffly Kitty's Mostly Books

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to sculpts castles out of clouds!

1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence here (in the comments) or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!

I am reading a few books at the same time. So here they are. The first I am at the end.

"My father's calling me," I said to my best friend, Naima. - Daughters of Iraq by Revital Shiri-Horowitz

When my father called me I was in trouble 9 times out of 10. I'm thinking she is in trouble. What did she do? Will she  get out of it? Will her friend help her? Or will she suddenly have to go home?

The sort of unusual quiet that happens right after a big storm rips through.-The Choice by Lorhainne Eckhart

And that is when I say I'm out of here. You know there is a problem. Time to go. Party over. Oh wait. This is from the book.  "Sorry, Honey looks like you should stop for Chinese tonight if you expect to eat. Yeah I'm kind of busy - you know the house and the kids." "What? We don't have any kids?" "How about a dog. We have a dog right?" 

This is my kid read:

His math teacher, Mr. Beasley, was actually a good teacher compared to most. - Grimsley Hollow: The Chosen One - Nicole Storey

Compared to which other teachers? I want a recount. I never found math teachers to be all that good. I vote for the reading teacher.  What? Not only does my vote not count; they don't have reading teachers anymore? Wow! Did they do away with library time too?

My banned book choice:

That was all. - The Facts Speak For Themselves - Brock Cole

What was all? What did I miss? And why are the police involved?

And the one I just started: 

I had to be different. - Ghouls Night Out (Larue Donavan) - Rose Pressey

Well, different can be a good thing. Okay with the title Ghouls Night Out maybe not. So then, different can be exciting? No? How about scary? Maybe. Hmm it is Rose Pressey. I got it! Different is snarky! Which means I was also right with all of the above. HA!

Hosted by  Readingbetweenpages this weeks theme is Sorry/Forgiveness.

From Daughters of Iraq by Revital Shiri-Horowitz:

For many years, my heart has been filled with piercing regret at how I behaved toward my father. My mother was the center of our household, the center of my world and the world of my siblings. My father was cast aside, and I never had a chance to tell him I loved him or ask his forgiveness.

From The Choice by Lorhainne Eckhart:

Not long ago, she’d rejoiced for being a major part in Dan’s life. And put all her love into growing these plants for him. However, that was before she was smacked upside the back of the head. That awakening made her face the truth of her role in this drug-related insanity. Now forgiveness for what she’d done is all she wanted, and to protect Sam. 

From Grimsley Hollow by Nicole Storey:

Gage had no idea what Ladon was talking about but Kateri did. She gave the young vampire a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Ladon. I know that it must be hard for you and your father, knowing that Inari has taken your mother hostage. But,” she gave Bram a disgusted look, “your father needs to remember that he is in Opa now and he will act respectfully to everyone, especially Gage.”

From The Facts Speak For Themselves by Brock Cole:

 I thought I would give him a chance to be sorry and beg for mercy, and then I’d say very calm, sorry, that’s not good enough. You got to go. And then Bang Bang, I’d shoot him in the heart. 

From Ghouls Night Out by Rose Pressey:

When she walked away, I said, “I’m sorry for turning our date into some kind of adventure out of a Scooby Doo cartoon.” 

MY REVIEW:

 

Daughters of Iraq by Revital Shiri-Horowitz

Paperback, 288 pages

Published April 1st 2011 by Horowitz Publishing 

When I was first approached to review this book I wasn't sure if I would be interested. I'm not from Iraq, I have no family from there and I am not Jewish. Then I went wait a minute. Jewish? In Iraq? Really? I could not fathom what it would have been like to be Jewish in Iraq.  Granted I have never been to Iraq and public school education when I was in school was sadly lacking on both Iraq and Jewish people. Mainly we were taught about the Holocaust and that was it for Jewish people. And Iraq. I think I heard more in geography which just focused on where it was located. So all I had to really go on was the Iraq that we have been hearing about in the media and the Iraq I heard about from Muslim friends. They never mentioned Jewish people lived there. So I was intrigued. 

The book was so much more than I expected. The story revolves around 3 women, two sisters, Farida and the deceased Violet, (we hear from her via her diary) and Violet's daughter,  Noa. It is a story of family, hurt, love, forgiveness and growing up. 

Violet passed away six years earlier from cancer. Noa was in the military at the time. When her mother was sick she could not handle seeing her that way and so she enlisted. Now she regrets doing that as she misses her mother so much. She is feeling guilty about that decision and also has many mixed feelings about life in general. She is at her Aunt's home telling Farida all this when Farida tells her that Violet had written a diary for Noa and her brother.  You can imagine how Noa must have felt; her aunt and her father kept her mother's diary from her for six years. She loves them and forgives them but I can imagine how hurt and angry she felt.

Through the diary and Farida's memories we come to know Violet and Farida as young girls, first in Iraq and then in Israel. We hear about how things were in Baghdad in the 40's and we hear what the exodus to Israel was like. Through Noa's eyes we see how things were in the 80's and we see her search for herself in the past and the present. It is a journey most women take I think. Wanting to know where we came from, what are roots are, how we came to be shaped and ultimately who we are as a result.  I felt that this book was about finding your roots, your home and being comfortable with it.  Farida and Violet were torn from their home in Iraq and forced to make a new one in Israel. While Noa in a sense ran away from home with her mother's illness and was now searching for her home. It is about enduring.  not only surviving but victory. No matter what was lost the family remained together. Love and food are major themes in this book. Yes there is romantic love. Remembered by Farida, written about by Violet and searched for by Noa; but also the love of a strong family. This is a heart-wrenching story at times. I cried in several places. But it is also a heartwarming story with warmth, laughter and hope. It is the story of 3 strong women who endure and find a way to what makes them happy. It is a fictional story written so well that you forget that. Then you see the haunting beauty of it. I believe there are aspects of this story that most women can relate to, whether you are Jewish, Christian, Muslim or other. We are all women and we all take the same journey; we just travel different paths. I found this book to be informative, emotional and most of all inspiring.  From the start of it I had a hard time putting it down. When I began it we had a wind storm that took out our power. I read by candlelight.  I give this book a solid 5 stars. It is one I would recommend.

There are some parts of the book that did not bother me but may cause some problems. However I feel the author did her best to address the issues. There are a lot of people and it can get confusing. This did not bother me but I think that is because I am always reading multiple books. My brain is trained for multiple people, I guess. The author has put a list of each person, chapter by chapter and how they relate at the end of the book. There is also a section which tells point of view for each section, some of these have dates and places listed. There is also a small section with word translations, which is also a part that may bother some readers. I had no problem with it and came away with knowing what a few words are so if I see them elsewhere I already know what they mean. 

I believe this book will especially appeal to women who like inspirational books, historically based books, those who like to learn more about other cultures and women of the Jewish faith. I must ask you not to pass it up because you feel that if you are not Jewish you will not have an interest in it. If you do you will be missing an excellent book that could enrich your own life regardless of your religion.

* I received this book from the author who requested an honest review. I was not compensated for the review. Opinions expressed are my feelings about the book.*

Revital Shiri-Horowitz was on the blog as a guest yesterday. She is giving away a copy of this awesome book to one winner. You only need to leave her a comment HERE to enter.  She is also selecting a winner for a cookbook, (I hope I win LOL), Mama Nazima's Jewish Iraqi Cuisine by Rivka Goldman. 

ENTER BANNED BOOK GIVEAWAY HERE

Please leave a comment. I love reading your thoughts about the books! Also if you are from the meme's, please let me know where to find yours.