Outstanding memoir of a young Iraqui woman who stands up to Saddam Hussein...and eventually leaves Iraq for the US. Her strong sense of support for women leads her to start the international organization Women for Women. An inspiring read.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Including as part of "My Life" bookbox of biographies, autobiographies and memoirs. One of my favorite memoirs. I even met the author at a fundraiser my book club put together after reading this amazing story.

My husband (H-HEAD) pulled this from the bookbox, but I may need to read it, too. Thanks!

This is not a book that I expected to like. I hate to admit how little I knew of what was happening in Iraq, Bosnia and Iran. I'd like to excuse my ignorance by saying that I was a young, first-time mother in the 90's, just trying to raise my child. But the truth of the matter is that I'm an ugly ego-centric American who is unaware of much of the suffering in the world.

But it goes deeper than that. Too often, all I hear is the recap of names and acts and places where speeches take place. I hear words like 'embargo' and 'sanctions' and I tune out; it means nothing to my life. But presented with the deeper day-to-day personal context like Zainab's memoir provided made it real for me. NOW I was able to relate.

Reading about Saddam's rise to power and the systematic humiliation he caused his people reminded me of everything I've read about Hitler's rise to power and the oppression of the Jews. I could visualize it so easily as I read this book. I now have a much better understanding of what took place and what it might have been like to live through it.

I'm still clueless about much of it, but am at least a little more educated thanks to Zainab.

I left this with the newspapers when we stopped in for coffee. Hope it finds an appreciative reader!