This beautifully written novel is a portrait of Baghdad, Iraq, during the time of Saddam Hussein's rule. Life in Baghdad is revealed through the intertwined stories of three women. Two are Iraqi, one is Australian/American. Rania grew up as a member of the privileged class and was educated at Oxford. Now she is reduced to selling the books from her father's library to keep her art gallery afloat and protect her daughter. Huda is a secretary at the Australian embassy, which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because both she and her husband were unemployed when she took the job and it pays very well, a curse because it brings her to the attention of the secret police. And Ally is the wife of the Australian deputy ambassador. All three women are trying to survive in a place and an era that puts women at risk at every turn. I enjoyed the lovely writing of this book but found the constant threat these women live under unnerving - which is exactly what the author was trying to convey, I think. She succeeded.
Disclosure - I received an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
Disclosure - I received an Advance Reader's Copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.