Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday: SWEET DATES IN BASRA by Jessica Jiji


"WAITING ON WEDNESDAY"
is hosted by Jill from

Join in and tell us . . .

What are you waiting for?

My pick for this week is . . .

by Jessica Jiji

Pub. Date: April 27, 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Format: Paperback, 368pp
ISBN-13: 9780061689307
ISBN: 0061689300

Description (from the publisher):
Just when her family should be arranging her marriage, Kathmiya Mahmoud, a young Marsh Arab maiden, is sent from her home in Iraq's idyllic countryside to the unfamiliar city of Basra, where she must survive on her paltry earnings as a servant. Her only asset—her exquisite beauty—brings more peril than peace. Worse, her mother appears to be keeping a secret about her own mysterious past, one that could threaten Kathmiya's destiny forever.

In this lost Iraq of the 1940s, a time of rich traditions and converging worlds, Kathmiya meets Shafiq, a Jewish boy whose brotherhood with his Muslim neighbor Omar proves that religion is no barrier to friendship. But in a world where loss of honor is punishable by death, the closeness that grows between Kathmiya and Shafiq becomes dangerous as a doomed love takes root. When British warplanes begin bombing Iraq and the country's long-simmering tensions explode, the power of an unbreakable boyhood bond and a transcendent love must overcome the deepening fractures of a collapsing society.

Set during the tumultuous years surrounding the Second World War, Sweet Dates in Basra is the redemptive story of two very different cultures, and a powerful reminder that no walls can confine the human spirit.

Click here to visit the author's website.
 
About the author (from the publisher):
The daughter of an Iraqi immigrant, Jessica Jiji is a speechwriter for the secretary-general of the United Nations. Her first novel, Diamonds Take Forever, was published in 2005. She lives in New York City with her husband and three sons.

8 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I love books like that! Great pick!

Wanda said...

Having never heard of Diamonds Take Forever, I looked up that one too ... though I think I'd prefer Sweet Dates in Basra, both novels warrant a closer look.

mariag said...

I have also been waiting for this one.
Sounds like a great read. Just my cup of tea.

fmlj94[at]yahoo[dot]com

Tribute Books said...

Sounds good, must add to my list,thanks!

Zibilee said...

I just received this book from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. I am looking forward to it and will let you know how it is!

Mary (Bookfan) said...

Someone else picked this - I think it sounds really good!

Becca said...

I just got this from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program and I can't wait to read it! Too bad I am so behind on reviews that it might take me a while. :/ Need to get on top of that!

librarypat said...

Another book that sounds engrossing and must be added to my TBR list.