Sweet Dates in Basra, by Jessica Jiji (2010)
Sweet Dates in Basra is a story of Iraq during and after World War II. The story takes place when Jews and Muslims more or less got along. The story follows young Kathmiya, who is a young “Marsh Arab.” When she reaches the ripe old age of 13, her thoughts begin to turn to marriage. After all, that is the age most young Muslim women in her community are married.
Instead, Kathmiya is sent into the city of Basra, where she becomes a maid in a Jewish household. Each weekend, Kathmiya returns to her humble home in the marsh and begs her family to find her a husband. Even though she is sent to several matchmakers, no viable husband find his way into her life. Her mother remains very mysterious about finding her young daughter a husband, hinting that there is some long family secret that is preventing Kathmiya from procuring a husband.
One day, while working as a domestic in Basra, she meets Shafiq, a young Jewish boy. Shafiq happens to be the brother of Kathmiya’s mistress. Shafiq and Kathmiya are both immediately smitten with each other, but are worlds apart and can only briefly speak to each other.
Shafiq’s best friend is Omar, his Muslim next door neighbor. Omar and Shafiq are best of friends who consider themselves brothers because as infants, each mother had nursed each child.
The ideology of World War II touches Iraq. The Iraqi’s are opposed to the British because of the oil interests. Politics in Iraq shift, making it dangerous to be a Jew. Shafiq’s family tries to emphasize their strong ties to Iraqi nationalism. One of Shafiq’s brother is a strong anti-Zionist, whose actions emphasize his love of his country. Ironically, he is arrested and beaten for on other reason than being a Jew.
Early on in the story, Shafiq and Omar encounter a man who had killed his daughter in an “honor” killing because she had had sexual relations before her marriage. This hints at what might happen if Shafiq and Kathmiya ever got together, since Jews and Muslims, while might live next to each other, would not marry.
This novel shows how individuals can look beyond religion and tradition and live in peace. The dynamics of groups, however, work differently. Shafiq and his brothers are denied entrance to the Iraqi University merely for being Jewish. The family realizes that it must leave the country in order to survive.
Sweet Dates in Basra was based, in part, on the author’s family. It is a good novel that sheds a bit light on a period of history that is largely unknown to Westerners.
Read: June 5, 2011
Hahtool, I read this book last week, and was surprised to see that you had posted it on your blog! I thought it was a brilliant commentary on a country and customs that we westerners often forget (or, don't understand).
ReplyDeleteHahtool,
ReplyDeleteMay I suggest 3 books that you may find interesting.
The first is 'The girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Steig Larson. It is fiction, ( the author died before his 2 books got published - ). The book is somewhat long - 600 pages, but the excitement is palpable. It is set in Sweden, ( in fact, the book has been translated from the Swedish- )with Swedish names, suburbs, towns and mannerisms. It is a 'murder mystery' - if you are into that sort of thing.
Caution: It has some 3 or 4 violent sex acts - some even said that the author was a misogynist - but my librarian advisor (female ) , whom I great respect - assured me that it was not so. But the book is never the less, very well written.
In any case, read the review on Amazon.com before making up your mind.
Another book,- this time set in Pakistan, 'The dancing girls of Lahore' by ? ( I forget) is a semi-non-fiction account of prostitutes in Lahore, by a British social worker ( - on a Nuffield scholarship, no less ! ). She has dealt with the subject, with about as much humor, as the subject will allow.
Good luck and good reading.