Book Review - Baghdad Burning

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Talk about not judging a book by its cover!! "Baghdad Burning" (Or "Baghdad Burning - Girl Blog from Iraq Riverbend") is unlike any novel you may have read. That's because it didn't start out as a book; it started out as a blog.

"Riverbend" is an anymous young girl of 24 years, living in Iraq during the Second Gulf War and the occupation that ensued.

The book is a collection of vivid depictions of the everyday lives of those who lived through it, died in it, or walked away from the wreckage, forever imprinted by the experience; woven into one story as seamlessly as one day follows the next. It is real-life, boldly and humourously written, where tongue in cheek moments are interspersed with images the reader will not easily forget.

One image from this book will always remain; a home struggling to stay alive, resources shared and furniture turned to firewood sees its residents cleaning up for a religious holiday when suddenly it is filled with shattered glass and shrapnel and the moment is frozen; everything hangs in mid air. When it unfreezes and the glass drops to the ground, what is left is a turning point that will forever remain in the lives of its occupants.

Forget the media's depiction of what occurred in or continues to affect this area of the world; get to nuts and bolts on this simple, sad and beautifully witty "story". There are a number of different covers as the editions changed. My copy is the picture above, filled with little notes I've made for myself in the pages, and any time I pull it off my bookshelf and am instantly transported to the world of "Riverbend".

In my opinion, one of the best books I have ever read, for its witt, its candour, and its delighfully fresh, homourous approach. It's like watching someone smiling through tears, because that human spirit that refuses to die and the faith that refuses to wane is simply REAL.