Barefoot in Baghdad: A Story of Identity—My Own and What It Means to Be a Woman in Chaos

Given the subject this could have been a fascinating book since it is a memoir about a young aid worker who goes to Baghdad to help with women's issues, but somehow the author made the subject BORING (so boring the book was extremely difficult to finish and every time I picked it up it was with dread instead of my usual excitement about reading a book). I think this stems from the fact that the book was written by someone who is not a writer and the fact that the author was so young and immature when she wrote this book.Normally when I don't like a book I realize that I am not the target audience for the book and note that in my review, but I should have been here..and with that said...I have not been able to figure out who the target audience is for this book.The book isn't written for those who want to learn about the Middle East since in the first part of the book the author does a poor job at explaining basic issues and terms. She starts off the book by using a lot of industry and/or Baghdad specific terms and abbreviations. In rare instance she defines international agency abbreviations, she does so only once often only providing their full name. Examples I can remember off the top of my head include: the green zone, the fridge, NCCI, CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority), USAID, NGO, CARE and the list goes on....(on a side note...if you are reading this book on a Kindle you can touch a world and pull up every time it is mentioned in a book...a feature that I often use when reading a book with lots of characters).I didn't feel the book was written for anyone interested in the Middle East, women's issues or the international development community either since the author seems more interested in talking about her social activities than telling us stories of the women she is employed to help. The cause that the "Woman for Woman" program is working for is so important and there are so many woman that need help it is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, when Manal tells stories of her work, I was often disturbed since her arrogance and bitterness seemed to do more to hurt the "Woman for Woman International" organization and their causes, than to help. In addition, the author's immaturity and arrogance (this is reflected in way she voices her very strong opinions and the stories she tells about herself in the book) will be offensive to many. Middle East politics is a sensitive issue and needs to be handled with more class and restrain than this author used.The author still sees the world in overly simplistic black and white terms and suffers from the "I am right and everyone else is wrong" syndrome. I know a lot of this is due to her lack of maturity but there are a lot of other authors out there who have the emotional intelligence to handle these issues with more tact. ...and their stories are fascinating to read, unlike the ones in this book.I also found her attitude and how she talked about others disturbing. For example here is what she said about some of the other aid workers... "I wanted to lean over and smack him"..."the caretakers were obnoxious and rude"..."I resisted the urge to take off my shoe and beat the Iraqi translator." This was very prevalent in the first half of the book.The last section of the book which is almost entirely about her "courtship" and marriage, Manal comes across as a much nicer person. Although a lot of what she said did not ring true to me. For example she both worked with and was living in the same home, "unchaperoned" as the man she later marries but they were never alone? This part of the book is interesting for a non Muslim since you do get an insight into Muslim "courtship", engagement and marriage practices. "Courtship" is in " " since men and female are supposedly never left alone until they are engaged and the family approves of the match.

BAREFOOT IN BAGHDAD is a true story that provides an easily read glimpse into Baghdad, Iraq during the Gulf War, during the years when we thought things were getting better, before they became dangerous again. A female Muslim-American (not from Iraq)goes to Iraq as an aid worker for an organization with the misgivings of her family, concerned for her safety and virtue. Because of her adherence to Muslim dress and culture, she is provided unique access to the local women and able to help them in a more intimate manner than most Americans. The locals trust her and the American military turns to her when all else fails. She works closely in dangerous situations with a group of Iraqi men who become her bodyguards, confidantes, assistants and eventually even a love interest. They way the respond to her, a Muslim woman, but still an American, is one of the more interesting storylines in the book and is the best written. Her writing about the women she meets and helps is not well developed and doesn't allow the readers to feel emotionally connected to them. However, we do become emotionally connected to her. Ultimately, this book is not about the women of Iraq as much as it is about a woman's journey to discover herself through her time in Iraq.

Manal Omar's memoir is a beautifully written account of a journey both into the country of Iraq and into the history of herself and her identity as an Arab and an American. She makes Iraq come alive in a way that is multi-dimensional and multi-narrative, and through her well-paced stories what emerges is a full picture of what life in Iraq was like when she entered as an ambitious aid worker. As it descended into the darkest period in the mid 2000s we see her come to grips with the realities of war, the complexity of the American occupation, and changing Iraqi attitudes. And finally she finds the rebirth of optimism in a place often dismissed as a hot mess. Amidst chaos and pain she finds love, in a way that is neither trite nor saccharine, but rather truly sweet. Her story of Iraq is a rare one, told from the perspective of a woman who was able to gain access to the personal and familial spaces in Iraqi society, and who worked side by side with Iraqi women. A lovely and personal read, you will find yourself wishing there was more.

I loved different parts of the book, especially the last few chapters, but somewhere in the middle got lost with all the terms, and did not think i could finish reading. Glad I did finished. Although, the reality is not all happy endings have a happy ending.Would have rated higher if not for all the political terms, but understand them to be necessary to identify the groups and their objectives. This was a great insight to Iraq during that time .

I haven't finished this book, but the parts I have finished are very enlightening. It reveals the struggles of the people of Iraq. This book exposes a reality that many of us do not know about due to it being absent from our lives directly. We hear about wars on television, but it doesnt' really reasonate in us that there are people still dealing with war/the aftermath of war. This story goes onto a journey with a Manal Omar, a Palestinian Muslim woman and peacekeeper, as she tries to help the women in Baghdad with assistance and help.

This was an easy read, not particularly well written, but interesting. Manal's journey into Iraq was quite interesting. It was informative and shed new light on the injustices done by Saddam Huessain. He literally tore the country apart, setting women and Iraq back several decades.

Living in the US, working in development and from an Arab background, I completely related with Omar's story. The confusion of identity: not fully accepted as an Arab or as an American. I'm also working with a project in Iraq, and really was amazed at the insight this book gave of the women and their daily struggles and hopes. I hope what the Iraqis experienced in 2003 would be the last, and they would move on to a brighter future.

Excellent