Mayada, Daughter of Iraq: One Woman's Survival Under Saddam Hussein

Rating:
Summary: Great Read
Review: Another great one from Jean Sasson.

The book tells the story of Mayada, a very socially connected Iraqi woman who finds herself in an Iraqi prison. Through her discussions with the other women in the cell, she tells us the story of her life. And interesting it is. Mayada, being from a very prominent and historic family, rubbed elbows with many high ranking Iraqi officials, including Sadam Hussien. Mayada's mother even had a few encounters with Sadam's first wife. The book comes complete with personal pictures of family members, some with Iraq officials and the like, which was quite a bonus to be able to put the names with faces.

The treatment Mayada and the others in cell 52 (and I suppose in ALL Iraqi prisons during sadam hussiens rule)was unbelievable. It is very hard to comprehend that this sort of thing goes on this day and age anywhere. It is quite a tribute to Mayada that she made it through her ordeal in that prison. Although she had been fairly sheltered and protected most of her life, she not only survives her imprisonment, but through Ms. Sasson, she has told her story, and fascinating it is.

All women should be as strong as those women of Cell 52---



Rating:
Summary: I'm Jean Sasson, the author of this book
Review: I felt the need to respond to Alicia for her September 15th review of my book, MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ. This book is not anti-Arab, in fact, it is the exact opposite, simply telling the story of female prisoners, and their consequent friendships, who endure a hell in Saddam's prisons. This story makes readers admire and respect Arab women, as they should.

I'll respond to the questions raised by Alicia although I will make this brief.

1) About the cover: Once the author sells the rights to a book, he/she has little input about the covers or about anything much to do with the book, including publicity. Publishing is a business and publishing houses have large staffs to decide the best way to make their money back on a book. Dutton first had a cover with Mayada on it but when they took the book to market, the big booksellers protested the cover and said they wanted a veiled woman on it. At that time, the cover was changed. This was not the author's decision.

2) ANYONE WHO WRITES A REVIEW SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOOK THEY DISCUSS: Reviewer Alicia could not have even looked through this book, forget reading it. If she had only thumbed through the book, she would have seen the photographs of Mayada and of her family inside the book. Since Mayada came to the United States and toured with me on the book, and appeared on a number of national television and radio shows, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that Mayada exists. Add to that, Mayada's family is well known and highly respected throughout the entire world. Winston Churchill even wrote the obit for Mayada's grandfather, Jafar Al-Askari. Where on earth does the reviewer get the idea that Mayada Al-Askari does not exist? Such a statement should not be made by anyone.

3) I have female friends from all over the Arab world. I have Arab female friends from Palestine, and I have Jewish female friends from Israel. Perhaps I will write a book one day that tells the story of those women. I simply haven't had the time or met the right woman, even though I have been doing research. Everyone who read my book ESTER'S CHILD, commented on the fairness of that book, featuring a Jewish family and a Palestinian family.

4) Alicia should read MAYADA and then do a review without bringing in all sorts of false accusations against me, or against Mayada. It's a great pity when women attack other women for no good reason.. We must band together if we are ever to help women worldwide have the right to live in dignity.

I am a great champion of women's issues--including women of every nationality. There's plenty of work to be done in every country--including the United States.

Amazon should pull Alicia's review since it is clear this reviewer is doing nothing but venting anger which has nothing to do with me, a champion for women's rights in the Arab world, and in other countries. This reviewer is attacking thew wrong person and the wrong book and is making false implications about Mayada and about the book itself.

Jean Sasson

Rating:
Summary: Author Sasson reeled me in...
Review: Sasson really reels you in with this one. I felt as though I was in prison in Iraq alongside Mayada and the other "shadow women." Sasson has a way of pulling on your heart strings, making emotions come alive like no other author. While reading MAYADA I cried and I laughed and I sat and stared out the window, speechless at how such horrors were going on for over 30 years and the entire world was looking the other way while Iraqis suffered and died under Saddam Hussein's thugs. I feel as I know Mayada and Samara and the other shadow women and I ache with longing to know all their fates. Hopefully one day Sasson and Mayada will enlighten their readers. The magic of this story was, at least for me, the beauty of the friendships that evolved between 18 courageous and fragile women struggling to survive hell so that they could see their children just one more time. It is my prayer that this happened for all of the shadow women. After you finish this book, I suspect you will go on to read the books on Princess Sultana, also by Sasson. I recommend it, in fact.

Rating:
Summary: from Mayada Al-Askari about Noorana's assumptions
Review: My name is Mayada Al-Askari , and I am the subject of the book Ms. Jean Sasson wrote : (Mayada Daughter of Iraq) . I read Ms . Noor Al-Timimi's review of the book , and was surprised about two points in her reasons for not giving the book 5 stars , where she assumes that :
1- The existence of : "Conflict in some details like it was mentioned at the beginning of the story that she was caught before her daughter's birthday, then at the end of the book she repeated that she got caught right after her daughter's birthday."
There is no conflict about the dates of my daughter Fay's birthday , or the date of my arrest, Fay was born on the 17th of July 1983 , we celebrated her birthday on the 17th of July 1999 in the Alwiya Club , it was a Saturday , and I was arrested two days after , on the 19th of July 1999 , a date I will never forget for the rest of my life , then , in the letter to ( Samara) , there was a mention that I went to the club with both my children , Fay and Ali to use the pay phone there , and that I baked a cake to get all the personnel there to gather around Fay and Ali , for me to be able to make the phone calls without the switchboard person listening to my conversations , it was not Fay's birthday then , but she took the cake as a gift , as she did not offer them her cake on her birthday that she celebrated on the 17th of July in the club . I wish Ms . Noor had read that part in a more thorough manner before passing on that judgment .

2- Ms . Noor Al-Timimi says : " Despite that it is purely my assumption, but the author did not convince me that she met Mayada "by coincidence".

I am so glad that all the people that worked in the Iraqi press center of the Ministry of Information at the time I met author Jean Sasson , are still well and working in Iraq , Mr. Farouk Saloum , who was the Director General is still there , and can be contacted through the Al-Zaman Newspaper or Galary Hewar in Baghdad , Mr. Shakir Al-Falahy , who still works in the Ministry of Information , Mr. Ahmed Sami Fattah , and he still works in the Associated Press office in Baghdad , and if Ms. Noor would like to contact me on my e-mail : [e-mail] , I will be glad to supply her with (Iraqi ) telephone numbers of people that will testify , that my meeting with Ms. Jean Sasson was in fact and reality a coincidence . I was called by the Ministry of Information press center in the summer of 1998 , upon the orders of Mr. Farouk Saloum to meet Ms. Jean Sasson and be her translator for the duration of her stay in Iraq , and I had not known Ms. Jean Sasson before that meeting in my entire life ( I wish I had though , for she is one of the most wonderful , honest and decent persons I have ever known in my life) .
I am also glad to report here that Al-Rasheed hotel personnel still have their books intact and can verify Ms. Sassons visit to Iraq in Summer 1998 , and that I was her translator , as she was so sweet to every single one of them , that they continued to telephone me after she left for a long time asking me about her and how she was doing and if we were writing to each other or not.
Lastly , if this is not the way Ms. Sasson and myself met , then why on earth would Ms. Sasson ( a very honest person ) change the facts??


Rating:
Summary: A tiny fragment of Iraqis' years of Fear
Review: The moment I started reading this book, I just couldn't stop. This is a book, written from the tortured heart of an Iraqi lady to the hearts of all humankind to stop brutality and violence everywhere. A book, which shows the cruelty of one regime and an SOS cry to people to search around for other regimes that could be similar or even worst.

The writer was so good in narrating the story that I felt I was actually there with Mayada and the 20 "shadow women" in cell 52 of the Iraqi Baladiyat prison.I even felt all the pain and suffering all those 20 innocent ladies who were prisoned and brutally tortured for reasons like changing the family name in the passport or or in Mayada's case, who owns a modest printing company, was accused of printing broshures against Sadam's government.

Even kids, couldn't escape the torture element of Sadam's regime! What could be a better way to let parents confess the acts they didn't do?!

I have read the author's other book The Princess, but liked this more and I thank the author for not adding this time her personal thoughts about Islam, especially the translations she did of some Quran verses that were misinterpreted by her.

I really liked this book, but the reasons why I gave it four stars are: 1) I did not like the way the last chapter was written. An extremely long letter written to one of her fellow prisoners "Samara", which although it starts by "Dear Samara" and ends with her signature, it doesn't feel like a letter at all. 2) Conflict in some details like it was mentioned at the beginning of the story that she was caught before her daughter's birthday, then at the end of the book she repeated that she got caught right after her daughter's birthday. 3) Despite that it is purely my assumption, but the author did not convince me that she met Mayada "by coincidence".

A great book, a horrible ordeal.