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29 reviews for:
Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam
Zainab Salbi, Laurie Becklund
4.21 AVERAGE
29 reviews for:
Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam
Zainab Salbi, Laurie Becklund
4.21 AVERAGE
Wauw. (Dat was t. Gewoon wauw. 1 van de mooiste, inspirerende, traan verwekkende boeken die ik ooit heb gelezen.)
A perfect memoir - touching, engaging, informative, and honest... So beautiful and sad.
Very good. It gave insight into the regime under Saddam Hussein from an insider's perspective. Inspiring story of a strong woman.
This memoir is written by a young woman who grew up in the privileged part of Iraq society. Her Father was Saddam Husein's personal pilot and her parents become part of Saddam's inner circle of friends. They do not want to be friends with him but feel they have no choice but to accept his offer of friendship. It is the story of oppression and terror in the midst of wealth and privilege. The author seeks to come to terms with her silence she had to keep in order to survive. She works to re-claim her voice and expose the terror that kept Hussein in power. A very good book!
Moving, eye-opening. It will stay with you for years after you read it.
I’m embarrassed by my own ignorance of Iran, Iraq, and Saddam Hussein. I read this for book club and it certainly is not a topic I would have chosen. However, I’m glad I read it although I was rather haunted by some of the scenes and details.
When Zainab Salbi was eleven, her parents finally had to accept the friendship of Saddam Hussein, who had spent years cultivating the young, wealthy, and popular couples. Her father became Hussein's pilot, and their lives changed--they had to move into a home he approved of, drop everything at a moment's notice to do whatever activity he demanded, and provide lavish gifts to prove their loyalty. They always had to prove their loyalty in fact, set against each other, where one person could win approval by damning another. A simple misspoken phrase or lack of enthusiasm could win censure or worse.
From her mother, a vibrant woman dimmed by Hussein's demands, Zainab learns to lock away her thoughts and fears, and wear a plastic smile. Even long after her ordeal was over, she was stuck in silence, too afraid to even speak his name, much less of the terror paired with luxury. Now, with her mother's help, she finally recounts those days, revealing the fear she felt, and coming to an understanding of why her father--and the people--allowed him to terrorize them for so long.
Her story shows that expensive gifts, lavish homes, large parties, and the attention of a powerful man can't make up for the terror of angering such a man, who descends to petty levels to punish his friends for the smallest slights. Terror hidden beneath a smile is just as frightening, and the effort to seem happy wears on the soul. Even worse are the secrets her parents kept from her, now revealed when she begins to ask questions. But through it all is hope--that she survived such events, and learned, and grew stronger. Suffering can be overcome, and from the ashes, new lives built.
From her mother, a vibrant woman dimmed by Hussein's demands, Zainab learns to lock away her thoughts and fears, and wear a plastic smile. Even long after her ordeal was over, she was stuck in silence, too afraid to even speak his name, much less of the terror paired with luxury. Now, with her mother's help, she finally recounts those days, revealing the fear she felt, and coming to an understanding of why her father--and the people--allowed him to terrorize them for so long.
Her story shows that expensive gifts, lavish homes, large parties, and the attention of a powerful man can't make up for the terror of angering such a man, who descends to petty levels to punish his friends for the smallest slights. Terror hidden beneath a smile is just as frightening, and the effort to seem happy wears on the soul. Even worse are the secrets her parents kept from her, now revealed when she begins to ask questions. But through it all is hope--that she survived such events, and learned, and grew stronger. Suffering can be overcome, and from the ashes, new lives built.
Loved the story.....but it was slow at times. However, I'm fascinated with Zainab and everything she has done for women (been a supporter of Women for Women International for 7 years)
Intense, exquisite memoir of life under Saddam. I found this after reading about her in Half the Sky. It's a good read, but be prepared to have your heart wrenched.