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    Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel
    Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel
    Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel

    Written by Jessica Jiji

    Narrated by Adriana Sevahn Nichols

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Just when her family should be arranging her marriage, Kathmiya Mahmoud, a young Marsh Arab maiden, is sent from her home in Iraq's idyllic countryside to the unfamiliar city of Basra, where she must survive on her paltry earnings as a servant. Her only asset—her exquisite beauty—brings more peril than peace. Worse, her mother appears to be keeping a secret about her own mysterious past, one that could threaten Kathmiya's destiny forever.

    In this lost Iraq of the 1940s, a time of rich traditions and converging worlds, Kathmiya meets Shafiq, a Jewish boy whose brotherhood with his Muslim neighbor Omar proves that religion is no barrier to friendship. But in a world where loss of honor is punishable by death, the closeness that grows between Kathmiya and Shafiq becomes dangerous as a doomed love takes root. When British warplanes begin bombing Iraq and the country's long-simmering tensions explode, the power of an unbreakable boyhood bond and a transcendent love must overcome the deepening fractures of a collapsing society.

    Set during the tumultuous years surrounding the Second World War, Sweet Dates in Basra is the redemptive story of two very different cultures, and a powerful reminder that no walls can confine the human spirit.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateApr 27, 2010
    ISBN9780061988660
    Author

    Jessica Jiji

    The daughter of an Iraqi immigrant, Jessica Jiji is a speechwriter for the secretary-general of the United Nations. Her first novel, Diamonds Take Forever, was published in 2005. She lives in New York City with her husband and three sons.

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    Reviews for Sweet Dates in Basra

    4/5

    27 ratings21 reviews

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    • 4/5
      When I began this book, I was afraid that my complete ignorance of the history of Iraq during WWII would hinder my enjoyment of the story - I worried that I would need background knowledge I didn't have. I needn't have been concerned. Jiji seamlessly wound a history lesson into her story of forbidden love, educating the reader while at the same time spinning a creative tale of fmaily and friendship. Kathmiya, a young teen sent to town from the marshes to work as a maid and earn money for the family, cannot understand why her father doesn't love her as much as her sister, or why he will not permit her to marry and live a normal life. In her loneliness, she turns to a friendship with Sharif, a young Jewish boy, though it would mean a death sentence were anyone to discover their relationship. The novel starts with a barrage of characters that take a bit of time to sort out; once the family trees are clear, however, Jiji's story is a depiction of culture both beautiful and terrible. The ending is unexpected, as is Jiji's lack of sentimentality - her voice is strong and delivers a vibrant read.
    • 5/5
      From my blog...One country, several different cultures and World War II threatening to divide neighbours, Sweet Dates In Basra by Jessica Jiji is an intricately woven novel of the tumultuous 1940s in Iraq, specifically, in Basra and the power of love and friendship, which transcends cultural barriers. The book is an elegant story of three families, one Sunni, one Jewish, and one Midaan, friends despite the turbulent times, societal demands, and cultural differences, and one I could not put down. The story details the lives of Omar, Shafiq, and Kathmiya, as well as their families and friends, each from different cultures yet all sharing a love of their country and yearning for happiness and peace. Written with exquisitely vivid imagery, the reader is transported to Basra's marketplace, homes, and to the marshlands of Iraq, where the details of sight, sound and smell are almost tangible for the reader. Each character is richly written to the point where the reader will feel as though these families are quite real. Sweet Dates in Basra is a masterfully written tale historically rich in detail and viewpoints, deep, lasting friendships and forbidden love. Sweet Dates in Basra is a novel that draws the reader into another time and place and one that is difficult to leave. I highly recommend, as in find a copy to read now, Sweet Dates in Basra to all readers and believe this to be an excellent choice for a book discussion group.
    • 4/5
      Kathmiya Mahmoud grows up in the marshes north of Basra. As a teen, instead of being married off as expected, she is sent by her alcoholic father to Basra as a maid to bring money into the family. In additional to the culture shock of life in the city, Kathmiya is tortured by family secrets: why does her father not love her like her older sister, Fatimah; why does no one want to see her married; what are the items left to her mother and her by the American missionaries for whom her mother used to work?In her loneliness, Kathimiya turns to friendship with a young Jewish boy, despite the death sentence it would mean if anyone discovered their relationship. Shafiq has grown up with a seamless Iraqi-Jewish identity, but that identity is challenged throughout his adolesence by WWII, one brother's Zionism, another brother's Communism, and the collapse of Iraqi society as Britian becomes an enemy.The story is a page-turner, but what I found even more appealing was the deft way in which the author created complex characters. Although Kathimiya and Shafiq are caught in a familiar forbidden-love situation, the characters themselves are far from stereotypical, with compex personalities and unexpected facets. Even minor characters are well-drawn and interesting.
    • 4/5
      This was a captivating story that I couldn't put down. Set in Iraq in the 1940s, it conjures an era not often written about; the intrusion of Hitler's ideology into Iraq. Set against this larger backdrop is the deep, abiding friendship of two neighboring families, one Jewish, one Muslim. Their sons, Shafiq and Omar, grow up calling one another "brother." This is a touching look at how friendship and love can overcome prejudice and strict societal rules, to varying degrees. In addition to the friendship between Shafiq and Omar, it also explores Shafiq's forbidden feelings for a Marsh Arab maid. Themes of religious division (and unity of those of different religions) as well as the role of honor in Middle East culture, are explored honestly and with good historical detail. The plot was fascinating, although there were some twists that could be seen coming, and the writing lush and descriptive. A very good read.
    • 3/5
      Confusing and often slow. Iraq, 1940s, Jewish boy, Ma'dani (marsh Arab) girl.
    • 3/5
      This was a really good book, though a lot of characters and somewhat difficult to follow. I was reading it during a very busy/stressful time, so not sure if that had anything to do with my slow progress through the book. The story was good and the main characters were likeable. I think under normal circumstances, it would have been a quick read.
    • 3/5
      There has been quite a profusion of books set in the Middle East in the past 5-10 years. It seems we are trying to fill in our regrettable knowledge gaps about this part of the world through our reading and specifically through fiction. And many of the books I have read which are set in Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan do indeed shed some light on the mysteries of cultures so different from my own but also continue to remind of the similarities of people the world over. We are all bound by our cultural and religious systems and so face different challenges but underneath, our basic wants and needs are not so very different at all.Jiji tackles the different cultural and religious groups in Iraq in the 1940's in this historical novel. The main character, Kathmiya, is a Marsh Arab who has been sent away by her unfeeling, alcoholic father and who must work as a maid to a wealthy family in the city of Basra. Kathmiya longs to be married and to live in the marshes with a husband like her sister and she doesn't understand why her father will not arrange this for her. Several abortive trips to matchmakers leave her knowing that this option, for some hidden reason, is not likely to come true any time soon. So in her loneliness, Kathmiya strikes up a friendship with Shafiq, the young brother of her mistress. Their friendship would be forbidden if it became known as Shafiq is an Iraqi-Jew and Kathmiya a Marsh Arab. But their budding relationship is not the only cross-cultural relationship in the book. Shafiq's family is also very close to their Muslim next door neighbors and in fact Shafiq's best friend is Omar, the son of that family.As World War II and its ideology starts to invade the Middle East, the balance of political power shifts, leaving Shafiq's Jewish family, with one son an ardent Zionist and another a Communist, vulnerable. Jiji has drawn a convincing picture of individual people who look beyond religion and tradition to the human-ness of friendship and love without drawing unrealistic outcomes. The tension of the growing feelings between Shafiq and Kathmiya are reflected in the growing tensions of the political situation. But the story is not about the overall politics, it is about the individuals, Shafiq and Kathmiya, Shafiq and Omar, Jewish family and Muslim family, and there is no way to stop the unraveling dictated by culture and difference. The ending is earned and the exposed secrets, while personally explosive, haven't changed the time-honored way of life. It is clear, in reading this book and being given a peek into the diverse cultures in Iraq, just what some of the still smoldering tensions are and how their roots extend deeply into the past.This novel doesn't, perhaps, have the power of several others set in the Middle East but set at such a different time frame, which might account for the muting of the impact, it adds to the understanding of what comes afterwards. There are quite a few characters to keep track of in this. And in the beginning it is rather difficult to keep them all straight and to understand their relationship to each other but the difficulty eventually eases as the story focuses in closer on the major plotlines. Kathmiya is definitely the best developed of the characters and her motivations are all clear as a bell whereas the other characters remain murkier. Overall, a good story, this is one that will appeal to book clubs wanting to read about the Middle East beyond The Kite Runner.
    • 3/5
      The author attempted to depict what could be considered a harmonious dichotomy of the rich and the poor, the religious and the nationalist, the free and the indentured; however, the complexity of the venture left the reader with an inability to commit to any one character and/or ideal. Set amidst vague historical references and experiences, the importance of friendship, family, and culture is clear.While it remains a decent story, it lacks the intensity.
    • 4/5
      This story starts off a little rocky with a barrage of characters introduced (a family tree would have helped) and the political events of the time are merely hinted at so that it's a little difficult to get oriented. Once you have the characters in place, though, what plays out is a beautiful, and sometimes terrible, tale about a culture in which violating societal norms can cost you dearly, and not only you; your actions can hurt and even ruin those you love the most.At its core are a problematic love story and, peripherally, the situation of Iraqi Jews at the middle of the 20th century. The two families at the forefront, one Jewish, the other Muslim, are bound together not only by their adjoining courtyards, but by their neighborly love for one another. The fact that they have different religions matters little - they both take from each other's cultures and give of their own. It's the love for family that binds them together, regardless of any political and worldly agenda.Jiji has loosely based her story around her father's experiences and it shows - there is an authenticity to her characters and place that is difficult to fake. A few times she looks like she will be coming close to being sentimental, but she pulls back just in time and is true to her characters without the story becoming implausible. The depiction of cultural norms, the emphasis on honor (to the point of death), the conniving and bickering, along with the smells and sounds of the shuk, the war, and the Farhud are all skillfully woven together to tell a tale about love and friendship that rises above religion, culture or political perspective.
    • 3/5
      In Sweet Dates in Basra, Jessica Jiji introduces the reader to several different communities and cultures in Iraq during the beginning of WWII. The main character is Kathmiya, a poor marsh girl who is sent away from her family to be a maid in Basra. The book takes us through her struggle to find a husband and her befriending of Shafiq, a Jewish boy whose family she works for. The story intertwines the stories of these two teens, Shafiq's neighbor and friend, Omar who is Muslim, as well as Kathmiya's history and that of her mother and father. Each of the character's lives interact in some way, sometimes in a surprising way. The end leaves it up to the reader to decide if lovers are reunited or relationships withstand. I tend to like endings nice and tied up so this was a little frustrating but at the same time it allows you to imagine a happily ever after ending...or not.The book read nicely and was captivating enough to make me want to pick it up each night, yet I don't find myself loving it. It was a good read but nothing spectacular. The time and place was educational for me and I would be willing to recommend it to readers who enjoy fiction set in the Middle East, especially during particularly historical times.
    • 3/5
      I was excited about this book when I first started it. It had the same feel as say, The Kite Runner. The childhood antics were cute and sweet, and at the same time you see another side of their world during this time. I was hoping it would progress through the ages, but it was stuck in the teen years. I liked the story all together, but it did seem a little slow. I was hoping for more at the end that would tell of what happened after. It just seemed that there was no closure. I can say the characters were engaging.
    • 4/5
      I gave myself unlimited time this evening to finish reading Sweet Dates in Basra by Jessica Jiji. I'm sorry to see it end too soon. (I mourn at the end of all of the good stories for one reason or another...) In this case, I was definitely left wanting to know more. It is the story of family and friendship, tradition and hardship, violence and conflict, in 1941 Iraq with tensions brewing between Muslims and Jews. And more than that it is the story of love that can blossom above and beyond it all without respect to class and religion because the heart wants what it wants. But can it ever have what it wants in the end?Spoiler below.........We learn in the author's end notes that she loosely based this novel on her father's story. I think this is what brings the truth through in the characters and keeps the story from melting into an unbelievable tale of happily ever after winning out over all.
    • 4/5
      Written in simple, easy to read prose, Jessica Jiji’s Sweet Dates in Basra takes place in 1940’s Iraq. The main thread of the story seems to be the forbidden romance that springs up between Shafiq, a Jewish boy and Kathmiya, a lonely Marsh Arab maid. Kathmiya longs to be married like her older sister, but her father refuses to arrange a marriage for her due to a secret from Kathmiya’s past. Her chastity is of the utmost importance; her father would be within his legal rights to kill her if he found out that she was impure. Shafiq is torn between his desire for the beautiful young woman and fear for her safety. Kathmiya’s story is not particularly convincing for me. It left me with questions, such as: How did the village matchmaker know Kathmiya’s secret and why did she not act upon it if she did? Nor did I find Kathmiya’s devotion to her abusive father to be credible. Much more satisfying than the romance is the historical background and cultural mores that the novel explores. There are heartening friendships between Jew and Arab that are severely tested by the political turmoil of the times. The struggle between communist and Zionist philosophies is an issue that also interested me. Shafiq’s brother aptly expresses the most poignant theme of the book when he poses the question “…am I an Iraqi who happens to be Jewish? Or a Jew who happens to live in Iraq?”
    • 5/5
      Ah, perfection. Ms. Jiji has just about written the perfect book in my opinion. An engaging story, deftly written, in a country and culture far different from my own. So when turning the last page, I've been entertained; moved far afield from my present life; learned something about the world; learned something about another culture and people; and been given the gift of increased empathy and compassion where little previously existed. Set in Iraq in the 1940's, this book has it all. Two young boys, almost like brothers, one Muslim and one Jewish. A British occupation. An impending Nazi occupation. An illicit love. Danger. It's just awesome. One thing I loved - and I don't think this is fiction, Ms. Jiji is herself Iraqi - was the relationship between religions. The Iraqi's didn't hate the British because they were Christian; they hated them because they were IMPERIALISTS. Today, we consider the clash of religion to be the Middle East's problem...and of course, some of it is. But I love the way she shows that it wasn't always necessarily so. These families with opposing religions would have killed for each other. They were countryment .Don't look for a happy ending, though. This is 1940's Iraq -- if you want a pretty ending, all tied up in a bow, move along. Ms. Jiji is into declaring reality - and what a beauty it is. I hope to see a LOT more of her.
    • 5/5
      Recommended.There was a lot in this novel - the situation of the Jewish community in Iraq in the 1940s, the struggles endured as a maid coming from a poor background in the Marshes to work in bustling Basra, and the problems of friendships between different cultures and between unmarried men and women.There are two main charcters, Shafiq, a young Jewish-Iraqi, who starts to feel the effects of anti Jewish sentiment in Iraq as he reaches his teens, and Kathmiya, a beautiful young girl from the Marshes who should be entering into marriage at this age but finds herself shipped off to work as a maid in Basra.Kathmiya can't understand why she is not getting married like her sister Fathima, and why her father seems to hate her so much. But she makes the best of her life in Basra and works hard.There she is noticed by Shafiq, who is stunned by her beauty. In this society it would mean certain death for Kathmiya if her friendship with Shafiq were ever discovered and the relationship can have no future.The other main relationship in the book is between Shafiq and his Muslim neighbour, Omar. Not only are the boys best friends, but the families help each other in numerous ways over the years in a society where such friendships are becoming increasingly problematic.Jessica Jiji has never lived in Iraq but learned of this time in history from her father who left the country in 1947 as an 18 year old. HIs love for his homeland is reflected in her warm feelings towards this place and time. In spite of all the problems, I felt this affection and became involved in the narrative as it unravelled.I listened to the unabridged audio version of this book, excellently narrated by Adriana Sevahn Nichols, but I have to admit I struggled with the names of all the secondary characters, which can't be back referenced on audio.Possibly better to read this than listen to it, but certainly recommended.
    • 4/5
      This book starts off with a view of Iraq as a country of peace and racial harmony. Shi'ites, Shia, Jews, Christians living next to each other as friends and neighbors. 2 boys, a Muslim and a Jew grow up as best friends and brothers at heart if not in blood. Their childhood is idyllic and they live as much in each other's family as their own. The reader grows with these 2 boys, their sorrow when the father of one of the boys dies, their thrill when a sister marries, their anger when a suitor to a sister proves to be a liar and a cheat, and their fear when they start to see their community start to fray at the edges with growing political and racial unrest. As the majority of Arab Iraqis start persecuting the Jews who were their friends,looting their homes and businesses, there are some who understand that what's happening to the country is madness and wrong, stand up for their friends, provide shelter, food and protection, even at the threat of their own safety. What was heartening were the moments when individuals helped others regardless of faith and race, not expecting or wanting repayment, but offering their hand just because they cared and because it was the right thing to do. What was inspiring were the determination and resilience by people who refused to give up or give in to persecution.In the background and adding some sweetness to the main story of these 2 boys who become men, is an ill-fated romance between a Midaan servant and the Jewish boy. Why was she sent out to work while her drunken father found a husband for her sister? Why does her mother not stand up for her, and what is the mystery behind the book that was left to her, a book written in a language she does not understand, and the strange looking dinar?Will she find a way to find a husband and have children?I loved this book. I couldn't put it down after I started it. It made me cry, it made me laugh, it made me sad, the injustices angered me and the sweetness touched me.
    • 3/5
      After a slow start, I found this novel engaging. I did feel as though the development of the plot over time was a bit choppy in parts. The novel gave me insight into Iraq's history, and I enjoyed the character development.
    • 3/5
      Set during World War II in Basra, Iraq, "Sweet Dates" is a story of the different religions and social classes of the period. Part star-crossed lovers, part history lesson, I didn't love it, but it did keep me intrigued enough to finish.
    • 3/5
      It's not often I put a review title down, but I did abandon this one. Perhaps I will try it again, but for now, it will go back on the shelf. If you choose to read this, you might find it interesting to get this slice of life of Iraq from the 1940's and some insight into the culture of a country I only know from headlines and magazine articles. That part of the book I enjoyed and drank in, but somehow the story itself was hard to follow and never hooked my attention.
    • 4/5
      "Sweet dates in Basra" is a beautifully written story of love, friendship and the transcendence of human connections over religious affiliation or politics. More than just a love story it described an Iraq I did not know about, one in which other religions could live side by side. I think of Iraq as a Muslim country and so I find it fascinating to learn a small portion of their history.
    • 3/5
      Living in Iraq in the '40s, Kathmiya Mahommed, a thirteen year old marsh girl, is sent out of her family's home to begin life as a housemaid in Basra. Kathmiya is very unhappy about this development, as she has been secretly longing to be married and become mistress of her own home, but her meetings with several marriage brokers have proven to be fruitless. During her first week at the job, Kathmiya meets Shafiq, the teenage brother of her mistress. Though they are from very different sectors of life, they begin a dangerous attraction and flirtation that will change the course of both of their lives. Meanwhile, the people of Shafiq's community are struggling with the advent of WWII and the increased prejudice against the Jews who live side by side among their Muslim neighbors. As Shafiq and Kathmiya learn to navigate the ways of their hearts, they also learn that although there are differences between those in their community, there are also several startling similarities.I have to admit that I wasn't crazy about this book. For the first half of the story, the writing seemed very muddy and undeveloped. There was an unfocused quality to the story and it took a few tries to actually get into the grist of the story. I actually put the book down for awhile and read something else before picking it back up again. When I did get back to it I had to spend an awful lot of time trying to psych myself up before beginning to settle into the story. Coupled with these problems was the fact that Kathmiya was an unmitigated whiner. I got really tired of her haranguing her mother, sister and anyone else who would listen about the unhappiness of her life. She seemed so sour all of the time and it was really hard for me to like her. Aarti mentions much the same reaction to Kathmiya in her review and I would have to agree with her. Kathmiya was just tiring.On the other hand, the story had a lot of great intrigues going on within it. I really liked the mystique surrounding the secret of Kathmiya's past and felt that the author really did a wonderful job of keeping me in suspense over those sections. I wanted to know more, and ultimately, that's what kept me turning the pages furiously. After the blundering of the first section of the book, I felt like the author had recovered nicely and turned this into a very entertaining novel that kept me guessing. I almost wish that the Kathmiya's secret had been alluded to earlier on, that way I wouldn't have felt so hopeless about having to make my way through the book. I also liked the way the supporting characters had their place within the mystery. It was a great coming together of all the aspects and players, and had this been the main thrust of the narrative, I would have enjoyed the book much, much more.Although I had my problems with Kathmiya, I really found myself enamored over Shafiq. Whenever he was on the page, I knew that I was sure to have my interest captured. Shafiq's portions of the story felt more weighty and important, because not only was he dealing with his attraction to Kathmiya but also the severe tensions that the war in Europe and the British settlers were bringing into his homeland. He was an unapologetic supporter of the Iraqi way of life and liberties, and several other characters and their problems with the political situation were woven within his story. There were some very moving and revealing sections about the problems that the Jews of the community faced during these times and I thought that it was extremely heartening that most of the community refused to see separation between the Jews and Muslims and treated each other as neighbors and brothers. It was nice to see that even in extreme situations, the people of Iraq formed such a great sense of community.There were also some really moving and emotional scenes in the book that I felt gave the story a really great depth and range. From the death of one of Shafiq's most beloved friends to the wrongful imprisonment of a suspected Zionist, I felt that there were some absorbingly dramatic turns within the narrative that really gave the author full use of tension and emotional atmosphere. Even the conclusion of the book hinged on a bit of drama and I found that I appreciated the slightly messy and unresolved ending more than I would have had everything been neatly tied up with a bow. There was a really good mix of pathos embedded within the story that I thought was very interesting.Though there were definitely some really great things about this book, I would have to say that it wasn't really a spectacular read for me. I felt that the story's slow and laborious start coupled with the unlikeablilty of the protagonist really ruined most of this book's appeal for me. It certainly wasn't the book I had been expecting when I picked it up. I feel that it's a shame that I was so prejudiced against this book from so early in the story, but I really felt that I couldn't help my reaction to it. I am unsure of who I would recommend this book to, as I am sure that most readers wouldn't have the patience for such a slow start combined with a whiny character, so I will just close this review with the conclusion that this book had it's moments, but overall, it was an uneven read.