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

If you liked the Sultana trilogy, you'll find the same high quality writing, but this book is missing some of the human interest and subtle byplay (and humor) found in her other books. There is a "sameness" of stories from Mayada's cellmates, and the torture accounts are horrible, but abbreviated in detail, fortunately.The outstanding feature of this book is how Sasson deftly explains Mayada's own journey culminating in her own imprisonment and fortunate escape from the hellish prison. There were times when I just could not read anymore of the sad, terrible accounts of how prisoners were mistreated; I had to read something else for relief. There should be a special place in Hell for those guards. However, I always returned to read more, I was hooked; I wanted to find out how this saga ended.Mayada has great insight into the personality of Saddam Hussein and Chemical Ali; her accounts of their cruelty, paranoia, and warped view of life makes the book believable. The detail provided enhances the reading experience. So, a well written account of one woman's journey to hell and back that just misses a five-star rating.

I just finished this book. It seems to me this book should be read by everyone who criticizes the American invasion of Iraq. If you read it and see what Mayada went through and what the people of Iraq went through under Saddam Hussein you would be glad that we removed him from power. I've always believed that leadership is everything and what leadership ignores or condones trickles down and either corrupts or improves things. Saddam and his cohorts were so evil that it is hard to conceive of. Everything they did trickled down and corrupted people. The people in power were sadists and the whole country lived in fear.I wonder what happened to the dear women that Mayada was unable to find out about who shared a prison cell with her. This story is heart breaking but it is something that people should be informed about, like the holocaust.The book was well written and I assume a good interpretation by Jean Sassoon of what Mayada told her. I hope and pray Iraq improves rather than falling back into the dismal past with some other horrible dictator.Jean Sassoon's books are hard to put down. I have enjoyed reading all of them as well as learning about what it is like to be a woman in these Muslim countries.

I purchased this book as soon as it was published because I have read the Princess books by Jean Sasson and already knew that she was an editorial genius. This book is about the title-character, Mayada. Mayada came from a prominent Iraqi family and she owned and managed a printing shop. Tragically under the harsh rule of Saddam Hussein she was accused of breaking the law and thrown in jail. Mayada's basic human rights were violated while she was in jail. She met several women in her jail cell, the "shadow women" as they are called. The shadow women are all so brave and harrowing. Each shadow woman has her own story of despair; one worse than the next. The fate of the shadow women is unknown, but if you read this book you will find out what happens to Mayada. "Mayada" is among Ms. Sasson's best work. It is thought-provoking, intense and written in great detail. It is my sincere hope that Ms. Sasson will write a follow-up story this.

Being from Russia myself, the country which suffered greatly from numerous dictatorships, especially in 30s-50s from Joseph Stalin, I was shocked by the similarity between the inhumane barbaric methods of ruling between Stalin and Hussein. Both dictators supposedly promoted progress encouraging education and universal literacy, equal rights for women, but at the same time kept the population in fear and terror. The story is very emotional, passionate and personal. A lot of historic facts which I didn't know about the country are given and they are helpful. The wonderful innocent women were subject to crazy tortures but they had each other's kindness and support afterwards. In Stalin's camps a huge part of the punishment was mixing innocent political prisoners with hard core criminals,totally dehumanized species, being around which was a torture as well.Amazing book.

This is the fifth of Jean Sasson's books I have read and I thirst for more. I am saddened by the atrocities survived by women in the middle east, but at the same time I find parallels in the American culture. We may not be locked away in rooms as punishment, or confined to our houses only to leave when accompanied by a male family member, but even here in the US, women are subject to 'boys club' mentality and as free as we are, we are not equals. Jean has brought out the feminist in me when I didn't know there was one. Jean brings insight into another world hidden behind veils. I have but one complaint: she writes these stories so well, I want to help the women in her books; but I do not know how.

Almost current history unfolds against a novel-like background as the reader grapples with values and beliefs hardly credible to those of the western world. We gain insight into the arab and war-torn nations whose history and geography were largely blurry gaps in our education system. The story is both gripping and shocking, but definitely one that must be told and read.

Good Read.Gives us a good in site on the prison system of the middle east countries back in Saddam Hussein's days of reign.

enjoyed this book very much good read mayada daughter of iraq was an insight to what life is like for woman threre

A novel which affected me mentally, physically and philosophically.To write a review on this book of Sasson, I have reflect on many things. First, let me tell you if you are a fun loving person, who does not want to face the reality, do not read this book. This book is not a joke, it is hard, harsh reality of crimes, unbearable tortures, grim situations and heart wrenching cry of mother for their children. This is not an ordinary book. This is a book, which will make you move.This is the 3rd.book of Sasson in a row which I am reading after Growing up bin Laden, Princess. I was reading when I was slowly recovering from the nerve pain when I hurt myself on the field while doing exercise. My movements, both mental and physical has been slow due to my pain and after reading this book, it slowed down more.This is book is about Mayada (as far my knowledge goes, the root verb is 'mada' hence it means to swing or sway), a women who is coming from a very influential, political family, whose parental lineage is very strong and it dates back to the Ottoman Turks and Sati Al Husri, her grandfather, who was a great Arab nationalist and educationist and her very own mother Salwa al Husri, who earned her PhD.in political science, studied in Oxford University and can speak fluently in English, French and Italian,Jafar Pasha Al - Askari (askari in Arabic means army and al is actually the definite article like English 'the' -- hence the title Jafar Pasha the army) and Nizar al askari , her father. Coming from such an influential and highly educated background, Mayada, looked at the world in a different way - a way a liberal woman would look into.How Sasson met Mayada? While working with the people in Saudi, the author Sasson required an interpreter so that she could speak freely to the women. As a result, she met Mayada, who through her talks and conversations became close to the author. After that 1 year passed when the author came back and suddenly she lost contact with Mayada. Where is she ? Nothing could be traced. After 1 year, Mayada came back as she has been held in captivity in Baladiyat (balad means country -- baladiyat, means municipalities). What she told, became this book.The book is divided into 10 chapters:(1) The Shadow Women of Cell 52 -- Where Mayada was held along with various other innocent women, which the author captioned as shadow women(2) The Four Black Doors -- The doors where the inmates were held -- a vivid description along with the tortures that will make you shout(3) Jido Sati -- Mayada's wonderful past with Jido Sati(4) Saddam Hussein -- Her experiences and awards she received from Saddam(5) Saddam's WIfe, "The Lady" Sajida -- her different torturous adventure and her greediness towards jewelry(6) Chemical Ali and the Veil -- Ali Hasan Al Majid , when Mayada met him and what she thought about him, turned into a nightmare(7) Torture -- The torture of multiple rape, slashing on the back, electrocution of the genitals, beating, gouging of eyes..........Ah !! I cannot mention more(8) Dr.Fadil and Mayada's family -- How Dr.Family, the head of Iraq's secret police, 'Mukhabarat' helped Mayada and her relatives and how he finally faced the end.(9) The chirping of the qabaj -- A sinister night, finally came to and end, with the sound of the bird, a omen which Mayada and her cell inmates understood would bring an end(10) Dear Samara -- Her last letter to her closest inmates, which she wrote, but could never be delivered as her whereabouts were unknown.Mayada was arrested suddenly while she was working. She was charged with false allegation of printing illegal documents against Saddam Hussein. The cell in which she stayed, almost a month was no.52, which was unlucky to her. There she met cell inmates -- Samara who became her closest associate. Every night these women were taken by the guards and were tortured. The were given electric shokes, beaten like a beast, their spines crooked, their legs were given strokes of cigarette, their faces disfigured through beatings, women who could barely walk and even open their eyes. Mayada was horrified !! For her, it was nothing more than a nightmare as she has no idea, why she was arrested and her siblings, Fay and Ali have no news where she is .Days passed when Jean Sasson, through her mastery in writing reveals one after another, the tragic tales of the inmates, married women tortured throughout the day and thrown back into the cell, unmarried women, who are good looking are subject to rape by many prison guards, false charges which in noway would solidify any reason........ You would be able to see the history of Iraq through Mayada's eyes.At times, she would lie back in her bunk and reflect back to her childhood with her grandfather and mother, in those wonderful days in Lebanon. Surprisingly, Mayada received gifts, 3 times from Saddam Hussein for her wonderful writings and each time she was awarded heavy cash.Then came the time of the Mukhabarat -- the secret police of Iraq, who were like 'The Night of the link knives' during the Nazi regime. Boys and girls arrested, tortured and killed for no reason, picked up from market places and anywhere that you could imagine. Mayada, suffered through this torrid time - the 8 years end Iraq - Iran war and then the Gulf War. Saddam ha always been very kind to her and her family. Salwa al Husri, was an extraordinarily educated and highly influential woman - a woman who has been benevolent and have justice always to the right thing.In this book you will be able to learn a lot of things:(a) The history of Iraq(b) The contributors who built modern Iraq(c) A look into Saddam's life and her erratic ways of torturing -- there is an instance when he even a tortured a good to death for running after her daughter(d) The real struggle of the Iraqis -- how they dreaded the secret police, the Mukhabarat, who would pick up anyone saying even a word or not about the governmentStrange characters like Dr.Fadil, who at one hand had been a great admirer of Sati Al Husri's book, a regular visitor of Mayada's library, on the other hand a dangerous man to kill and torture in mass. Dr. Fadil helped Mayada's relatives in numerous instances when they were picked up and deported. But then one day .............There was no trace of Dr.Fadil neither any one of his family member. Later, Mayada learn from one Dr.Md. who escaped from Saddam's torture prison that he saw Dr.Fadil, horrendously tortured so he could not even open his eyelids.Ali Hasan -- the person who rarely gave public interviews, talked to Mayada, as she was in the Al Jamhuriya (the Republic) newspaper. What Mayada, thought about him as a gentle person, soon turned out to be a monster, when in public, he reproduced the torture tapes, of howling and screaming of the so called convicts in front of their relatives. Mayada turned numbed .Then came the final release of Mayada -- there was a omen of a bird singing for almost an hour through the window of that prison. Mayada on the next day was released, as the judge accepted that it was a mistake. Mayada tried to remember all the phone numbers of her inmates so that she could call and inform them.The end was imminent, as she escaped to Amman, Jordan. I won't be telling the end as I leave upto the reader.This is a must read book, I believe for every human being.We complaint a lot, right? Our cellphones not working, the food is not tasty, there is crowd in the road, our salary is not good, I would desire something more. You would stop complaining after reading this book. Human beings live in the most dreadful conditions. The book is not about pessimism as I felt so. Sometimes, I felt is this a propaganda in some way or the other? Has Iraq been really infected by those madmen? Has it not been the repetition of the holocaust during the Nazi era? I did a bit research and tried to find out. The truth lies. Whenever there is a smoke, the truth is there. Saddam Hussein's reign was of terror, of tyranny and oppression. Iraqis went through that face.Read this book to understand what went through them. You and I are in a much better paradise to live for. You would hear mothers crying out for their children and then without being able to do anything.....could find their son's dead bodies or not even that. Escape does not seem to be there. As pointed out in this book by Solzhenitsyn that it is more unbearable to hear the tortures just near to you than being tortured.The book has made me think, reflect and turned out to be more serious about daily life. We should better stop complaining about our mundane affairs and it only happens when you read this book.Let goodness and peace prevails on this Earth !!

Heart wrenching true account of struggle. One shall feel blessed for not being born in such disturbed area. The story is painful but it became an inspiration for me to carry on with the triffle struggles in life as I know that some people somewhere are struggling much more than us.

This gave insight into what life was like under Hussein's reign of terror. We have no idea how lucky we are to be able to walk free and have an opinion and a voice on any topic we wish. Great read!!!!!

What an unputdownable story!! Candid and racy. I am so glad Mayada could survive and speak out...Can't imagine the fate of the innocent shadow women in Baldiyat!