Sisters in War follows the struggles and accomplishments of three women during US-occupied Iraq following the Iraq War. Manal is an Iraqi ex-pat from the US who returns as an aid worker. Heather is a US Army reservist who arrives in Iraq believing that she can personally make a difference and that her country has Iraq’s best interests at heart. The heart of the story, however, lies with Zia, a young, educated Iraqi woman who finds employment with the US headquarters in Baghdad. Despite the propaganda depicted in broadcasts outside Iraq, not everyone in the country is welcoming the American occupation with open arms. Zia experiences not only resentment from fellow Iraqis at her association with the Americans, but ultimately both her and her family’s very lives are put at risk.

Although Zia’s story was compelling, it’s hard to imagine how many other young Iraqi women are in similar threatening or oppressive situations whose stories will never be told. I also found it nearly impossible to come away from the book without a continued feeling of dismay and hopelessness for the Iraq situation. Worth reading, but don’t expect closure of any kind.

posted Nov 26, 2009 at 12:59PM

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