Barefoot in Baghdad: A Story of Identity-My Own and What It Means to Be a Woman in Chaos [Paperback]

Manal Omar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2010

"Walk barefoot and the thorns will hurt you…"
—Iraqi-Turkmen proverb

A riveting story of hope and despair, of elation and longing, Barefoot in Baghdad takes you to the front lines of a different kind of battle, where the unsung freedom fighters are strong, vibrant—and female.

An American aid worker of Arab descent, Manal Omar moves to Iraq to help as many women as she can rebuild their lives. She quickly finds herself drawn into the saga of a people determined to rise from the ashes of war and sanctions and rebuild their lives in the face of crushing chaos. This is a chronicle of Omar's friendships with several Iraqis whose lives are crumbling before her eyes. It is a tale of love, as her relationship with one Iraqi man intensifies in a country in turmoil. And it is the heartrending stories of the women of Iraq, as they grapple with what it means to be female in a homeland you no longer recognize.

"Manal Omar captures the complex reality of living and working in war-torn Iraq, a reality that tells the story of love and hope in the midst of bombs and explosions."
—Zainab Salbi, founder and CEO of Women for Women International, and author (with Laurie Becklund) of the national bestselling book Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam

"A fascinating, honest, and inspiring portrait of a women's rights activist in Iraq, struggling to help local women while exploring her own identity. Manal Omar is a skilled guide into Iraq, as she understands the region, speaks Arabic, and wears the veil. At turns funny and tragic, she carries a powerful message for women, and delivers it through beautiful storytelling."
—Christina Asquith, author of Sisters in War: A Story of Love, Family and Survival in the New Iraq

"At turns funny and tragic…a powerful message for women,
[delivered] through beautiful storytelling."
—Christina Asquith, author of Sisters in War

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

An American aid worker of Palestinian descent, Omar left an anxious family and a job at the World Bank in the Washington, D.C. area, for Baghdad in 2003 in order to help Iraqi women navigate the post-invasion turmoil in her new position at Women for Women International. Her book chronicles her experiences in war-torn Iraq, detailing the curtailed options facing many Iraqi women and the increasing dangers facing aid workers. Omar also outlines the tension between American troops and nongovernmental organizations, highlighting the risks involved in turning to the army for help. In the midst of the chaos, Omar forges life-long friendships and benefits from the generosity of the Iraqi people. As the country tilts perilously close to chaos, Omar is forced to evacuate briefly, an experience that brings home all that her life in Iraq means to her. Omar provides a rare glimpse into facets of Iraqi life not often described in American newspapers and magazines as she describes not only the dangers but also the joys, small and great. --Katherine Boyle

Review

Omar provides a rare glimpse into facets of Iraqi life not often described in American newspapers
and magazines as she describes not only the dangers but also the joys, small and great. (Booklist 20100801)

"Giving both an insider's and an outsider's view of the unfolding drama of Iraq, the memoir should prove worthwhile reading for anyone who has a keen interest in developments in the Middle East." (Lois Henderson Book Pleasures 20100813)

"We gain a picture of Baghdad beyond the Green Zone and through the eyes of a bright, young, idealistic humanitarian."
(A Traveler's Library 20100824)

"A must read." (East County Magaine 20100730)

"You may not be able to lay Barefoot in Baghdad down for a while. This book will capture your interest." (South by Southwest 20100831)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks; Reprint edition (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402237219
• ISBN-13: 978-1402237218
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 6.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,005,649 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 71 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Political rather than personal September 9, 2010

By N. Taylor

Format:Paperback

Manal is an American Muslim who follows Muslim traditions and chooses to wear a veil. She seeks out opportunity to return to Iraq, a country she fell in love with years ago and becomes the director of a small organization to assist women in Iraq; the women who are primary breadwinners but unskilled, widows, divorced women, and others.

The story begins with Manal attempting to assist Kalthoum, a 16 year old girl who was married off at the age of 13, raped and abused, and escapes to the streets to become a prostitute. Manal's mission is to find a safe place for this girl before her family claims her and honorably executes her for dirtying their name.

This is a strong beginning and grabs my attention. Unfortunately, there are few things within the pages that hold my attention. Most of the book is Omar telling the reader about the politics of Iraq, including the different organizations and brutally painting the United States soldiers as insensitive and uncouth, describing their poor decisions regarding the war in Iraq, its occupation, and organizations that were wrong. At the same time, Omar contrasts her own work and decisions to live among the Iraqi downtrodden, her embracing of the Iraqi way, her sensitivity and Muslim lifestyle, and occasionally includes a brief story of her work as a humanitarian aid worker.

What disappointed me about this book is that I found Omar's agenda to be splashed on nearly every page that the military was wrong and she wanted nothing to do with them. She was an aid worker and balked at any association. She briefly concedes that life under Saddam Hussein was unbearable and the Iraqi people, particularly the downtrodden, saw the toppling of the old government as a new beginning yet she is relentless in pointing out the wrongness of the war in Iraq. Never does she acknowledge that the work she is able to do is directly related to Saddam's overthrown government. Not only that, but time after time, it is (begrudgingly on her part) through the military that she is often able to break through barriers and dead ends.

I really enjoyed Omar's personal stories that lacked political overtones. I did enjoy understanding more about the culture and the difficulty she had reconciling women given the Iraqi way. I enjoyed the developing relationship between her and one of the Iraqi men. I was bored reading about the organizations she felt were doing nothing or harm to the culture. Although not a fan of the Iraqi occupation, I came away feeling defensive of the U.S. government's military personnel and deeply offended by Omar's dismissal of the sacrifices made by the United States to overturn tyranny.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Barefoot Perhaps, But Most Definitely Not in the Kitchen August 13, 2010

By L. C. Henderson

Format:Paperback

Despite her family's opposition to Omar's assuming the position of country director in Iraq with Women for Women International, a group that helped female survivors of war to rebuild their lives, she quickly took up the reins of such a position, proving her worth in her many encounters with those women whom she helped free from a life of degradation and fear. The dichotomy of her status, as both Arab and American, born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian parents and raised in the American South, as a Muslim and a woman, she was in an ideal position to negotiate the hazardous and diverse microcosm of Iraq, still trying to recover from the ravages of Saddam Hussein's brutal regime. In this moving memoir, she describes how she was among the first international aid workers to arrive in Baghdad in 2003. Barefoot in Baghdad tells of the two years that she spent working with Iraqi women as they struggled to create a new nation and a new identity for themselves.

Omar describes her daily battle to overcome prejudices in the society, which were present in many forms. She not only had to suppress her own misgivings about having to work sometimes in close conjunction with the US-dominated Coalition Provisional Authority, but also to persuade her Iraqi colleagues of the integrity of her intent. She asks a telling question at the outset of the memoir: "Who was better equipped to adapt within a country experiencing a period of tumultuous change than someone who had been raised with an ever-shifting identity?"

The redemptive nature of this tale, both on a personal and broader societal front, conveys a central message of hope overcoming what might so easily have been a position of despair. The uplifting and youthful approach which Omar takes to her subject matter is as captivating in the fluency and ease of her writing as it is in the way in which she is able to navigate her position among the many diverse segments of Iraqi society. No matter whether you view the US occupation of Iraq as unwarranted or as totally justifiable in terms of their acting as a liberation force, Barefoot in Baghdad should be of interest to you. Giving both an insider's and an outsider's view of the unfolding drama of Iraq, the memoir should prove worthwhile reading for anyone who has a keen interest in developments in the Middle East. [Reviewer for [...]]

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars A very long Newspaper article February 5, 2011

By Jeannette Katzir

Format:Paperback

I finished Barefoot in Baghdad last night and feel as if I had a very very light meal. The book is similar to a 237 newspaper article. It was interesting, informative, contained likeable characters, but it lacked a grab your guts story line. Yes the woman moved from America to do wonderful world changing selfless work, and she did experience many near misses and the deaths of many friends and colleagues, BUT I didn't really get to know her down deep, and without that, the book just went on until it ended. If you enjoy reading historical or news items about the middle east you may find this pleasant reading, but I love to sink into a book and this one was in shallow water.