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

~ (Author) "At about 8:45 on the morning of JuIy 19, 1999, Mayada Al-Askari was driving to her office at full speed..." (more)
Key Phrases: shadow women, secret police headquarters, shadow woman, Saddam Hussein, Jido Sati, Ali Hassan (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When author Sasson (Esther's Child; Princess Sultana's Circle; etc.) was assigned Mayada Al-Askari as a translator on a 1998 trip to Baghdad, she had no idea she would form a lasting friendship with this fluent English-speaker and member of a prominent Iraqi family. When Sasson returned to the United States, the two women wrote letters and telephoned each other weekly until, in 1999, Mayada was arrested by Saddam Hussein's secret police for allegedly printing anti-regime pamphlets in her Baghdad print shop and imprisoned for nearly a month in Iraq's brutal Baladiyat Prison. Sasson's candid, straightforward account of Mayada's time among the 17 "shadow women" crammed into Cell 52 gives readers a glimpse of the cruelty and hardship endured by generations of Iraqis. Mayada stares down this ugliness as soon as she's yanked from her meticulously run shop into the prison's interrogation room: "She saw chairs with bindings, tables stacked high with various instruments of torture.... But the most frightening pieces of... equipment were the various hooks that dangled from the ceiling. When Mayada glanced to the floor beneath those hooks, she saw splashes of fresh blood, which she supposed were left over from the torture sessions she had heard during the night." Sasson's graceful handling of such stomach-turning material, including an overview of Iraq's political and social turmoil, is a tribute to her friend, who escaped to Jordan with her children soon after her release from prison. Although Mayada's story has a happy ending, the unclear fates of her cell mates serve as a painful reminder of how many innocent lives were cut short by Hussein's regime.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Sasson, author of Princess: A True Story of Life behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia (1992), first met Mayada in 1998. A year later, Mayada, granddaughter of a revered Iraqi hero who fought with Lawrence of Arabia, a former journalist, modern businesswoman, and the mother of two children, was arrested and imprisoned on allegations that her business was printing antigovernment flyers. Sasson relates Mayada's imprisonment with 17 "shadow women," similarly falsely accused and imprisoned and subjected to torture and cruelty under the regime of Saddam Hussein. To distract themselves, the women tell each other stories of their lives, and Mayada discloses her high-born, privileged lifestyle even though her family were not members of the leading Baath Party. She recalls her mother's acquaintance with Hussein's wife and their mutual dislike. Mayada also tells of interviews with the cruel and erratic Ali Hassan al-Majid, Hussein's cousin and the man who would become known as Chemical Ali. This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the cruelties suffered by the Iraqis under Hussein. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade (September 7, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451212924
• ISBN-13: 978-0451212924
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (74 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,281 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jean Sasson is a genius, November 8, 2003

By	J. Abercrombi - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This review is from: Mayada, Daughter of Iraq (Hardcover)

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. The book is about the title-character, Mayada. She came from a prominent Iraqi family. Mayada owned and managed a printing shop. And 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 women 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 probably Ms. Sasson's best work to date. It is thought-provoking, intense and written in great detail. I hope that Ms. Sasson will write a follow-up story to Mayada.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Jean Sasson, the author of this book, September 24, 2004

By	Jean Sasson (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mayada, Daughter of Iraq (Hardcover)

I felt the need to respond to Alicia for her September 15th review of my book, MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ. This book is not anti-Arab, in fact, it is the exact opposite, simply telling the story of female prisoners, and their consequent friendships, who endure a hell in Saddam's prisons. This story makes readers admire and respect Arab women, as they should.

I'll respond to the questions raised by Alicia although I will make this brief.

1) About the cover: Once the author sells the rights to a book, he/she has little input about the covers or about anything much to do with the book, including publicity. Publishing is a business and publishing houses have large staffs to decide the best way to make their money back on a book. Dutton first had a cover with Mayada on it but when they took the book to market, the big booksellers protested the cover and said they wanted a veiled woman on it. At that time, the cover was changed. This was not the author's decision.

2) ANYONE WHO WRITES A REVIEW SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOOK THEY DISCUSS: Reviewer Alicia could not have even looked through this book, forget reading it. If she had only thumbed through the book, she would have seen the photographs of Mayada and of her family inside the book. Since Mayada came to the United States and toured with me on the book, and appeared on a number of national television and radio shows, there's no doubt in anyone's mind that Mayada exists. Add to that, Mayada's family is well known and highly respected throughout the entire world. Winston Churchill even wrote the obit for Mayada's grandfather, Jafar Al-Askari. Where on earth does the reviewer get the idea that Mayada Al-Askari does not exist? Such a statement should not be made by anyone.

3) I have female friends from all over the Arab world. I have Arab female friends from Palestine, and I have Jewish female friends from Israel. Perhaps I will write a book one day that tells the story of those women. I simply haven't had the time or met the right woman, even though I have been doing research. Everyone who read my book ESTER'S CHILD, commented on the fairness of that book, featuring a Jewish family and a Palestinian family.

4) Alicia should read MAYADA and then do a review without bringing in all sorts of false accusations against me, or against Mayada. It's a great pity when women attack other women for no good reason.. We must band together if we are ever to help women worldwide have the right to live in dignity.

I am a great champion of women's issues--including women of every nationality. There's plenty of work to be done in every country--including the United States.

Amazon should pull Alicia's review since it is clear this reviewer is doing nothing but venting anger which has nothing to do with me, a champion for women's rights in the Arab world, and in other countries. This reviewer is attacking thew wrong person and the wrong book and is making false implications about Mayada and about the book itself.

Jean Sasson

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Frequent Reference to GW?" HOGWASH!, May 24, 2006

By	Jean Sasson (London) - See all my reviews

When glancing over the various comments, I can't help but be startled at Sean 44 stating "Freqent reference to GW goal of liberation Iraq was annoying." That's a very misleading and even untrue statement Sean. Other than the last few pages of the book, the entire book is set several years before the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam. Not a word of "liberation" is mentioned because no one even knew such a thing would happen in 1999 when Mayada was imprisoned and later fled her country. The last few pages of the book deal with Mayada's reaction to Saddam being toppled, and her glee that happened and her happiness that SOMEBODY got rid of Saddam. She wouldn't have cared if it were the French, the English, or even a coup in the country, she lived in Iraq for her entire life and saw what his rule had done for her country and countrymen... She simply wanted him GONE... Although everyone is disappointed in the turn of events and the ongoing violence, few would want Saddam back. There were too many people who suffered dreadfully under Saddam, and if they lived there, they are the ones who have the rights to express an opinion on Saddam. So, don't write such misleading statements. One would think the book was filled with GW topics, but that is NOT the case. It is a book about some very brave women who suffered horribly in Cell 52. If you don't like the book, then that is just fine, as everyone has a right to their opinion, but to say something completely false for the obvious purpose to mislead other readers, that is not your right. And, I should know that the book does NOT have "frequent reference to GW goal of liberating Iraq," because I am the one who wrote the book! Those feelings shared by Mayada are only in the very last few pages of the book, and she certainly had a right to express her opinion in a book written about her!
And I'm giving the book 5 stars because of the brave women I wrote about... They all deserve 5 stars for courage!