Thura's Diary: My Life in Wartime Iraq [Hardcover]

Thura al-Windawi (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Nineteen-year-old Thura al-Windawi kept a diary during the conflict in Iraq, saying that it was her way of “controlling the chaos.” The diary, which documents the days leading up to the bombings, the war itself, and the lawless aftermath, puts a personal face on life in Baghdad. As Thura describes her life and that of her two younger sisters, she shows readers the many small details that illuminate the reality of war for Iraqi families, and especially for Iraqi children.

Reminiscent of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and the recent national bestseller Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Sarajevo, Thura’s Diary gives the perspective of a young woman caught in the midst of a turbulent time and puts a face, a name, and a voice to the word “Iraqi.”

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up–The strength of this diary is in its matter-of-fact delivery. The author, now a scholarship student at an American university, writes of her daily life in war-besieged Baghdad. She describes the events just prior to the U.S. and Britain's "shock & awe" attack on Iraq. Her family braces for the imminent onslaught, the tension growing. From worrying about who will take care of the dogs when the family evacuates to finding enough insulin for her diabetic sister, she shows what it's like to live with war. Al-Windawi describes wearing a mask to filter air tainted by the noxious fumes from oil fires around the city and from the dust that the bombs and sandstorms stir up. She writes about the rumbling approach of B52's and the barrage of bombs that makes her house shudder. Interspersed are the refreshing dreams and goals of a bright and self-motivated young woman. Perhaps some of the emotion has been distilled through translation, as Thura seems removed from the action, panning through the terror to present the facts. Perhaps it's self-preservation. Politicalsentiments occasionally poke through, but the focus is on explicitly and calmly exposing the ravages of war on the vulnerable members of society. A postscript describes the author's reaction to the capture of Saddam Hussein.–Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-12. Nineteen-year-old al-Windawi began recording this diary a week before the first American bombs landed on Baghdad. The entries take her through the terror of the bombings to the difficult first days of postwar reconstruction. Much here will surprise American readers: though they understand Saddam was responsible for incredible evil, al-Windawi and her family feel a complicated mix of emotions when his statue is torn down in Baghdad. And though she expresses anger at the religious zealots who threaten women who don't wear headscarves, al-Windawi also asserts her belief that men should make decisions in a family. Readers will wish for more detailed descriptions of al-Windawi's world and the people inhabiting it, but one can feel their house shake as the bombs rain down and sense her frustration as she struggles to return to school after the war. Although it discusses events already several months old, this will remain relevant for a long time, both because it illuminates the complex relationship between the U.S and the average young Iraqi and because it lays bare the brutal nature of war. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Viking; 1St Edition edition (March 8, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670058866
• ISBN-13: 978-0670058860
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,039,025 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Children's Books > History > Middle East

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A touching book for young teens like me..., March 30, 2005

By 

Teen Reader (San Jose, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thura's Diary: My Life in Wartime Iraq (Hardcover)

This book shares the thoughts of a college-age girl about the war in Iraq. It showed me how bad it truly is to be in a war. I encourage all young teens like me (I'm 14) to read this book.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ."..unless you live wiyh it, you cannot know it", June 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Thura's Diary: My Life in Wartime Iraq (Hardcover)

THURA'S DIARY: My Life in Wartime Iraq
***** It tells the true story of the suffering endured through the bombing of Baghdad, June 17, 2004

I believe the uniqueness of this diary will fascinate readers of all ages. Thura wrote in her Diary " ...and every time a plane goes over our house the noise is indiscribable-unles you live with it, you cannot know it."

Iraqi people of all ages have suffered for over 40 years. The suffering varied in intensity and kind. Thura's and my experience are not different from those of other Iraqis. Like millions others I found it lifesaving to depart in 1982 my birth place, Baghdad, and since then I was not able to return back.

Thura was a 19 years teenager who found writing a diary is a way to control her chaotic war surroundings. Furthermore, the environment under which Iraqi children grew up is completely different from that in the West, one has to be careful what thoughts can be safe and sound to express. Hence, the short of substance and material some noted in Thura's diary should be excusable.

I found the diary rich with love and feelings towards her country, her younger sisters, parents, friends and all the people who were suffering from the war. She eloquently described the terrifying events she witnessed from 15th March, 2003 until the 26th of August when she was fortunate to be escorted out of Baghdad to America to finish her educatio n and fulfilling her and her parent's dreams.

One needs not to say again that millions of Iraqis of all ages have been living in hell that started decays ago. But keeping a diary by a 19 years old girl while her town, Baghdad, is bombarded and missiles flying over her home is a commendable effort. She took a real risk by starting this diary not knowing what the future will be.

Thura was fortunate to receive support from the journalists and the T.V. stations' correspondents, who got her story out. This was followed by an offer from the University of Pennsylvanian with full financial support. The future looks bright for this young writer.

My generation failed to make a viable change in Iraq. I wish Thura and her generation a peaceful and prosperous future.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Choice for 5th grade and up, April 30, 2004

By 

Marguerita A Forney (Sunnyvale, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thura's Diary: My Life in Wartime Iraq (Hardcover)

I am a elementary school librarian. My sister-in-law sent me this book. She is a teacher at UPenn and she knows Thura as a student. I read it and decided it would make a fine lesson for the 5th graders. The lesson briefly explored The Diary of Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary. The students were most fascinated with Thura's Diary because they are familiar with the Iraq war and their own feelings about it. This unique perspective provided such a timely lesson! It was such a rich opportunity, I wish I had more time for discussion. We briefly explored issues about cultural/religious differences and similarities, what war feels like when you live in the war zone, what it is like to be a child in a war zone and how Americans are perceived by Iraqis. Many of the students wanted to check out my copy but I will have to buy a few more for the shelves, I am keeping mine!