Sweet Dates in Basra

March 15, 2010
Jiji (Diamonds Take Forever
) explores the ties that bind and break family, friendship, and love in 1941 Iraq. Heartbroken that her family won't allow her to marry at 13 and be “ushered to the protection of a new home under the guard of a stern husband in the dewy marshlands north of Basra,” Kathmiya Mahmoud is sent to work as a maid in the city of Basra, where her frequent visits to marriage brokers turn up no prospective husbands. Kathmiya begins fantasizing about Shafiq, her mistress's younger brother, and though the attraction is mutual, there's a massive cultural divide between his Iraqi Jewish family and her identity as a Marsh Arab. This chaste historical romance is densely populated and has trouble finding its way through a thicket of subplots, but the cultural perspective and setting are a nice break from the wartime norm, as is the unexpected ending.

April 15, 2010
In her second novel (after "Diamonds Take Forever"), Jiji lovingly re-creates a moment in Iraqi history when Muslims and Jews could be not only neighbors but also friends. During World War II, two boys begin passing notes through a hole in the courtyard wall between their homes. Shafiq is Jewish, Omar is Muslim, and together, as blood brothers, they manage to get into constant mischief. Against this backdrop of friendship, however, is growing Iraqi nationalism in many forms. Communists and Royalists fight each other but view the British as the enemy occupier. Sympathy for Hitler, as well as anti-Zionist fervor, leads to murderous anti-Jewish riots. Later, in adolescence, as their closeness continues, each boy must deal with his love for an unobtainable young woman. VERDICT This bittersweet story, based on the life of the author's father, will resonate with readers who believe that Muslims and Jews can find common ground in the Middle East. Fans of Lucette Lagnado's memoir "The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit", Andre Acimen's "Out of Egypt", and Gina Nahai's novels of Jewish Iran may also find this title interesting.Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2010
After her very modern debut, Diamonds Take Forever (2005), Jiji takes a trip into the past, specifically Iraq circa WWII. Next-door neighbors Sharif, a Jewish boy, and Omar, a Muslim one, are the best of friends and enjoy an idyllic childhood in Basra until Hitlers shadow falls across the country, inciting terrible riots and forcing Iraqi Jews into hiding. The danger passes, but personal risks arise when Sharif falls in love with a beautiful Muslim maid named Kathmiya. Kathmiya longs for the safety of a traditional marriage and cant understand why her parents refuse to arrange one for her. Though Sharif wants nothing more than to be with Kathmiya, he starts to wonder if his best chance for a prosperous future lies outside of Iraq, especially after his rebellious middle brother endangers the whole family by running off to join the Communist Party. Jiji does a remarkable job of evoking 1940s Iraq in her novel, from the colorful markets to the remote marshes, making for a vibrant read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)