Barefoot in Baghdad - Manal M. Omar

"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 tragica powerful message
for women, [delivered] through beautiful storytelling."-Christina Asquith, author
of Sisters in War