This is a study of Islamic women, and of the often contradictory political, religious and cultural forces that shape their lives. The book examines Iran, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Jordan and the Middle East. It argues that there is feminism amongst Islamic women, and reveals other startling discoveries that defy western stereotypes about the Muslin world. This study offers an acute analysis of the world's fastest growing religion, and illustrates how Islam's holy texts have been used to justify the repression of women.
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Review
Fascinating, meticulously reported, and elegantly written (Susan Faludi )
She takes us behind the veils and into the homes of women in every corner of the Middle East . . . It is in her descriptions of her meetings that the book excels (Observer ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
She takes us behind the veils and into the homes of women in every corner of the Middle East . . . It is in her descriptions of her meetings that the book excels (Observer ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
About the Author
Geraldine Brooks is an award-winning author and journalist. She has written several books of fiction and non-fiction, including the international bestselling novel Year of Wonders and more recently March, which won the Pulitzer. She lives in rural Virginia.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm an American woman who has lived overseas in Morocco for twelve years. My friends and I are reading this book for our monthly bookclub selection. None of us was able to put the book down, once we started it. We all read the book in one or two days.
The author is a journalist who spent considerable time in the Middle East, reporting from various countries. Although this is not a scholarly work, it is well-researched. The book focuses on her own personal experiences in each country, and ancecdotes from various women she met in each country.
For me, the most interesting parts of the book discussed the home and personal life of the Ayatollah Khomeni. After reading this book, my opinion of both him, and of Islamic life in Iran, went up by about 300 percent. The author met and interviewed his wife, and various family members. He was a fairly modern, new-age husband, and playful father, who even got up in the middle of the night and gave his kids their bottles, and changed their diapers. The only thing he was quite strict about was the Islamic religion.
Anyone who is interested in the lives of women in the Middle East should read this book. The book is as accurate today as it was when it was written.
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have spent time in the Middle East and been offered books such as "Princess" and "Not Without My Daughter" by Western friends positive that the Middle East must be a terrible place for Western women ... It was very enlightening, refreshing, interesting and thought provoking to read a book from an author with such a wealth of experience and such a desire to learn, to understand and not just to brandish and judge. She writes of movements happening within the culture and not just of stagnated ways. Koranic verses are used as a backdrop for understanding that what some may interpret as Islamic is mearly that, an interpretation. I highly enjoyed this book. I will read it again. And I will definately recommend it to anyone interested enough to understand some of the different perspectives governing women behind the veil!
39 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This is an absolutely fascinating book. Brooks doesn't really bog the reader down with too much "research" - she gives you a good historical and literary background, but she fleshes out that framework with anecdotes from her meetings with Muslim women. Though it is obvious that Brooks abhors the treatment of women under most forms of Islam, she is very careful to show that this is mostly a political issue and NOT actually advocated in the Koran.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nine Parts of Desire
An Amazing book but quite hard reading in view of the content (Islamic women). I have read all of GeraldingBrooks novels and absolutely LOVE them. What an author! Read more
Published 8 days ago by janebeatrixbritnell
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must-read
I haven't even finished this book, and find myself talking about it to everyone I know. Geraldine Brooks has brought her journalistic expertise together with her gift for... Read more
Published 4 months ago by K. M. Brooke
5.0 out of 5 stars
an accessible and informative read
A great book that I've recommended and also given to friends, it makes the theology of Islam understandable and disentangles the religious and cultural reasons behind the position... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Cathy Howieson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life for women in Islamic countries from the most restrictive to the...
As far as a comprehensive look on women living under Islam I have found no better. From the most restrictive (Saudi Arabia) to the most liberal (Egypt) one is presented with a... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Cynthia Danute Cekauskas, LCSW
3.0 out of 5 stars
Geraldine Brooks as a journalist
I love the books of Geraldine Brooks (my favourite is the 'People of the Book'), but I found this was hard to get into. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Laurie
1.0 out of 5 stars
....
I read a few pages of this book on the internet to gain an incite into it. I did not bother buying this book as for me it just reinforces sterotypes. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Thinking Out of the Box
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very good
I really enjoyed this book. Each chapter is split between the author's experiences in various different islamic countries. Read more
Published on 8 May 2011 by vixx
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very illuminating
In some ways this book challenged my preconceptions of life as a woman in an Arab nation but in others it was sadly a confirmation. Either way it is a fascinating read. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2011 by M. Readalot
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nine Parts of Desire
Excellent! Have bought several copies for friends.
Extremely well researched and informative.
A 'must read' hard to put down.
Extremely well researched and informative.
A 'must read' hard to put down.
Published on 10 Sep 2010 by Mrs. M. Key
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK- but not great
I thought Nine parts of Desire was interesting- however it is quite negative concerning Islam and women in the middle east. Read more
Published on 21 April 2010 by Iona Sherwood
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