After the ceasefire in 1988, the devastation to the landscape of Iraq wrought by the longest war of the twentieth century—the Iran-Iraq War—becomes visible. Yet, surveying this destruction from the sky, a strip of land bursting with green can be seen. The secret of this fertility, sustaining villages and remaining soldiers, is unclear. But it is said that one old woman is responsible for this lifeline.
4.7Overall Score
The Old Woman and the River
Reader's Review A beautiful read about an old woman who yearns for her hometown and her husband's grave. Eventually she goes back on her own, and uses her dreams to make decisions during the ...
Reader’s Review
A beautiful read about an old woman who yearns for her hometown and her husband’s grave. Eventually she goes back on her own, and uses her dreams to make decisions during the day. Initially the translation style may be difficult to adjust to, but the story is well worth the read.
To look out for
- Violence: Vivid descriptions of the nightly shelling, and the fear they cause. One soldier is killed by a bomb while sleeping, another loses his arm.
Purchase on: Amazon
