Her mother’s father was Sati Al-Husri, who was also influential because he was the first Arab nationalist. He served both as Iraq’s First Defense Minister and Minister to Great Britain.

Mayada Al-Askari is the granddaughter of Jafar Pasha Al-Askari, a notable World War II hero. After their meeting, Mayada began sharing numerous stories with Jean.

Jean had the pleasure of meeting Mayada when she travelled to Iraq and became close friends with her. The image evoked such a powerful feeling inside me that I started reading it immediately.Ī true account, the author Jean Sassoon retells the story of a woman living under the patriarchal system of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq. A simple photo of a woman’s face hidden by a black veil and only showing her plain, almond-shaped eyes. I guess that was a good thing when it came to Mayada because I was immediately drawn to it. I am extremely picky when it comes to choosing a book and I hate to say it but I am one of those people that judges a book by its cover. An older cousin, who has read a wide variety of books, recommended it to me and I figured I’d take the risk. Having bought this book at the airport and preparing myself to read it by the pool in the Hamptons, I was waiting impatiently for the moment that I could delve into the depths of Mayada’s story.

Mayada, Daughter of Iraq by Jean Sasson