Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq

There are a number of levels on which this amazing collection of blogs succeeds. First, of course, is that it provided a valuable perspective on Iraq and the Iraqi people that is unique. It brings home the horrors of living in a war torn land, riven with internal strife and occupied by an foreign army with pathetic leadership at the top, civilian level. Just as valuable is this wonderful, fresh voice, this fascinating woman who can no longer practice her profession and who sees a great backward leap in the rights of women. It is not at all a stretch to read this as literature as well as an amazing documentary of a time and place.

Ive been reading this Iraqi woman's blog for sometime, as ive found it to be witty, humane, intelligent, impassioned, imformative about current events in Iraq, and provides a memorable reflection on how life is lived under a military occupation. This is by far the best blog on Iraq, and not surprisingly the book has won an award. Isnt it best to learn events from a local who is there and outside the Green zone? To listen to what the natives are experiencing? Rather than just embedded foreign journalists with little contact with the people? Yes, she passionately rejects the US invasion, and wants the americans out of her country. That seems to be a crime in some quarters. That does not make her anti-american: it does make her a patriot. Not surprisingly, she has come under attack by a number of pro-war reviewers, who prefer Pentagon feed. One claims Riverbend is a north american, out to fool us. Her sources for this bit of bilge? A (unnamed) marine and her (former)Naval Intelligence husband! That writer is the one blinded by 'mythology'. I will continue to read this wonderful writer and can recommend her to anyone not yet aware of her existence.

Internet users, myself included, have been following Riverbend's blog for a few years now and I can barely express how thrilled I am that it has finally been published. With any luck, the remainder will be published and her full story will be told. This is the most believable account of day-to-day life in occupied Iraq that I have ever seen. Bagdhad Burning would be an excellent tool for teachers that want to bring the current situation abroad into a more complete context than we see in news coverage. High school age children will be drawn in by the experience of someone closer to their age (she was 24 when she started her blog), and will likely empathize with her struggles and her passion. Thought there are several blogs maintained by Iraqi civilians, this one has a clear, compassionate voice and she seems much like any one of us. Her daily struggles to get by can be quite compelling, as she combats things like intermittent access to electricity and water. Her English is perfect. In fact, her English is better than many native speakers. She is highly intelligent and articulate. She will inform you and she will make you cry. In order to make the war more acceptable, there are many who would like us to think of Iraqi civilians as less than human, that Muslims somehow value life less than the "rest of us". Riverbend makes it impossible to fall into that trap. Her voice is as clear and as present as your sister's, your neighbor's, your closest friend's. You will ache for her and pray for her family. If you read this book and want to know what happens next, the blog is ongoing at http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/. She continues to update, roughly every two weeks, unless some major event comes sooner.

Hands down, this is one of the best books yet to bring home the reality of what this illegal occupation is doing to Iraq and her people. Writing from her home in Baghdad, Riverbend invites us into her home, introduces us to her family and neighbors, and allows us to tag along with her as she goes about her life. This book is a compilation of her blog entries for part of 2003 and 2004. Because her thoughts and observations are written down daily - or as often as electricity allows - her writing is fresh and honest and we are allowed to share her hopes, fears and anger in a very personal way. A talented writer, she is armed with a wealth of facts and statistics regarding culture, politics and religion in the area. She also shares many of the tragic stories of innocent Iraqis trying to cope with unbearable circumstances. It's enough to break your heart. If you are interested in delving further into life in Iraq, the author includes numerous links to websites and blogs of a similar nature.