Barefoot in Baghdad by Manal M. OmarMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I always enjoy memoirs. I enjoy stories, of people. People who are living out their passions and finding a side of a bigger story most people don't have the privelege of knowing. Manal Omar's Barefoot in Baghdad provided me a personal, emotional story of the not only her life but the life of many admirable woman from Iraq and the world over as well as a number of admirable men who mutually understand the value of women. At times, I wish there were more details of her experiences but enjoyed the story nonetheless.
Impactful quotes:
"Walk barefoot and the thorns will hurt you." It is often used as a warning to those who challenge societal norms. (location 84)
"...you need to understand that we are tired of fighting," Asma said, "That's all I have been doing; it's all my mother did. We don't want to fight anymore. It doesn't mean we have given up. Far from it. It just means we want to find a more peaceful way to live something that may resemble a normal life." (location 1490)
"Years of humanitarian work had taught me that the smallest intervention could set loose an avalanche of unexpected consequences." (location 2405)
"Like so many others, her ability to empathize with human loss had been replaced with political zeal." (location 3574)A few other notes:
Manal Omar worked for Women for Women International while living and working in Iraq. This is an organization which I also read a lot about while reading Half the Sky. I'm hoping to use some of my non lazy hours to finally go to the site and register to be a 'sponsor' as I believe the work done through Women for Women has great potential to positively affect change in the world, and in my own heart and mind as I work toward maintaining and fostering an ability to empathize with my human brothers and sisters. (If you look at my post regarding Half the sky, you'll realize I should have already registered with Women for Women...now is the time to act!)
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