Thirsty River (Iraq)
Thirsty River Published October 2009 Price £8.99Click to buy
By Rodaan Al Galidi
Translated by Luzette Strauss
THE destiny of the Bird family in the town of Boran on the banks of the Thirsty River, southern Iraq, is intimately tied to the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein.
The birth of each of the Bird children coincides with regime change in Baghdad, until that of Adam - who never wakes from his sleeping condition.
An unfortunate incident with Saddam, a sheep and a television aerial results in all the men of the Bird household disappearing, leaving the family matriarch, Simahen, spending long days outside the Party office in the hope of their return.
The trials and tribulations of the family depicted by Rodaan Al Galidi in Thirsty River mirror those of Iraq over the past 40 years. Yet these victims of history bring humour and hope to a country ravaged by one of the greatest tragedies of our time.
Among the many events that shape the history of the family over four generations are the fame of Sjahid, who is employed to paint murals of Saddam. In this hazardous line of work, one errant brush stroke could lead to death.
After the US invasion of Iraq and the fall of Saddam, another family member, Joesr, turns his revolutionary ideals to bomb-making in the basement, for whoever pays him. Moreover, their brother Djazil is recognised by his family in that infamous photo from Abu Ghraib - thanks to a tattoo on his arse.
Rodaan Al Galidi is a novelist and poet who lived in Iraq until 1998, when he left his homeland. He lived in the Netherlands for ten years before being give the right to live there legally. He writes in Dutch.
Luzette Strauss is a teacher, journalist and translator in the UK.
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“Al Galidi writes soberly but with such colour that he opens up a whole world. Simultaneously comic and tragic, this book bears unique witness to Iraq at a personal level. Required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the country.” - Indymedia
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“Al Galidi will keep even the most voracious reader in his grip by the way in which his story takes on the character of a fairy tale and raises family history to myth.” - Bob Hopman, Recensieweb, Netherlands
“García Márquez for Colomiba and Rodaan Al Galidi for Iraq.” - Cutting Edge, Belgium