Sweet Dates in Basra: A Novel Audiobook

" I feel like this was a book that suffered for its pacing. It dragged a bit at first, and then towards the end it sped up way too quickly for the storyline. That being said, I really enjoyed the cultural aspects in the story. It was certainly an Iraq I've never seen before. "

" I wanted to like this book. I have been to Iraq and it is impossible to not be aware of its current history but I have long been fascinated with the Middle East in the 1940s. It is probably asking too much to have a novel satisfy that fascination but I still felt like the book didn't give enough of the interesting detail and spent too much time on uninteresting parts. The balance, writing and characters just seemed off. "

" Lovely romantic story with plenty of cultural information. Plenty to discuss about Jews, Islam, women, social classes, etc. Enough twists to keep you reading. Quick read. "

" Loved it! Made me want to travel to the Middle East! "

" I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of Kathmiya, a village girl sent to Basra, Iraq to earn money for her family (and also a way for them to not arrange her marriage, for reasons that remain a mystery until the end of the book). And Shafiq, a young Jewish boy, friends with his neighbor, Omar, who is Muslim. The book tells the story of all of their relationships with each other during the late 1930s and 1940s. What I enjoyed about the book is that it's not your typical "boy meets girl, falls in love, overcomes obstacles and eventually they run off together." Instead the book really lets you get to know each of the main characters, all of the challenges that each of them face now, and in the future. And you also get to learn about what was happening in Iraq in the 1940s, and how it was impacted by what was happening in WWII (i.e. the Holocaust and the Zionist movement). And what happened in Iraq post-independence (i.e. a lot of inter-religious cooperation and hope). I found the book an interesting read, a beautiful story and the author also has very good writing skills (smooth flow) --no surprise, given that she has been a speechwriter for the Secretary General of the UN. I'd definitely recommend this book for people that enjoy reading novels that open up the world to them (i.e. different countries, cultures and other periods of history), while also enjoying a human story. "

" An excellent story but very jumbled to me. I really had to work at this book--nearly put it down--glad I didn't. The Iraqi culture is so different from ours---the worst part being how they treat women. "

" Set in Iraq in the 1940's, this is an evocotive, beautifully written story of a forbidden romance and changing times. "

" Set during World War II in Basra, Iraq, "Sweet Dates" is a story of the different religions and social classes at the time. Part star-crossed lovers, part history lesson, I didn't love it, but it did keep me intrigued enough to finish. "

" Kind of hard to imagine a jewish person write a book in a muslim person's point of view. Even if they did extensive research. Especially when the setting is in Iraq. "

" I have a confession. I judged this book by it's cover..and I'm so glad I did because it was amazing! I was instantly hooked. "

" Very good read and was free on Nook. Off to find another ebook I'd like to read. "

" This was a beautiful heartbreaking novel. Lyrical and masterfully written by Jessica Jiji. Steeped in tradition, controversy, and most importantly love. This novel evokes pain, longing, anger, fear, joy, love and hope with the best of them. "

" I particularly liked this book because it involves groups I don't typically think of when I think about Iraq--the Jewish and Marsh Arab communities. "

" This was ok. There is no meat in the story. If I didn't already know some things about that time and place, I don't think I would have got much out of the story. It read like a young adult book in a lot of ways. It seemed dumb down. "

" Beautifully written, this book brings up issues of family, religion, class, friendship, war, & love. One of my favorites! "

" After a slow start, I found this novel engaging. I did feel as though the development of the plot over time was a bit choppy in parts. The novel gave me insight into Iraq's history, and I enjoyed the character development. "

" Nice story. Set in WWII era Iraq. Basically a Romeo & Juliet, star-crossed lovers type of love story. "

" I didn't expect where it went, but towards the end it got a little predictable. Enjoyed it! Enjoy more, the fact I am an American. "

" Our June book club choice. We're delighted to have the author speak at our meeting. And the book was a nice little summer read -- think Iraqi version of "Gone With The Wind." "

" Captivating. Love the characters, can't wait to discuss it with my book club. "

" This book was not particularly well written, but the story was very sweet and the Arab Jewish culture depicted was interesting enough to keep me reading. "

" I enjoyed how the book was centered around cultural implications; however, the story line seemed to end abruptly. "

" I didn't expect where it went, but towards the end it got a little predictable. Enjoyed it! Enjoy more, the fact I am an American. "

" This was a beautiful heartbreaking novel. Lyrical and masterfully written by Jessica Jiji. Steeped in tradition, controversy, and most importantly love. This novel evokes pain, longing, anger, fear, joy, love and hope with the best of them. "

" Maybe it's because I just returned from the middle east but I couldn't get into this book or involved with the characters, who didn't seem real to me and whose names I found confusing. "

" Our June book club choice. We're delighted to have the author speak at our meeting. And the book was a nice little summer read -- think Iraqi version of "Gone With The Wind." "

" Set during World War II in Basra, Iraq, "Sweet Dates" is a story of the different religions and social classes at the time. Part star-crossed lovers, part history lesson, I didn't love it, but it did keep me intrigued enough to finish. "