Mayada bint Iraq

Mayada was born into a powerful Iraqi family. One of her grandfathers fought alongside Lawrence of Arabia, while the other is hailed as the first true Arab nationalist. Her uncle served as prime minister for nearly forty years, while her mother was a prominent politician. When Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath Party seized power and established his reign of terror, Mayada found herself alone in Baghdad, a divorced mother of two, eking out a meager living printing pamphlets. Until one morning in August 1999, she was arrested without trial and dragged to the notorious Baladiyat prison, accused of spreading anti-government propaganda. There, she was thrown into a cell with 17 other "shadow women." Like modern-day Scheherazades, these women spent their days awaiting their next interrogation and torture session, telling each other their stories. They were eager to hear Mayada's stories of her privileged past life, her proud family history, the kings and queens, and her encounters with Saddam himself. This book is not just the story of a woman closely linked to Iraq's ancient cultural history, but also a powerful testament to the terror and fear that Saddam Hussein imposed on the lives and spirits of ordinary citizens.