War and Me

Praise for War and Me

“Hassan renders her harrowing experiences in an authentic, heartfelt manner, offering important testimony of personal and national courage. A beautifully wrought memoir from a pioneering Iraqi author.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Iraqi poet Faleeha Hassan (A Butterfly’s Voice) revisits a lifetime defined by war in this devastating and gorgeous work…While a sobering narrative, Hassan’s intelligence and resilience combine to yield an incredibly powerful look at the ripple effects of warfare. Her poignant tale of survival is one that readers won’t soon forget.” —Publishers Weekly

“Reading War and Me often feels like listening to a new friend tell her life story, complete with jokes, dreams, and detours…It’s impossible not to want better for Hassan and her family before the first chapters are done.” —NPR

“Hassan, now an American citizen, said she did not write this book for accolades. ‘Maybe one time, one leader will read my book, and he will change his mind to have another war,’ she said. ‘That’s my goal.’ War and Me is a deeply personal view of what years of wars and international sanctions did to the people Hassan loved.” —Philadelphia Inquirer

“The author’s poetry is what earned her the reputation as the ‘Maya Angelou of Iraq,’ but she proves how apt the comparison is in War and Me, a book highly reminiscent of Angelou’s first and most famous memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings…War and Me is a remarkable demonstration of what a woman can do to survive.” —Words Without Borders

Praise for Faleeha Hassan

“Faleeha Hassan, ‘the Maya Angelou of Iraq,’ wields a mighty pen.” —Oprah.com