A review by lindseyzank
The Baghdad Clock by Shahad Al Rawi

3.0

A mystical, philosophical story about a neighborhood in Baghdad that is affected by both the Gulf War and the Iraq War. Magical realist elements mixed with poetic ruminations about life and love (at times I felt like I was reading a Rumi poem) made this story ethereal and tender but all the parts didn't quite add up to form a cohesive, compelling narrative. As an American, it was meaningful for me to read about those wars from an Iraqi perspective, and there's value in the book for that alone. I wanted more character development and more of a beginning, middle, and end.