A review by dominic_t
My Father's Paradise: A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq by Ariel Sabar

adventurous emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This book was really informative. I learned a lot about the history of Jewish Kurds in Iraq. Ariel Sabar's writing is emotional and compassionate. He breathes life into the people and the stories. His emotional connection to the stories is obvious, and I think it makes his writing stronger. I also found his discussion of his father's work preserving Neo-Aramaic really interesting.

The latter part of the book describes his turbulent relationship with his father and their trip back to his dad's village. I appreciate his deep vulnerability when talking about his past behavior towards his dad and how he is trying to rebuild a relationship with him. I just didn't find this part of the book quite as interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, War