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Diane at carpe libris review is giving away a copy of I’jaam by Sinan Antoon. Her review makes this book one that, even if I don’t read it, I’ll most likely buy it. You need to hurry, though, because she’ll be picking a winner Sunday March 2, 2008, at 12:00pm.
Here’s an excerpt from her review:
A handful of times in my life I have finished a book and turned it over to start again. Sometimes I want to carry the book around with me even after I’ve closed the pages, just to look at the cover and remember. I finished reading I’jaam – An Iraqi Rhapsody by Sinan Antoon three days ago, and I keep going back to pick it up and read.
In this fictional memoir, a forgotten manuscript is found in a filing cabinet of an Iraqi prison. Someone must read through it and determine what should be done with it. The entire book is that manuscript, which was written by a poet jailed during Sadaam’s regime. The mixture of beauty and pain throughout reminds me of Elie Wiesel’s Night, a deeply moving story of a Nazi concentration camp victim.
Weighty in substance but not difficult to read, I’jaam deserves to go down in history as an account of what happened in the Iraq of Sadaam’s terror. This book is not political. It is deeply human, and no matter what your race, religion, or ethnicity, you will walking away with more understanding and compassion. The book’s 97 pages allows the reader to finish in a few submersed hours which gives it more of an impact.
Did you notice the book is only 97 pages? Did you notice there’s a Novella Challenge you can join?
Thanks for linking to me! And I love your blog title, by the way. Very clever! Good luck in the giveaway! I’m bookmarking you. Looks like some interesting stuff here for me to dig around in…
Thanks for the heads up! I’ve been wanting to read this book myself.
Ooo! Another giveaway! Must go see.
A novella challenge! Oh no, I have such a hard time resisting new challenges
Here’s another reason to love giveaways — You just won the drawing on my blog for Crossed. Congratulations! If you will email me your snail mail address, I’ll get this sent off to you soon. My email is booklogged AT gmail DOT com.
That last comment was supposed to be from booklogged. We’re on vacation so hubby and I are sharing the same computer. I forget I have to sign in as me.
Hi, Trish. I agree about Chick Lit and Mum lit — I’ll read some, to escape, but that’s where it ends.
Now I need to figure out how to champion strong women characters in a way that’ll make a meaningful difference. Hmmm.
I have a question for you — Other than A Bookworm’s Diary, do you know of any contest sites that list ONLY book giveaways? I’m trying to find some — or may even start my own.