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Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
It took me much longer than usual to finish this book. Initially, I thought the slow going was due to the fact that it's non-fiction and I'm a bit of a fiction addict. Still, that didn't quite explain it because it was easy and fascinating reading. I finally decided it was the subject matter that made me reticent to cuddle up with the book and read for hours on end.



Nine Parts of Desire is about what it means to be a woman in the Muslim world. I felt Geraldine Brooks did an amazing job writing (as always) and I appreciate that she included so many scriptures from the Koran as well as other Islamic anecdotes that explain why certain traditions have developed over the generations. I learned so much from this book about the history and culture(s) of Islam, the history of the Middle East and the situations Islamic women face. The book is a bit dated, given how quickly things in the middle east change (or maybe it's not dated at all because things stay the same there for generations) but I still found it quite valuable.



However, one thought kept coming into my mind over and over again as I read it: How accurate is her portrayal? Yes, she spent years and years there, and yes, she seems quite open minded and willing to look for the good wherever it might be found. But can she, a white Judeo-Christian woman, really give readers an accurate picture? The truths she reveals, are these the truths as viewed by Islamic women? I found myself wanting to read a book written by an Islamic woman to see how her thoughts compared with Brooks. Fortunately, at the end of Nine Parts, Brooks includes a very comprehensive bibliography for those (like me) who wish to read more. Several of the books listed are authored by Islamic women.


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