October 10, 2022
Iraqi American poet and journalist Mikhail revisits in this frank and wrenching novel the subject of The Beekeeper, her nonfiction narrative about the impact of Daesh, the name for ISIS, on the Yazidi religious minority of northern Iraq. In 2014, a Yazidi woman named Helen has been captured by Daesh and sold into sexual slavery. Elias, her journalist husband, is held captive by Daesh, and her two sons are captured and trained as Daesh soldiers. After chapters describing Helen’s horrifying circumstances, Mikhail backtracks to 1999, when Helen meets Elias, a Yazidi man who grew up in the city of Mosul. The two marry and tattoo their ring fingers with images of the birds that are important in Yazidi culture. Mikhail then follows the couple through the years leading up to Daesh’s ascension in Iraq, and on through the struggle of Helen and other captive women to escape and rebuild their lives. While the author loses focus on the central narrative of Helen and her family, switching to the adventures of a smuggler nicknamed Goofball as he rescues numerous other women, she returns to Helen for a satisfying conclusion. Mikhail’s sympathetic and fast-moving story of ordinary life and its violent disruption makes for a moving love letter to the Yazidi.
April 1, 2023
Iraqi American poet and journalist Mikhail's (The Beekeeper: Rescuing the Stolen Women of Iraq) fiction debut explores the appalling impact of Daesh (also known as ISIS) on the Yazidi religious minority of northern Iraq. Narrated by Iranian American narrator Vaneh Assadourian, the book's brutal opening introduces Helen, a Yazidi woman who has been captured by Daesh and is sold as a "wife" at a market for enslaved women. Mikhail details the miseries which Helen endures; despite the appalling conditions, however, she continues to hope for escape and reunification with her family. Mikhail then shifts gears, taking listeners to the pastoral Iraqi village of Halliqi, where Helen met and fell in love with her husband Elias. Assadourian's breathtaking performance captures the piercing differences between these two worlds--one horrifically dystopian, and the other paradisaical. Assadourian's voice changes from grim and stark to warm and gentle, highlighting the resilience of the Yazidi people and showing just how much was lost in this tragedy. VERDICT This powerful and heartbreaking work thrums with the rhythm of Mikhail's lyrical and poetic language. Share with listeners who wish to learn more about Daesh rule of Mosul.--Sarah Hashimoto
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