The Old Woman and the River

This gentle story about the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War is based on the author’s investigations into an unexpected patch of greenery amid desolation in postwar southeastern Iraq . The source, he discovered, was an unconventional war hero, Um Qasem, an elderly widow whose relentless nurturing revitalized her war-torn village, Sabaliyat. For real. Taking literary license, Ismail creates a world in tune with the loveable granny determined to preserve life. Her beloved donkey anticipates when she needs a ride or help clearing bomb shells. Homesick soldiers, charmed by her grand appeal, turn a blind eye to her restoration efforts despite evacuation orders. And finally, her late husband’s ghost guides her to unleash the mighty Shatt al-Arab water into Shabaliyat’s parched, smaller rivers and fields, along Iraq’s eastern border. Ironically, this story about war’s absurdity is charming and hopeful, and a refreshing celebration of the largely unrecognized heroes of war, the widows and mothers left to pick up the pieces.
—Mae Ghalwash