... a stirring, provocative and well-made new anthology ... a book that banishes all manner of silences ... rewrites the hoary rules of the foreign correspondent playbook, deactivating the old clichés. Each of these women has a story to tell. Each has seen plenty ... has many aspects to it, but at bottom it imparts a pervasive sense of fear and loss.
... timely and affecting ... The essays contain evocative and emotional imagery; the stories shared by these women are heartrending and deeply humanistic. They show the real cost of war as well as the challenges unique to these female reporters, from enduring sexual harassment to navigating laws that mandate a male escort as they travel ... An emotionally resonant and eminently readable anthology of true accounts that will appeal greatly to readers interested in global women’s issues, journalism, and the modern Arab world.
... the 19 essays in this collection are remarkable, illuminating stories of the lives of female journalists working in the Arab and Middle Eastern worlds ... Readers will be moved as each essay reflects both its writer and the people whose stories she reported to the world.
... does not shy away from the front lines and splashes copious amounts of reality onto readers who dare to venture into its chapters ... an intense read ... the nineteen Arab women journalists who penned these short, emotion-packed essays, stand out precisely because they stray from the usual grim and grind to offer a glimpse into less-explored conflict zones. Through the window of their recollections, they ease us into the intimacy of kitchens and beauty parlors—places often out-of-bounds for their male peers ... touch upon the literal fabric of the front line, exposing a different texture of war that is equally key to the understanding of conflict zones ... It would be a mistake to consider these authors as a homogeneous group of Arab women reporters, a label most tried to run away from during their whole career ... surprises with unexpected paragraphs of fun ... a punch-in-the-gut, claustrophobic read, the kind populated with suicide bombers and dead babies that one cannot casually leaf through. Yet this is no reason to shy away from this book, part memoir, part war reportage, just like being a reporter or even bearing an interest in journalism is not a necessary requisite to find this book a rewarding read ... By their very existence, these reporters prove they are also part of the very fighting spirit they hope to shine a light on.
... groundbreaking ... At times difficult to read, this essential essay collection will bring a more nuanced view of the Middle East from voices you probably haven’t heard, and the depths of experiences will force you to find the courage to understand and not look away.
...[a] ground-breaking anthology that should fascinate any fan of the stories behind the stories that come out of war zones. I'm definitely one of those people and find refreshing (and long overdue) a book packed with insights from women journalists linked by language and heritage to the complex Arab world ... There's a deep fascination in the West with how women function in ultra-conservative societies where repression can be violent and even deadly. This anthology pulls back the curtain on those places, while connecting readers to brave and incisive female journalists who help us better understand the Arab world. Their often harrowing experiences and insights make for a compelling read. I, for one, hope to read more anthologies from female journalists in other parts of the world, including the United States.
This first of its kind essay collection in which 19 Arab and Middle Eastern women journalists, reporters, and photographers share their experiences couldn’t be more timely or important. With Islamophobia rising and conflicts in the Middle East growing, women’s reportorial voices, missing until now, are more vital than ever, as are the voices of Arabs who live and work in the region and who understand the cultures about which they write as no outsider could ... These are daring, personal, and heartfelt tales of troubling times well told. They shatter stereotypes and offer a necessary view on a part of the world too frequently misunderstood, while revealing the sexism and harassment that women journalists encounter while doing their difficult work. They help us understand why women continue to do this dangerous work ... Lebanese-British journalist Zahra Hankir has gifted us with these women’s experiences and their voices. For that women, journalists, editors, and newsrooms can be grateful.
... gripping and illuminating essays ... all of the writers offer careful consideration of their own relation to the people they interviewed and the context they worked in.
Offering a blend of memoir, war reporting, cultural commentary, history, and politics, these powerful essays deliver insightful analysis of the upheavals in the Middle East from committed and skilled writers.
These stories from the field are rare and remarkable ... A timely, engaging work that reveals why the journalist’s profession is so important and so endangered.
