The White Zone

December 19, 2011
A year in the life of a Shiite boy, Nouri, and his half-Sunni cousin, Talib, told from their alternating perspectives, provides a window into the terror-filled world of American-occupied Baghdad. Escalating financial, religious, and political tensions break apart families and destroy neighborhoods in Marsden’s (Take Me with You) commanding war story. Whether begging candy from American soldiers, doing homework while mortar shells burst outside, or driving by “a blackened car with a pair of legs poking out from underneath,” the boys go through their daily routines while the
violence increasingly insinuates fear into their personal lives. Bereft at the loss of his uncle to a Sunni martyr attack, Nouri begins to distrust all Sunnis, while Talib, driven from school and home because of his religion, increasingly wants vengeance, as well. As the boys’ bitterness battles with their longstanding affection for each other, their passions drive them to actions ranging from cruel and cowardly to brave and generous. Author’s notes and a glossary expound on geographical places, historical events, and frequently used vocabulary. Haunting yet hopeful. Ages 9–14. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

February 1, 2012

Gr 4-7-Ten-year-old cousins Nouri and Talib live in Karada, a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad's Red Zone, the hazardous area surrounding the U.S.-occupied Green Zone. Nouri is grief stricken about the death of his favorite uncle, who was killed in a Sunni suicide bombing. The boy blames Talib, who is half-Sunni, for his loss. As conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis worsen, Nouri does something that prompts Talib and his scared parents to leave their home and take shelter in Mutanabbi Street, the center of booksellers and intellectual life and a traditional neutral zone. After it is the target of a Shiite car bomber, Talib becomes obsessed with thoughts of revenge. However, when snow falls for the first time in living memory, all weapons are silenced as everyone, including Talib, views the white flakes as a miraculous message from Allah to cease fire. Based on actual events, this novel is a realistic depiction of children caught up in hostilities they cannot fully understand. Although it touches on the American presence, the focus is on the conflicts between Shiite and Sunni Muslims. An author's note briefly explains the differences between these two sects, but readers still might be confused. Marsden's detailed descriptions of everyday life make this culture come alive.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2012
Young Iraqi cousins face their religious differences in war-torn Baghdad. Shiite Nouri is devastated when a Sunni martyr kills his uncle. Hakim's death is the first personal tragedy the boy has suffered since the Americans came to Iraq. He begins to take out his anger on his half-Sunni cousin, Talib. Although the two boys have always been close, Nouri and his mother soon begin ostracizing Talib and his Sunni mother, Fatima. Talib is also isolated from his friends at school, where his cousin is intent on highlighting his cousin's Sunni heritage. After the Sunni bombing of a Shiite mosque, Talib is banned from his school altogether. Nouri's final destructive (and anonymous) action is enough to convince Talib's family to move to the market where Talib's bookseller father plies his trade--and which is bombed, causing the devout Talib's faith to wobble, with potentially catastrophic consequences. As with many of Marsden's works, the ending is tidy and hopeful, while some of the child characters (particularly Talib) seem wise beyond their years. Timely though this effort is, the differences between the two factions of Islam may prove too subtle for many readers. A decently executed exploration of the American presence in Iraq and the tensions between Shiites and Sunnis. (author's notes, glossary) (Fiction. 9-13)

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January 1, 2012
Grades 5-8 Five years into the second Iraq war, the violence that rages between Sunnis and Shiites divides young cousins Nouri, a Shiite, and Talib, who is half Sunni. When Nouri's beloved uncle is killed by a Sunni bomber, the boy blames his cousin and perpetrates a foolish act of violence against him. As a result, Talib and his family must move from their home and neighborhood. The relationship between the two boysonce best friendsis sundered, and it may take a miracle to restore it. Marsden's latest book puts a face on a bitter, centuries-old conflict that continues to rage. Though her characters are mostly interchangeable, their actions are emblematic of the larger conflict. Particularly moving is the wanton destruction of Mutannabi Street, once the cultural capital of Baghdad. This tense novel will be particularly useful in the classroom.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2012
Cousins Nouri, a Shiite, and Talib, half Sunni, describe life in Baghdad amid the second Iraq War, during which Iraqis also fought amongst themselves over religious differences. But in winter 2008, snow covered the city for the "first time in anyone's memory," sparking an unofficial ceasefire. Though the reader is aware that peace won't last, this poignant wartime narrative is subtly hopeful. Glos.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)