Books from Iraq — The Book Roads

Ahmed Saadawi

Set in Baghdad after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Frankenstein in Baghdad follows Hadi, an eccentric junk dealer who collects body parts left behind by bombings and other acts of violence. Hoping to ensure that the dead receive proper recognition, he stitches the remains together into a single body. When the assembled corpse mysteriously disappears, a series of gruesome murders begins, and rumours spread about a creature that cannot be killed. As the authorities and local residents attempt to understand the violence, the creature becomes a disturbing symbol of a society overwhelmed by revenge and injustice. Blending horror, dark humour, and political satire, Saadawi explores the human cost of war and the difficulty of assigning responsibility when violence produces an endless cycle of retaliation. The novel asks whether a society fractured by conflict can distinguish justice from revenge.

2018

The Age of Silence

Alaa Al-Musalli

In Baghdad, under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship, Bedria fights to hold her family together as war, political repression, and bitter rivalries threaten to destroy everything she loves. With one son missing in battle and a family fortune fuelling resentment among relatives, she faces struggles that extend far beyond the battlefield. Bound by the silence imposed by political power and cultural expectations, Bedria must navigate a world where women carry enormous burdens while their suffering remains largely unseen. Inspired by real events during the Iran–Iraq War and the Gulf War, The Age of Silence is a moving family saga about the hidden costs of conflict, the sacrifices of motherhood, and the wounds that survive long after the fighting ends. It is a tribute to the women who quietly endure war while fighting to preserve their families, their dignity, and their hope.

2026