When the Grey Beetles Took Over Baghdad

This story flows easily along, occasionally eddying in some nostalgic remembrances. But those moments are few and do not detract from the essential quality of the book which is a coming of age story that plays out in front of several backgrounds one of which, and the most fascinating to me, was middle twentieth century Iraqi politics. These leaders or cliques determined the security of the Jewish population, which was quite substantial. Bagdad in the middle twentieth century was 18% Jewish. Political upheavals were closely scrutinized by the Jewish population who largely held its breath while trying to divine potential dangers. Putsches were a regular phenomenon, not necessarily predictable but cyclical. The victors were always hard on the vanquished, dragging their bodies through the streets, televising show trials, massive summary executions, etc. to an applauding Iraqi public that was always eager for a show. While there was special kind of sharp persecution and violence reserved for the Jews, the intensity of persecution and violence for political enemies was definitely in the same ballpark.The persecution and fear finally become a steady rhythm for the Jewish community, like a drum beat, sometimes faster and more intense, sometimes slow but always there. Amidst this the Jewish community tries to carry on normal lives in Iraq as they have for over two millennium. But the writing is on the wall. The back drop becomes the slow steady stream of Jews out of Iraq and then ratchets up to become an exodus. The curtain begins to fall on thousands of years of Jewish life in Iraqi.

Well written memoir of a little know era of Jewish life in Iraq in the last year's of a proud heritage of thousands of years.

This book is about the expulsion of Jewish people from Iraq. The story illuminates both the historical detail and the impact of events on a growing girl and her family. There is nothing maudlin about this book. It just shows us real people dealing with real tragedy. That's quite an achievement.

As a fan of coming of age and young people's stories, this gripping memoiristic novel absolutely captivated me, both for the prickly sensibility of its narrator and its vivid portrayal of Jewish life under duress in Iraq during the 1960s. A lively, dramatic, and humorous read.

This book should be required reading for all students of international affairs--and human nature. The writing is nothing short of lyrical, evoking all the visceral emotions and profound ambivalence of a teenage girl living in brutal times. I recommend it highly, and I truly wish someone would re-issue this book in the United States: I had to mail-order my own copy from Europe. I couldn't put this volume down.

I knew nothing about the jewish community in Iraq before reading this book. The story is well written and gives a good insight into the thoughts and fears of a young girl growing up in the midst of a city that is becoming more and more hostile to her family and friends.

Memoirs are frequently turgid. This one is not. Written with humour while depicting life as it was lived. Ought to be better-known.

Had to look up several words but makes one think how the minorities can suffer and what a cruel world we live in. It is one I shall read again..

Never got interseted, but felt obliged to finish it. Found it tedious at times. Had to get almost to the end before i realised a grey beetle was a car and security force

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