Nine Parts of Desire
The Hidden World of Islamic Women
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Nine Parts of Desire
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Narrated by:
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Geraldine Brooks
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By:
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Geraldine Brooks
About this listen
Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women is the story of Brooks’ intrepid journey toward an understanding of the women behind the veils, and of the often contradictory political, religious, and cultural forces that shape their lives. In fundamentalist Iran, Brooks finagles an invitation to tea with the ayatollah’s widow—and discovers that Mrs. Khomeini dyes her hair.
In Saudi Arabia, she eludes the severe segregation of the sexes and attends a bacchanal, laying bare the hypocrisy of this austere, male-dominated society. In war-torn Ethiopia, she watches as a female gynecologist repairs women who have undergone genital mutilation justified by a distorted interpretation of Islam.
In villages and capitals throughout the Middle East, she finds that a feminism of sorts has flowered under the forbidding shroud of the chador as she makes other startling discoveries that defy our stereotypes about the Muslim world. Nine Parts of Desire is much more than a captivating work of firsthand reportage; it is also an acute analysis of the world’s fastest-growing religion, deftly illustrating how Islam’s holiest texts have been misused to justify the repression of women. It was, after all, the Shiite leader Ali who proclaimed that “God created sexual desire in ten parts, then gave nine parts to women.”
©1995 Copyright © Geraldine Brooks 1995, 2008, 2011. (P)2012 Bolinda Publishing Pty LtdCritic Reviews
What listeners say about Nine Parts of Desire
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Danielle Amiet
- 29-05-2018
Eye opening, captivating
Absolutely amazing and eye opening. I think everyone needs to listen to this and be reminded about how easily our unconscious bias can cloud our ability to really see how beautiful people are. But it’s also a stark reminder about how much progress is yet to be made for women’s rights across the world.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- EB
- 17-04-2024
Engrossing
Geraldine Brooks' erudite and engaging book is a true eye-opener. What an amazing, talented woman.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jill Robertson
- 07-05-2024
Balanced and sympathetic
I wish this book felt dated, but it doesn’t. The author’s genuine interest in life for Muslim women and her friendships and empathy combined with a knowledge of Islam and the Koran and Hadiths make this a fascinating listen.
The history of female subjugation, mostly not from Mohammed, is thoroughly depressing, and not dissimilar to certain Christian sects.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jones
- 08-07-2015
Outstanding: a must read for all - not only women.
Geraldine Brooks is a gifted writer. Although this book was written 20 years ago, it has more relevance than ever for the average westerner to understand the religiously motivated issues facing the world today.
The personal accounts, so cleverly and respectfully told, give insight into a world which is poorly understood by most westerners.
The updated epilogue wraps up the whole story very well.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 08-03-2024
Thoughtful and quietly provocative
This is one of the most compelling books I’ve read in years, and although it was written some years ago, it remains just as relevant today in 2024. Brooks shares her daily experience of living and working amongst diverse Islamic communities, interspersing details of everyday life and events with explanatory historical tidbits and contemplations. Her narration is easy on the ears and all the more interesting to me being told from the perspective of a fellow Australian woman.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Richard Hanlon
- 02-01-2023
Read to understand the rise of Islam
A subject that is frightening but the book helps with our understanding of the Moslem world. It is a sad day for the world when rights are infringed particularly of women. However with the rise of the right in the USA the democratic world is catching up fast. Tolerance of others is lost this author's attempt to understand is helpful but probably futile.
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- KonradTurner
- 03-06-2019
Simply brilliant
Thought provoking and beautifully written with passion,logic and compassion. A must read for all women
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- Ariaan
- 16-09-2023
Brilliant Exposé of how Religion Suppresses Women
Even though women are still struggling for equality today in our society (20 years later) and even though domestic violence particularly towards women is still a reality in our communities we are able to publish and read and protest against these horrors without being killed ourselves !!! Everyone needs to read Geraldine Brooks’s book !!!
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