A review by aloozahra
The Corpse Washer by Sinan Antoon

4.0

This novel is worth reading because it is a testament to the importance of literature and its ability to teach readers about historical and contemporary realities, although sometimes wrapped in a fictitious package. Through Jawad’s character, a young aspiring artist from Baghdad forced to continue his family's corpse-washing tradition, [a:Sinan Antoon|74305|Sinan Antoon|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1390004957p2/74305.jpg] does a wonderful job of introducing readers to some of the political and societal issues faced by the Iraqi people before, during, and after the U.S. Occupation, narrowing them down to how they affect the individual, the smallest unit of society. However, Jawad, as a first-person narrator, can only describe his surroundings insofar as he understands them himself, meaning that he does not necessarily understand the larger forces at work that he is embroiled in. This may require the reader to do some outside research to understand some of the events the author alludes to. That being said, the novel introduces the reader to many significant issues within Iraqi society. Most importantly, it provides the American reader in particular a wonderful opportunity to glimpse the life of an Iraqi, and possibly identify with that character as someone who also experiences love, loss, passion, loneliness, and many other human experiences.