A Thousand Veils

Reviewed by Jaglvr for TeensReadToo.com

A THOUSAND VEILS is not a traditional young adult book. But the story will have appeal for older teens as well as adults. In our post 9/11 days, the cultures of the Middle East and America are extremely separate.

D. J. Murphy writes a compelling and page-turning suspense novel. A note on the copyright page alerts the reader that the events are inspired by and in part based on a true story. Having read that notice, I was skeptical on how the story would present itself. I shouldn't have doubted Murphy's ability to craft an amazing tale.

The reader is captured from the first pages. Fatima Shihabi is awakened during the night by a cryptic phone call. She knows immediately that her life is in danger and she must flee within the hour. From that moment on, the story unfolds with heart-stopping terror and anticipation.

Fatima has grown up in Iraq and loves her country and her family with all her heart. What she doesn't love is the deterioration of her culture under Saddam Hussein's regime. As a writer, she has been able to publish women and children interest stories in her country. But after subtly injecting a jab at the government in one of her articles, she is imprisoned and tortured. Only by her brother's connections in the government is she freed.

After her scare, she returns to fluff pieces that will not get her into trouble. But that doesn't last long, and after the fateful call, she is on a journey for her freedom and her life.

With a call to her brother Omar in the United States, Fatima's life falls into the hands of an unlikely Wall Street lawyer, Charles Sherman. Charles is known for his big corporate deals, not for pro-bono refugee work. But his boss and mentor, Art, believes Charles is the right one for the case, having spent many years in Saudi Arabia brokering deals for the Arabs. Unknowingly, Charles is not content with his current life. Taking on Fatima's case will cause a life-altering change.

Charles and Fatima eventually meet on foreign soil and, through intellectual conversations, they come to know and love each other. Fatima points out the failings of the United States government, while giving insight into the women and the culture she has lived and loved. Charles returns repeatedly to his fascination with the veils that the women in Fatima's culture use to cover themselves. Fatima opens Charles' eyes, revealing that everyone wears a veil of some creation.

Murphy weaves the story beautifully. It captures the human spirit of survival and perseverance. Each character discovers hidden strengths and abilities that they never knew they had. The persecution and resistance Fatima encounters in every step of her journey will inflame the reader, and the ending will leave you amazed at the human spirit.

Veils that mask the human condition

Fatima Shihabi was a child of the Iraqi desert, its 'veiled promises' providing abundant inspiration for her poetry. Fatima lived a Muslim woman's dual life under the veil, outwardly anonymous in the black abayah but strongly creative and individualistic in her inner life. After a brutal but brief marriage Fatima raises her daughter in Baghdad, completing her education and writing for a daily newspaper. In 2002 her writings about the conditions of life in Iraq bring her, disastrously, to the attention of the brutal Hussein regime. Forced to flee the country, she is captured and imprisoned in Saudi Arabia and about to be transported back to Baghdad where torture and death will be her inevitable fate. Fatima's urgent case lands on the desk of Charles Sherman, a Wall Street lawyer and deal-maker. From the beginning, even from so far away, he is intrigued with Fatima's story and highly motivated to bring her to the West where she can be safe and resume her powerful writing. The suspense and pathos of this story have been effectively told by other reviewers like them, I was enthralled with every aspect. The characterizations and plot are beautifully handled, with a lyrical yet crisp prose perfectly suited to the mystery and allure of Fatima's story. Charles himself has his own terrors, stemming from the disaster of September 2001 and his subsequent rethinking of his lifestyle and career priorities. A few themes set 'A Thousand Veils' in a class of its own. For example, Fatima gives voice in her poetry and her life to the Muslim ideals so perverted by the totalitarian regimes we abhor. The author handles this theme so sensitively that the reader is challenged to stand outside the usual front-page perspective -- but always with a pathway to compassionate understanding. We see the extremes of human behavior and everything in between: cruelty, indifference, tolerance, and selflessness. Read this book with no partisan preconceptions. For me, the author's tour de force is the use of the veil as a metaphor for a lack of self-awareness: the veil as disguise, as protection strips torn from a veil binding Charles's wounds the veil as both giver and taker of freedom. Through his sacrifice for Fatima, Charles learns to throw off his own veils, '...the veils of capitalistic success, material possessions, and even conventionality itself -- veils that served only to mask the predicament of the human condition... ' (p. 389) This subtle thread is a highly effective integrating factor throughout the book. Author D.J. Murphy called on his credentials as a corporate lawyer and an advocate for refugees seeking asylum. With this first novel he gives us a fascinating story, unforgettable characters, and some mind-stretching themes that deserve to see the light of day. A Thousand Veils does what the best books do: leaves you satisfied yet wishing for more. Highly recommended Linda Bulger, 2008

A gripping, timely tale! My pick for best debut novel so far in 2008.

Right up front, I'd like to say that if there were more than five stars this is one of the rare books I would give them to! It's fabulous! I kid you not! ¿¿¿ Author D. J. Murphy has written the best debut novel I've read so far in 2008. Set in 2002, 'A Thousand Veils' is a timely book about Fatima Shihabi, an Iraqi poet and journalist who has been marked for death by Saddam Hussein's secret police. Having had a happy childhood with good parents and adoring brothers, Fatima has always been independent and grows to hold strong opinions about women's rights ... which gets her into trouble on more than one occasion in a society that suppresses women. ¿¿¿ Fatima is forced to marry a sadistic older man who beats and abuses her, ultimately divorcing her when she gives birth to a girl instead of the son he so desperately wants. During the marriage, her only solace is writing poetry. Ironically, the divorce frees her. ¿¿¿ One of her beloved brothers helps her enter the university where her writing catches the eye of teachers who encourage her to publish some articles abroad, under a pseudonym. Her free-thinking writing is the initial cause of her troubles. ¿¿¿ At one time, Hussein's police arrest and torture her, but finally release her. Many women revere her for her writing and many kindnesses to them, so one of them alerts her that they are coming to arrest her again. With help from underground acquaintances, this brave, determined woman escapes the country. Getting out is an emotional as well as physical ordeal because she is forced to leave her young daughter behind. ¿¿¿ What does she do when no country is willing to accept her? Why isn't she allowed to go to her older brother in the United States? Does she ever get her daughter back? What happens when the brother finally catches the attention of Charles Sherman, a Wall Street lawyer with Iraqi connections. And how does Charles at last break through the wall of resistance on her behalf, then insist on meeting her in Paris. ¿¿¿ A bond develops between them and Charles defies all odds to keep Fatima safe. Could it be love in bloom? Well, you'll have to read for yourself to find out more. ¿¿¿ This is a high-drama story filled with intrigue of the highest degree, depravity beyond human comprehension, kindness born of desperation, of love beyond measure. A story of a resourceful Iraqi woman and a determined American lawyer, bound by their common humanity. A gripping story that will enthrall you from beginning to end. ¿¿¿ Author D. J. Murphy writes with a powerful voice that resonates with authenticity. His style is smooth and seemingly effortless, making me feel as though I were there with the characters as they move from one exciting locale to another: Saudi Arabia, Baghdad, the French Alps, New York, Paris. The book's authenticity is partly because Murphy is a retired International lawyer whose practice included representation of refugees seeking asylum in the United States, partly because Murphy interviewed many refugees and was inspired by a true story. ¿¿¿ (End note: Although a completely different story, this book reminds me of my choice for debut novel of 2006, 'Echoes from the Infantry: A Novel' by Frank Nappi, a school teacher from Long Island. Nappi interviewed U.S. veterans from World War II for his story about the aftermath of war on the families of service people.) Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, 2008 Author of: 1106 Grand Boulevard

The Post 9/11 World, Both Realistic and Romanticized

This is the riveting story of an Iraqi writer escaping the tyranny of Saddam Hussein's regime one year after the events of September 11th, and the American attorney caught up in her case. Fatima Shihabi is a beautiful young woman and gifted poet, who like many Iraqi women of her generation, is born into extremely limiting circumstances. Forced into an arranged marriage and then divorced when she produces a daughter 'Latifa' rather than a son, she's taken in by one of her kind brothers and manages to get an education and a position with Iraq's government-controlled newspaper, Babel. As a professional journalist she writes about the plight of her fellow countrymen, doing her best to infiltrate the work with both genuine praise to Allah and false praise Hussein's regime. And even though she manages to keep her revealing, personal poetry a secret, she's soon discovered as a threat and an enemy, tortured and marked for death because of her writing and because of information that is revealed to her. Meanwhile back in New York, Charles Sherman, a hard-working, hotshot attorney and 9/11 survivor, is asked to take the case of her potential asylum pro-bono. He's in the midst of a career make-or-break contract negotiation and has a rather rocky romance to deal with as well. Because of his inordinate number of appropriate worldwide contacts and his highly likeable and heroic nature, he's the perfect man for the job Thoroughly taken in by the story, I found it hard to put down this book. At times, however, I felt the minute-to-minute details burdensome and wished the story moved more quickly. Other times I felt the urge to get out my editor's red pen and turn five words into one, and cut blocks of copy where it bogged down. Also, I'm all for word wealth, but this reading experience sent me to my dictionary a few times when lofty vocabulary words were used in place of simpler 'more readable' selections, particularly in the beginning. Fortunately, this technique subsided after the first few chapters and I was pleased to learn some basics regarding the Sunni and Shiite differences and conflicts, and consider the differences between American and Muslim cultures. They, by the way are better illustrated through simple character development than Fatima's preaching, but at least it made Charles all the more likeable--and believable--particularly as he's taken in by Fatima's obsidian eyes and her sometimes strong, sometimes wavering resolve. She, nevertheless, is a classic tragic heroine--hence the romanticism of this modern story. D.J. Murphy is clearly a writing talent and I appreciate time spent reading A Thousand Veils. Very well done.

A Thousand Veils

A Thousand Veils, by D.J. Murphy: Fatima, an Iraqi poet and dissident, flees persecution by Saddam Hussein, crossing the desert at night, desperately seeking a visa to a safe country, but pursued by the Iraqi secret police at every step. Charles, an American lawyer, stepping outside his usual role of high Wall Street finance, tries to gain entry for her, despite continual obstruction by immigration officials in several countries. Their entwined stories form the basis of this fascinating book. The author obviously has a deep personal knowledge both of everyday life in Iraq, and of the halls of power of Wall Street lawyers and financiers, a most unusual combination that produces a remarkable book. Crisply written, fast-moving, picaresque and yet poetic, it is a page-turner. Highly recommended.

A Thousand Veils, a must read!

D. J. Murphy has produced a suspenseful masterpiece that is likely to endure for generations. As the author metes out colorful geographic description for the diverse settings, he also refreshes memories with pertinent historic and early 21st century events. The story¿s 2002 time horizon is post-9/11, pre-American invasion of Iraq. ¿A Thousand Veils,¿ based in part on a true story, has it all ¿ intense emotion, love, suspense, drama, action richly conveyed in highly descriptive prose, complemented with gems of beautiful poetry reflecting Fatima Shihabi¿s life of struggle under often difficult mores and the oppressive regime of Sadaam Hussein. Her interaction with Charles Sherman, a high-profile corporate attorney, in a quest to escape the ubiquitous secret police of Sadaam, to seek a life where she can write truthfully without censorship, and contribute to the cause of human rights for her countrymen, takes the reader on a series of adventures that will both captivate and charge emotions. Each short, breathtaking chapter leads to the next. You will not want to put this novel down. For those of us who have, since 9/11, quite naturally come to view Middle Eastern culture in general, and Islam in particular, with suspicion, this tome should broaden our prospective somewhat while affording a better understanding of our disparate cultures. Bob McGlasson Masonville, Colorado March 13, 2008

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