The Watermelon Boys
Eileen Charbonneau, The Historical Novel Review
“This is the history and point of view of British intervention in Iraq that is seldom seen. Beautifully rendered in rich and evocative prose, Carwyn, Ahmad and his rich-in-love-and-humor family and friends come alive in a way that lifts the soul and sears the heart.”
The Historical Novel Review
"An extraordinary debut. Beautifully rendered in rich and evocative prose, ... [comes] alive in a way that lifts the soul and sears the heart. Highly recommended."
Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Book
“Insofar as English-speaking world knows about the Great War in what was then called “the Near East”, the stories tends to center on various tellings of the life and exploits of Lawrence of Arabia or the Battle of Gallipoli. Izzidien tells another part of the story, that of the the Baghdadis and the establishment of Iraq, actions and events whose consequences have destabilized the Middle East ever since.”
Amena Ravat, Al Araby
“The book shows the fallout that the war had on a handful of Baghdadi individuals, the violence that ensued, ending in death for some and the promise of a new life for others.”
The Watermelon Boys
Read sample of this bookIt is the winter of 1915 and Iraq has been engulfed by the First World War. Hungry for independence from Ottoman rule, Ahmad leaves his peaceful family life on the banks of the Tigris to join the British-led revolt. Thousands of miles away, Welsh teenager Carwyn reluctantly enlists and is sent, via Gallipoli and Egypt, to the Mesopotamia campaign.
Carwyn’s and Ahmad’s paths cross, and their fates are bound together. Both are forever changed, not only by their experience of war, but also by the parallel discrimination and betrayal they face.
Ruqaya Izzidien’s evocative debut novel is rich with the heartbreak and passion that arise when personal loss and political zeal collide, and offers a powerful retelling of the history of British intervention in Iraq.
Winner of the 2019 Betty Trask Awards.
- The American University in Cairo Press (2018)
Viola Hayden
viola.hayden@curtisbrown.co.uk
Curtis Brown
Haymarket House
28 -29 Haymarket
London SW1Y 4SP
+44 (0)20 7393 4391
Arabic (Arab Scientific Publishers, Lebanon)
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Reviews
“This is the history and point of view of British intervention in Iraq that is seldom seen. Beautifully rendered in rich and evocative prose, Carwyn, Ahmad and his rich-in-love-and-humor family and friends come alive in a way that lifts the soul and sears the heart.”
Read more reviewsEileen Charbonneau, The Historical Novel Review