Nine Parts of Desire
The Hidden World of Islamic Women
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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 LtdListeners also enjoyed...
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- Unabridged
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Zainab Salbi was 11-years-old when her father was chosen to serve as Saddam Hussein's personal pilot, her family often forced to spend weekends with Saddam where he watched their every move. As a palace insider, Zainab offers a singular glimpse of what it is like to come of age under a dictator and provides an intimate portrait of the man she was taught to call "uncle". She watched as Saddam pitted friends, spouses, and even children against each other to compete for his approval.
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An excellent history lesson
- By Ella on 12-01-09
By: Zainab Salbi, and others
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The Ayatollah Begs to Differ
- The Paradox of Modern Iran
- By: Hooman Majd
- Narrated by: Hooman Majd
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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The grandson of an eminent ayatollah and the son of an Iranian diplomat, journalist Hooman Majd is uniquely qualified to explain contemporary Iran's complex and misunderstood culture to Western listeners. The Ayatollah Begs to Differ provides an intimate look at a paradoxical country that is both deeply religious and highly cosmopolitan, authoritarian yet informed by a history of democratic and reformist traditions.
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Good book that dodges some tougher questions
- By Walter on 08-30-09
By: Hooman Majd
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The Wind in My Hair
- My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran
- By: Masih Alinejad
- Narrated by: Linda Henning
- Length: 14 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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A photo on Masih's Facebook page: a woman standing proudly, face bare, hair blowing in the wind. Her crime: removing her veil, or hijab, which is compulsory for women in Iran. This is the self-portrait that sparked "My Stealthy Freedom", a social media campaign that went viral. But Masih is so much more than the arresting face that sparked a campaign inspiring women to find their voices. She's also a world-class journalist whose personal story, told in her unforgettably bold and spirited voice, is emotional and inspiring.
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An inspiring journey
- By Krishna Teja Rekapalli on 01-06-19
By: Masih Alinejad
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City of Lies
- Love, Sex, Death, and the Search for Truth in Tehran
- By: Ramita Navai
- Narrated by: Sylvia Lisle
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In today's Tehran, intrigues abound and survival depends on an intricate network of falsehoods: mullahs visit prostitutes, local mosques train barely pubescent boys in crowd-control tactics, and cosmetic surgeons promise to restore girls' virginity. Navai paints an intimate portrait of those discreet recesses in a city where the difference between modesty and profanity, loyalty and betrayal, honor and disgrace is often no more than the believability of a lie.
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Impossible to Put Down
- By Leonard on 10-19-14
By: Ramita Navai
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Arab and Jew
- Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land
- By: David K. Shipler
- Narrated by: Robert Blumenfeld
- Length: 27 hrs and 55 mins
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David Shipler delves into the origins of the prejudices of Jews and Arabs that have been intensified by war, terrorism, and nationalism. Focusing on the diverse cultures that exist side by side in Israel and Israeli-controlled territories, Shipler examines the process of indoctrination that begins in schools; he discusses the far ranging effects of socioeconomic differences, historical conflicts between Islam and Judaism, attitudes about the Holocaust, and much more.
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'Arab and Jew' Needs a Good Editor
- By Robert W. Gillespie on 10-23-03
By: David K. Shipler
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Daring to Drive
- A Saudi Woman's Awakening
- By: Manal al-Sharif
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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A ferociously intimate memoir by a devout woman from a modest family in Saudi Arabia who became the unexpected leader of a courageous movement to support women's right to drive.
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The rain begins with a single drop
- By Sara on 07-01-17
By: Manal al-Sharif
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A Moonless, Starless Sky
- Ordinary Women and Men Fighting Extremism in Africa
- By: Alexis Okeowo
- Narrated by: Kamali Minter
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
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In A Moonless, Starless Sky Okeowo weaves together four narratives that form a powerful tapestry of modern Africa: a young couple, kidnap victims of Joseph Kony's LRA; a Mauritanian waging a lonely campaign against modern-day slavery; a women's basketball team flourishing amid war-torn Somalia; and a vigilante who takes up arms against the extremist group Boko Haram.
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Amazing and Inspirational Stories
- By F L. on 01-01-18
By: Alexis Okeowo
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Inside the Kingdom
- Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia
- By: Robert Lacey
- Narrated by: Robert Lacey
- Length: 13 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Robert Lacey tells us what happened in the Middle East's oil-rich powerhouse---while we weren't looking.
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Inside the Kingdom
- By Ibrahim on 03-19-10
By: Robert Lacey
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I Am a Bacha Posh
- My Life as a Woman Living as a Man in Afghanistan
- By: Ukmina Manoori, Stephanie Lebrun, Peter E. Chianchiano - translator
- Narrated by: Ariana Delawari
- Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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"You will be a son, my daughter." With these stunning words Ukmina learned that she was to spend her childhood as a boy. In Afghanistan there is a widespread practice of girls dressing as boys to play the role of a son. These children are called bacha posh: literally "girls dressed as boys." This practice offers families the freedom to allow their child to shop and work - and in some cases, it saves them from the disgrace of not having a male heir. But in adolescence, religion restores the natural law.
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Good story, awful pronunciation
- By Anonymous User on 04-19-21
By: Ukmina Manoori, and others
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Princess
- A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
- By: Jean Sasson
- Narrated by: Catherine Byers
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Princess describes the life of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband, and her country. Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: 13-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age; young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "women's room". Princess is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and courage.
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Good story but...
- By Jay Friedman on 07-25-14
By: Jean Sasson
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Mighty Be Our Powers
- How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War; a Memoir
- By: Leymah Gbowee, Carol Mithers
- Narrated by: Kimberly Scott
- Length: 9 hrs and 6 mins
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As a young woman growing up in Africa, 17-year-old Leymah Gbowee was crushed by a savage war when violence reached her native Monrovia, depriving her of the education she yearned for and claiming the lives of relatives and friends. As war continued to ravage Liberia, Gbowee’s bitterness turned to rage-fueled action as she realized that women bear the greatest burden in prolonged conflicts.
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Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and
- By Kathy on 10-07-11
By: Leymah Gbowee, and others
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What listeners say about Nine Parts of Desire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Minivan Lee
- 10-03-12
I would read this again.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
.
Any additional comments?
I love Geraldine Brooks. I read "Year of Wonders" and was hooked on this author. She is also the narrator in that book as well. Geraldine is a superb author and, quite frankly, her voice soothes me. It does. I learned much about Islam and the dark under belly of that religion, but also the lives of women in the Middle East. Geraldine is my favorite author to day
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4 people found this helpful
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- Maureen L.
- 11-22-20
A good read
A glimpse into a world where few foreigners get a chance to experience. Touching in places and horrific in others. A definite conversation starter.
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- Happy in Philly
- 06-10-20
Engaging and informative
The narrators voice is very engaging and I was led onward into the story because of her cadence and tone.
The stories were troublesome and enlightening throughout the entire book! I am looking forward to listening to this non-fiction publication and have recommended it to numerous women friends!
Thank you so much for such a thorough book for those of us who see this topic as an unknown territory. I think those who do know it will find it extremely informative as well!
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- Verna
- 09-26-13
Auto-ethnography and good research
Would you listen to Nine Parts of Desire again? Why?
I've listened to this book several times and found something new in each re-telling. It's powerful because much of the book is drawn from Ms Brooks' own experience, then it's coupled with some excellent research of the context. So the book has strong credibility. She's not judgemental in the telling - it's a finely drawn balance of experience, what others say, her opinion, and giving the other side of the story. Well done on this one!
What was one of the most memorable moments of Nine Parts of Desire?
The discussion about female genital mutilation, the clear assertion that this has nothing to do with Islam (which I knew - it's also practiced in other communities, includeing some christian communities; it's more a cultural practice). But it was Ms Brooks' lived experience in many islamic countries that makes the book memorable. Her descriptions of the 'unveiling' of women - their private lives.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I found I wanted to tap into this book at intervals. It was thought-provoking, so needed some 'soak time' to enable me to digest the messages.
Any additional comments?
Good on Ms Brooks reading her own book. Given it's her story that's appropriate. She's not the best narrator in the universe, but does a very reasonable job. Knowing it was her voice delivering her story and her message gives the book additional credibility in this audio version.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Beatriz
- 03-09-17
A good book badly read.
I am very curious about the lives of women in Islamic countries, that's why I bought this book but I got somehow lost among so many names and other unimportant information that permeates the narrative of very interesting facts. In my opinion, although the overall review of the book is good, Ms Brooks's reading is really discouraging! She reads in a very monotonous voice and doesn't pronounce the whole sentences in a clear and vivid way, as it should be to grasp the listener's attention. She reads her own book as if she was tired and bored of it. This book deserved a better performance.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jana R Kelley
- 12-31-18
Very informative
The author seems to try to write objectively and I appreciate that. She has lots of personal experience which adds so much to this. This should be required reading for any woman moving to the Middle East.
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-24-23
excellent, thought-provoking
I wasn't sure about this book when my Book Club chose it, but I am glad and more knowledgeable now after reading it!
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- CW
- 06-24-21
As an Iranian woman born a few years after the revolution
I have read this book with skepticism. A book that tells the story of women in countries like my homeland, written 2 decades ago can be damaging to the image of the people of these countries. But I should say the book was fair, and true to the parts I could judge. I loved her narration and her perspective.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Curious in TN
- 08-23-24
I fell asleep repeatedly while listening
This did provide important glimpses into how women in Middle Eastern countries were living 20 years ago. But somehow I found it hard to stay focused while listening.
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- Carl
- 12-30-13
Well worth your time
Geraldine spent many years living in the middle east meeting with the important men of the day and many of their wives or widows as well as the everyday women in all walks of life. She goes back to the Qumran and compares what it says with the various practices in countries. She follows successful women who take the veil as well as other women trying to throw it off.
It has been updated and she discusses the trend toward conservative thought.
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2 people found this helpful