Heather Raffo's 9 Parts of Desire

by Heather Raffo

As topical as today's newspaper headlines, these rich monologues bring to life nine distinct Iraqi women whose very different stories convey the complex and harrowing reality of being female in modern-day Iraq. Their monologues quickly become a series of overlapping conversations leading to a breakdown in communication as the chaos of Iraq intensifies. Layal is a sexy and impulsive painter favored by Saddam's regime, breezily bohemian one minute and defensive the next; another woman mourns the death of her family in a 1991 bunker, and another--a blond American of Iraqi descent--painfully recalls a telephone conversation with Baghdad relatives on the eve of the U. S. invasion. Other characters decry the savagery of Saddam Hussein in terrifying detail and express an ambivalent relief at the American presence; still others--like a Bedouin woman searching for love--transcend politics.

The title comes from the teachings of the seventh-century imam Ali ibn Abu "God created sexual desire in ten parts; then he gave nine parts to women and one part to men." Heather Raffo's monologues weave these nine parts into a finely textured, brilliantly colorful tapestry of feminine longing in dire times. This compassionate and heart-breaking work will forever change your view of Iraqi women and the people of the Middle East.

Genres: Plays, Theatre, Poetry, Fiction, Drama

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ahmed · Rating 5 out of 5]

من خلال حوارات مع النفس لتسع سيدات عراقيات، نشعر معهن بآلام القهر والظلم، ونسمع دوي القذائف حين تسحق الأبرياء، استطاعت الكاتبة من خلال لقاءات حقيقية مع العراقيات إبان حرب الخليج مرورًا بحصار العراق وانتهاءً بسقوط صدام أن تضفر رغباتهن في الأمان أو الحب أو مجرد الحياة، هذه المسرحية قُدمت على المسارح الأمريكية، متزامنة مع أحداثها، ويتم التعديل فيها حسب مجريات وتطورات الأوضاع، فجاء النص نابضًا بالحيوية..

[annika · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!

Constructs a beautiful mosaic out of the stories of these 9 distinct, yet inherently connected women. The stories are tragic, but Raffo makes sure each woman will be remembered for being full of love and life.

Never read anything like it. So very good!

Note: I read the revised edition published by Dramatists Play Service Inc in 2006 which I could not find on Goodreads.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for school. I never read plays. We did get a chance to see Heather Raffo perform parts of this play. It was simply moving. Heather has taken a daring look at the life of Iraqy women in her one-woman play. Her characters have depth and they get at so many truths it's hard to read without crying, even harder to see performed without crying.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this play performed (not by Heather) at UCSC a few months ago. I've never been so moved by a performance. I got the book and read it. I've given it to a friend to see how well the play comes across in reading.

[Karima Hussein · Rating 4 out of 5]

"ومع أصدقائه خلعوا ملابسها ودهنوها بالعسل وجلسوا يشاهدون كلابه وهى تلتهمها
فى لوحتى هى الغصن الممتلئ ،الذي يميل فوق الكلاب النابحة
لكنهم لا يستطيعون الوصول إليها ، مهما كان جوعهم
إلا إذا تعلموا كيف يتسلقونها ، لكنهم كلاب ولن يفعلوا"

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hope so dearly to see this in live play form some day. A moving, painful, brilliant play centered around 9 Iraqi women and their voices and lives as they intersect with war, invasion, and brutality. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

[Mohit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Missed out on the play, so picked up the book.
Better suited to a play format than to read.

[khara rosebrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful. just realized my secondhand copy is signed by raffo herself and i feel deeply honored.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

i really enjoyed reading this and the characters were well developed

[Tati Arias · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredible play!

[Octavia]

Trigger warning for some pretty graphic images. A very interesting solo show (i wonder who it’ll pass onto…?) She came to class today!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

“we don’t do that in the west
cliffs, are we all made of cliffs?”

[Vera Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to state right up front that I saw a performance of the chamber version by Heather Raffo, rather than reading the script. That means that a) I was seeing the author's intention, rather than imagining it from the written word and b) I am not familiar with the entire work in the play.

I was planning a trip to Carmel, and my sister-in-law suggested we go to a one-woman play called 9 Parts of Desire . The materials promoting that play say it is based on the characters in Geraldine Brooks' book, Nine Parts of Desire . Turns out the connection between book and play are thin.

We saw Heather Raffo perform a chamber version of her work, enhanced by musical accompaniment on an Iranian instrument similar to a xylophone. Raffo morphed into various Iranian women–-one surely her own younger self. Playing an Iranian American in her teens she suffers through TV reports of war in the Middle East. In a captivating performance, Raffo makes distinct characters out of minimal changes in a black garment and in her stance and voice. You Tube has some clips of performances of this play, some by more than one person, but the one-woman show better demonstrates the universality of the themes. If you have an opportunity, do see the stage performance of 9 Parts of Desire .

However, despite the fact it speaks with women's voices and has almost the same title, the play is not at all the same as Geraldine Brook's book. The stage performance focuses on just Iran and Iraq and carries an anti-war message. Brooks’ book is set earlier and concerns women in several countries. The focus of the book is treatment of women under Islam. The play is about women in wartime.

While both may contribute to our understanding of the lives of Muslim women, the play 9 Parts of Desire loses track of the message about women's lives in its eagerness to deliver an anti-war message.

This is part of a review published at A Traveler's Library. Read more.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book! This had been sitting on my shelf for ages and I grabbed it just because it was lightweight and I could read and dispose of it on a flight. Who knew I would end up wanting the flight to continue just so I could read more. I expected something dry and school-book like, albeit informative. This journalist-author gave me not only griping information in a great prose, but also a feeling that I now had known many types of Muslim women, if only for an instant. I read of tradition and freedom and the desire for both, equally and separately. I have already recommended this book and passed it along. What a great and quick read to get so much.

[Terry Grish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but I think fundamentally biased look at Muslim women by an American journalist. I never felt I had a clue into the reasoning of the Muslim women. All was overshadowed by the author's disbelief that any woman would choose to live as a Muslim woman in the circumstances presented in these profiles.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would love to see this performed. I loved reading it, but I can't help but feel that something is lost.

[Greta]

Cover image:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I...

Go see this play, it's AMAZING!

[Luna Selene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had absolutely beautiful symbolism and language and was incredibly captivating. A new personal favorite.

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye opening, astonishing, painful, and beautiful. Will ALWAYS recommend.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional play, invoking memories from Iraq.

[Fred Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A one-actress, nine-character play about women in Iraq. I liked it okay, but as I was reading I kept thinking it would be much, much, much better to see it on stage.

[Jess Furtado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm speechless. I have yet to read a play as powerful as 9 Parts of Desire.

[Noha El-hafez]

this wonderful piece is included in my Ph.D on which I'm working now
it's amazing

[Ahmed Elkhatib · Rating 3 out of 5]

انعكاس الحرب على الموجودات حولنا...هذا كان لسان حال هذه المسرحية ذات الممثل الواحد.

مسرحية تسعة أجزاء من الرغبة، مسرحية تصف وتخلق الفضاء الذي تظهر فيه صور معاناة السيدات العراقيات جلية خلال حرب الخليج واحتلال أمريكا للعراق، فتدقق النظر وترثي حالة السيدات العراقيات، هذا الجنس الناعم الذي كان يواجه ميزان بكفتين كلاهما سواء، كلاهما قبيح وقميء، كلاهما ثوب مُهلهل، صدام من الداخل وأمريكا بالقصف من الخارج.

الكاتبة النصف عراقية والنصف أمريكية تعرض لنا مسرحية مكونة من 9 شخصيات ذات أبعاد مختلفة، مبنية على مقابلات حقيقية مع عدة نساء عراقيات، مسنودة بزيارات وحكايات مروية بألسنة مكوية مُقيدة.
كل الأحوال والطرق تؤدي إلى نفس الدرب المخيف، تناقش المسرحية مشاكل السيدات العراقيات بقيودهن وقمعهن بشكل يحد من حريتهن
لا، بل يمحي مصطلح الحرية من عقولهن

تناقش الرواية عدة أفكار مصبوبة في قالب الحرية، التي تقول بلسان حالها "الحرية بالخارج مزعومة وبالداخل مهدومة، لذا أبقى في بلدي أفضل من خداع نفسي بالخارج"
أبدعت الكاتبة في خلق الشخصيات، ووضع الشخصيات في القالب الحقيقي للمشكلة، ووصف المعاناة بشكل ممتاز.
ليست الأفضل ولكني أحببتها
المسرحية جيدة لكن التنسيق والترجمة كانوا متوسطين.