The White Zone

by Carolyn Marsden

Nouri and his cousin Talib can only vaguely remember a time before tanks rumbled over the streets of their Baghdad neighborhood―when books, not bombs, ruled Mutanabbi Street. War has been the backdrop of their young lives. And now Iraq isn't just at war with Americans. It's at war with itself. Sunnis fight Shiites, and the strife is at the boys' doorsteps. Nouri is Shiite and Talib is half Sunni. To the boys, it seems like only a miracle can mend the rift that is tearing a country and a family apart.

In early 2008, Iraq experienced a miracle. Snow fell in Baghdad for the first time in living memory. As snow covered the dusty streets, the guns in the city grew silent and there was an unofficial ceasefire. During these magical minutes, Sunni and Shiite differences were forgotten. There was no green zone, no red zone. There was only the white zone.

Against this real-life backdrop, Nouri and Talib begin to imagine a world after the war.

Genres: Middle East, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Carolyn Marsden was born in Mexico City to missionary parents. She has been a writer all her life, but THE GOLD-THREADED DRESS is her first book. About THE GOLD-THREADED DRESS she says, "I wrote this story when my half-Thai daughter was being teased at school. As a parent and elementary school teacher, I watched her struggle to establish a cultural identity. I became fascinated with a conflict that is common to many children in our increasingly diverse United States." Carolyn Marsden has an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College. After spending the last twenty-five years in Tucson, Arizona, Carolyn Marsden now lives by the ocean with her husband and two daughters.

Reviews

[Cole Shepherd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, unique to anything I have read before. I would consider reading more books like this, but they would not be my first choice. The White Zone was published in 2012. Author Carolyn Marsden has written many other books about minority children struggling with their identity. In this book, the point of view switches between two characters, Talib and Nouri, between chapters. The only problem with this is that the reader has to actively be searching for the point of view to understand which character they are currently reading from. The White Zone is about two cousins, Nouri and Talib. The two religious sects within Islam, Shiite and Sunni, are at war. Nouri is Shiite and Talib is half of each. Nouri and his friends bully Talib. The conflicts between the two sects become so heated that Talib's family is forced to move. The characters are well developed. Plenty of information is given about the family of each character. They are not very relatable due to the fact that they live in a third world country in the midst of war. The plot is original to any book I have read. Based on military novels that I have read, this seems to be a realistic and authentic plot. Geography plays a large role in this book. The war zone keeps expanding to new parts of the city. This is not similar to any books I have read before, but it certain specific events parallel parts of other books I have read. Such as internal family conflict and bullying. Other books by Carolyn Marsden are very similar to this book. They all feature a minority child trying to fit into a society that does not want him. The reader should be aware of scenes of violence and descriptions of their aftermath. The war in Iraq is occurring during the events of this book. The theme of this novel is that no one should turn on their family no matter what they believe. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys history. While the story is not true it gives cultural information on Iraq and gives information about America's occupation of Iraq. This is good for advanced students because, even though it is short, its multiple point of view changes make it a challenging read.

[Cameron Shankle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Witch and Wizard is a book by the famous author James Patterson meant for teens to read and enjoy. The story is about teens getting attacked, as well as getting accused of being witches and wizards. They also get torn away from their families and are getting slammed into a prison. The genre of this book would be both fiction and fantasy. I say this because the book goes through a story of teens being accused of being witches and wizards. This meaning it’s fantasy because it talks about witches and wizards, and it is fiction because this didn’t actually happen in the past and is made up.
This story goes through the life of a sister and her brother named Whit and Wisty. They got torn away from their parents, thrown into prison, and got accused of being a witch and a wizard. Then they might eventually get publicly executed if a regime doesn’t rise. They aren’t alone in this terrifying predicament. Thousands kids and teens have been kidnapped. Some of them were accused of being witches and wizards, while others remain missing and never to be found again. Most of these teens who weren’t missing would get publicly executed, and no one in the crowd would even think about shedding a tear or protesting against this unruly act. The people in the crowd would actually cheer and be joyful when these kids who were supposedly witches and wizards got executed.
I would give this book a four-star rating. I gave this book a four star because it was well written and has a good story. The book could be easily relatable since it goes through a story of young teens that are kind of like outcast to the eyes of the people throwing them into prison. The teens are very fearful and have everyone against them. This makes it relatable because some teens in today's world feel like an outcast and have everyone against them with little help. One thing that you will keep guessing about is will the young teens band together to stop this crazy act for good or will they slowly get picked off one by one through the act of public execution. The book is also very well written. It was written allows the reader to be able to come to a stop instead of being forced to read for hours just to find a good place to stop. I would strongly recommend Witch and Wizard by James Patterson to young readers, but it is a great book for anyone to read.

[Rida (Raindrop Reflections) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review copy was provided by NetGalley.

I don’t normally review middle grade books. Heck, I rarely read middle grade books these days. But I was genuinely curious about the state of Iraq after Saddam Hussein, after the American troops, after, well, everything. And if you’re hoping for the same, this book paints a scarily descriptive picture.

Other than getting a closer look at Iraq than you ever will through news stations, I was awakened to an issue I didn’t know was such a huge problem in Iraq: the Sunni-Shia conflict.

I’m not going to voice my thoughts on that conflict, because they’re a tad too political, but all I’ll say is: why?

For those of you who don’t know, Sunnis and Shiites are two sects of Islam, differing because of a political rift at the beginning of Islam.
The White Zone deals with the Sunni-Shia conflict in great detail. The book alternates between Nouri, a Shiite boy, and his cousin Talib, who’s half Sunni and half Shia. And something intriguing is going on in Iraq: it’s the Sunnis who’re being discriminated against. That’s generally not what happens in the rest of the world.

I felt most for poor Talib. As if it wasn’t strange enough being both Sunni and Shia- just because of his mother’s sect, even his cousins turn against him. I was tempted to give Nouri a good hard scolding for some of the cruel things he said to Talib, but uh, they’re ten years old. I don’t remember being too smart at that age.

In a war, it’s the children that suffer the most. They grow up to the sound of bombs. They mistake tracer fire for shooting stars. They walk around used to tanks patrolling streets and police officers at every turn. They’re surrounded by death and hate and destruction. It’s no way to grow up.

And I’d like to share a couple of quotes from The White Zone that made me a little sniffly. These are from an uncorrected proof, mind, so they might change by the release date.

As they drew closer to Baghdad, the sky ahead burned with the green flash of tracer fire. Explosions rocked the night. Baba drove straight into that war, the one they lived with every day. (uncorrected galley, The White Zone)

Oh, man. The war they live with every day. That line just stomped all over my heart. How can you ever get used to tracer fire and explosions?

In Karada, bands of men and boys from all over the city roved, accosting any Sunnis who had the guts to show themselves in public. And when there were none, they knocked on doors, looking for the ones hiding inside. They dragged people from their houses and beat them up. Sometimes they forced them to board buses that would dump them at the outskirts of Baghdad. (uncorrected galley, The White Zone)

This sounds scarily like the discrimination against Jews in the past. How come I haven’t heard about this before?

As soon as Iraq got out halfway of one war, it’s been thrown into another, internal one. Again, it’s the children that suffer even more than everybody else. And I’m glad that Carolyn Marsden told this story from two kids’ point of view, because it needed to be told.

Parting Thoughts: read this book, even if you’re not into middle grade. It’s sort of like the Breadwinner books, and I very much hope that it brings the same message across.

Cover Talk: I love this one. It’s got a haunting feel to it, and since it’s a middle grade book, I asked my brother about it and he said he’d pick it up because it looks cool and isn’t girly. Good news.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nouri and Talib are cousins living in Baghdad in 2007 amid warfare. Not only is the presence of American troops evident on the city's streets, but internal strife is disrupting any peaceful moments the city's residents manage to find. As Sunnis and Shiites turn against each other, Nouri, a Shiite, blames his cousin who is half Sunni, for the death of his uncle. At first, he internalizes his anger but eventually he shuns Talib and offers him only tiny amounts of food at family gatherings. Eventually, though, Nouri and his friends cowardly wait until dark to escalate their intimidation campaign by throwing a rock through the family's window. The book traces the hatred that grows and dissipates on the parts of both boys, once friends, finally being dispelled during an unprecedented snow storm. I was quite impressed at the author's treatment of the hatred and forgiveness that grow in both boys over the course of the book since it's clear that some actions are difficult to forgive. Just when I hoped that there might be a possible healing, another event would occur that would preclude an act of compassion. I was also impressed how easily both boys moved from being upset about a loss in the family to looking for someone to blame. The back matter describing the snow that temporarily eased tension between the two sides was interesting, but it might have been helpful to clarify why there is strife between Shiites and Sunnis. Nevertheless, the novel illustrated vividly the consequences of war, violence, and hatred on children as well as adults.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nouri is a Shiite who has just lost his favorite uncle to one of the many martyr bombings. The martyr was a Sunni. Nouri’s cousin, Talib, is half Sunni. Now Nouri begins to blame Talib for the bombing and death of his uncle. He begins to taunt Talib, then ignore him completely. The rift between the families continues to widen, as do the relationships between all the Sunni’s and Shiite’s. Talib doesn’t understand why Nouri is acting this way, but when Nouri crosses the line, the roles suddenly reverse.


The White Zone is a rich coming of age story in a land plagued by war and hostility. Underneath all of the bombings, tazer fire, and tanks, lies the lives of the people of Iraq. This story tells of that war-torn land from the viewpoint of two children who are struggling to understand where they stand in life and where their loyalties lie. They begin to question friendships, family relationships, and even all-powerful Allah. The symbolism is lovely, the emotions are real, the violence is accurate and heartbreaking, while being tame enough for a young reader. This is a perfect introduction to the ongoing war in Iraq that children (and even adults) can relate to. We could all benefit from a White Zone.

[Bipin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the reader how a war, either external or internal, effects the children. It deals with sunni-shia conflict in Iraq in its most basic level: between two children. Until the previous day, they used to play together, but one starts to blame the other for someone else's deed. This shows how susceptible children are towards hatred.
This book so subtlety discussed the effect of war on children: they play a war game when there is an actual war going on in the country, then they shift to a new game, a game of gunning down the houses when the internal war broke out. Some children are kicked out of school for belonging to a different sect, as a result, promoting the communal hatred in children instead of subduing it.
As the hatred in one declined, it grew in another, leading to eternal conflict. But, at the end, both the children gave up something that mattered most to them for the other. It also pictures the internal conflict faced by a kid who belonged to two different sects because of his inheritance.
The book was well written, building a story around real life events. I really liked the justification of the title. Even though it's a children's book, adults should read it to know how children living in war region and communal hatred grow up.

[Prathika · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young adult book written by Carolyn Marsden about two cousins in Iraq who become victims of the ongoing war.
It is a coffee time read, and can be finished at one stretch.
The language and narration are very simple and the background to story is very easy to grasp.
The characterisation of the boys standout and I could imagine all that they go through and it kind of stuck with me for a while, while I was reading and after I read the book.
Overall, I really liked the plot and simplicity of the book that it can definitely be recommended for children.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping for something more interesting and creative, but this was a fairly straightforward tale of internal conflict within a family set in wartime Baghdad. The fleeting glimpse of hope the "white zone" provides does little to offset the painfully grim outlook that Nouri, Talib, and their relatives experience. The decision to have the characters limited in the choices they consider to only retribution and violence is intentional, but unsatisfying.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of character for a simple young adult book. Finished in a couple of hours in the school library..

[Sherman Langford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to preview for my wife. She’s reading department chair at local middle school and has a list of ya books for consideration that need review for age appropriateness.

This book tells the story of Shia-Sunni conflict in Iraq after saddam hussein was deposed. Effectively sheds light on the terrible difficulties faced by Iraqi people as the sectarian violence begins and escalates so quickly.

The story of the cousins whose friendship is shattered by distrust and enmity because of their differing Sunni / Shia heritage is really well done. A glimpse into Iraqi culture, a different worldview than our western outlook. All valuable experiences that this book transports the reader to.

[Kirra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carolyn Marsden's "The White Zone" does something that most children's books refuse to do. That is, it addresses heavy political and religious topics. Not just one or two, but several that children (and adults) have trouble understanding.


That being said, while I applaud the book for trying to actively address this topic (while still having that necessary moral about how people aren't that different on the inside), there are a few things that are wrong with it. First of all, I know my Sunni/Shiite knowledge is limited, and younger children will have even less knowledge unless they are part of that culture. It would be nice to have a small section detailing why there is so much fighting among the Sunni and the Shiites in order to allow the children to understand.


In fact, that's my biggest qualm about most of the book - a little more detail, a little more background, in order for younger children to really understand what is going on. Taking that into consideration, as well as brushing up some of the writing, I really think this book has the potential to be wonderful, and something that children will gain a lot out of by reading it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, about two young Iraqi cousins (one Shiite and one half-Sunni), took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. Nouri (the Shiite) and Talib (the half-Sunni) were close up until the time when Nouri's beloved uncle is killed by a Sunni suicide bomber. Now Nouri sees Talib as the enemy and an act of vengeance causes Talib's family to move to another neighborhood. Soon Talib sees Nouri as the enemy and seeks his own revenge. For such a short book, there is really a lot packed into it. Loss of friendship, violence, war, spirituality, loss of one's faith in Allah... I felt sadness for the cousins as they grow apart, anger knowing that this is real and is still happening (not to mention the fact that our invasion didn't help matters), and hopefulness that family ties can trump war, vengeance and religious dogma. And how fortuitous! No sooner had I finished it than a mom came in looking for realistic fiction for her 8th grade boy.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book for me to read right after The Book Thief. Both focus on children in war time, this one in Iraq. The themes of fear and sectarian hatred are similar, and the feelings of children whose lives are turned upside down by war. This book focuses on cousins who become distanced because one is Shiite and the other has a mother who is Suni. I started reading this book with my ten year old grandson, who identified with the boys and found the descriptions of bombings in mosque and market too disturbing. I wish he had gotten to the happier ending. The violence between the two sects is described with realism and I can really feel the confusion and pain of both boys. It was hard to read a book in which the American soldiers are not necessarily good guys. I liked the way the cousins come to love and support each other in the end. This is a painful book that I'm glad I read.

[Patricia Tilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carolyn Marsden takes us to Baghdad, after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2008. Iraq is no longer at war with America. But the Iraqi people are raging an inner war of their own between the Sunnis and Shiites.

She tells a memorable and compelling story that teaches young readers about different cultures and war through the eyes of two young boys. Nouri and Talib are casualties of war. Although conflict erupts between the cousins, Marsden delicately shows their inner struggle with fear, grief, hate, and confusion. The cousins have to figure out their relationship on their own. It is their love of family and faith which influences their choices. This is a powerful novel with the right balance of tension.

[Bonnie]

I had great hopes for this book, knowing some of the author's other work--I love The Gold Threaded Dress. It is certainly timely and relevant, and offers a kids' perspective of a situation unfamiliar to most American students. While I appreciate the conceit of the white zone during the snow, I expected that to be a bigger part of the story. I think the end stops short-most kids will want to know what happened. The story is not resolved at all. I really liked how realistic her other books are, especially the resolutions, and I was disappointed that she don't bring that to this ending.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I work with Iraqi refugees, I was happy to see that Marsden presents a story that feels and could be true. Young cousins, Nouri and Talib, have lived most of their lives in a war-torn country, but when a Sunni bomber kills Nouri's favorite uncle, the fact that Talib is half-Sunni suddenly has new meaning. Tensions between the boys and their families grow, showing how, as one of my Iraqi friends explained, "Before we were all united against Saddam. Now we are pitted against our neighbors and friends." This book does end on a hopeful note...

[Penny Peck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Iraq in 2008, two cousins exemplify the conflict - Nouri is Shiite, and Talib is half Sunni. Nouri turns on Talib, but slowly comes around to recognizing that his cousin is not an enemy. Although it is told in third person, it alternates between Nouri's and Talib's point of view. It is good, compelling, but not as emotionally resonant as this topic would indicate, or as other books or films set in the Iraq war. Still, a thoughtful, realistic books for tweens on a contemporary issue.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very realistic portrayal of the Iraqi civil war. Two cousins, one Shiite, and one half Sunni, half Shiite get caught up in the stereotypes of Shiites vs. Sunnis. It ruins their friendship and even leads them to violence against each other. But a miracle from Allah is waiting to happen that will allow them to reconcile, if not their country.

[Addison Children's Services · Rating 4 out of 5]

In present day Iraq where the war lumbers on, Nouri, a Shiite, has a falling out with his cousin whose mother is Sunni. It is a reflection of the times they live in. Nouri's uncle has been killed by a Sunni car bombing. Then the Shiite's retaliate, etc. Tensions mount between the boys and their families. A great look the effects of war and another chance to say why can't we just get along?

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it addresses some heavy issues, it is appropriate for middle grade readers. A very compelling story of how war affects children and the characters' thoughts and actions seemed realistic. Would spark good discussion I think. I appreciate that it brings a different culture to the world of children's books.

[Lola Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story of two cousins living in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein. Their religious sects cause strife and hatred between the boys who while swept along in the violent emotions of others are trying to decide how they themselves feel about Allah, family, and each other.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good depiction of Shiite & Sunni sectarian conflict and its effects on two young cousins living in Baghdad in 2007.

[Aamir Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read. Great insight into impact of war on children.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two friends, one sunni and one shiite, are driven apart by violence, anger and religious partisanship in US occupied Iraq.

[Ibraheem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably the best book I ever read, it is a short book but it is still very powerful.

[Aimee Haley]

Iraqis during war

[Chand · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very sensitively written novel. Taking one star off because of stereotypical characterisation of women.

[Jbaccon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching, thought-provoking, and tragically, very real.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate for 5th