The Maze of the Last One: A novel about the last Jewish family in Iraq

by Christopher Marrs (translator)

This fictionalized account brings to life the feelings of longing, pain, and triumph that the last Jewish family in Baquba experienced. This work manages to transition from scene to scene smoothly thanks to a rhythm and narrative style that would most likely prove quite difficult for a less experienced author. Classic linear story structure, complex flashbacks, and elements of fantasy combine to tell the story of the Jews of Baquba. Set in recent history, the novel tells of a relationship between two friends; Naji Yacoub, a Jew, and Alwan Dandi, a Muslim. The two were lifelong friends, raising their children together and working together until the day of their deaths. Naji had two sons, Yehuda, Ezekiel, and a daughter, Sanaa, while Alwan had five sons, Jasim, Subhi, Ahmed, Ibrahim, and Hadi, and a daughter named Sabiha. All of them worked together in establishing the Cinema Diyali, "that prominent landmark that, until a year ago, remained alive and now is dying and deteriorating under the hammer of demolition and destruction. We could do nothing but put up a sign memorializing that once great landmark. “The novel also addresses the social history of Baquba and how the town's blend of various communities, religions, and sects interacted.

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 25, 2014