The story of Mayada al-Askari is the story of thousands of Iraqi families affected by the violence and brutality of Hussein's regime. Women imprisoned, belonging to different social strata, are united by a common fear. They, like Scheherazades, tell the stories of their lives day after day. Mayada al-Askari was born into a very famous and respected Iraqi family and was personally acquainted with Saddam Hussein. She had no idea what horror she and her family would have to endure when Hussein and the Baath Party seized power in the country. After divorcing her husband, she and her two children remained in Baghdad and bought a small printing house. But one morning she was arrested and thrown into the dungeons of Baladiyat prison, accused of anti-government propaganda. Seventeen female prisoners, shadow women, languished in the cell with her. In order to survive and not lose hope of meeting their relatives, each of them, like Scheherazade, told the story of her life.

A must read for everyone who cares about human rights.USA Today

Shocking , a frank, sobering book. San Francisco Chronicle