An anthology of Raffo’s major works (Noura, Fallujah and 9 Parts of Desire) with critical essays framing their historical impact on communities and classrooms internationally. Together these works give voice to nearly two decades of rarely examined traumas that have reshaped cultural and national identity for both Iraqis and Americans.
9 Parts of Desire
9 Parts of Desire tells the story of nine ordinary and extraordinary Iraqi women living between the first and second Gulf Wars. Artists, exiles, Bedouins and doctors, these poetic monologues represent the first Iraqi female protagonists heard on an American stage.
Noura
An Iraqi architect (Noura) and her family prepare to celebrate their first Christmas as American citizens, but the arrival of a young Iraqi refugee opens wounds the family has tried to leave behind, forcing them to confront where they are, where they’ve been, and who they have become. A contemporary tale of modern marriage and motherhood, provoked by Ibsen’s A Doll’s House.
