The River Knows My Name
In early 20th-century Basra, Iraq, fifteen-year-old Charlotte lives with her father, a doctor and missionary from Seattle. While they reside comfortably in a hospital’s annex, Charlotte is restless. Feeling confined, she escapes one day and embarks on a bold journey to explore the fascinating countryside. In her bag, she includes her father’s gospels and a statue of the baby Jesus. Her alarmed father searches frantically for her; he also disappears. Charlotte is assisted in her expedition to find her individuality by two women—the mission’s Sister Baghdadli and a guide, Shathra.
Mortada Gzar is an accomplished author. His memoir I’m in Seattle, Where Are You? was long-listed for the PEN Translation Prize. In this novel, Gzar vividly brings to life the era in Iraq before WWI, when the country was under Ottoman control. The lives of the populace, their culture, religion, and the harsh living conditions along the river are aptly narrated through Charlotte’s eyes. Gzar skillfully uses the two other major characters, Baghdadli and Shathra, to support Charlotte in living through her encounters and experiencing life in her self-exploration. Gzar does not shy away from unfolding the norms of that era, such as religious differences, gender-based violence, and rape, that some readers might find unpleasant. The novel, written originally in Arabic, has a not-uncommon lyrical style and some use of magic realism. The English translation has maintained these aspects of the original superbly. Most readers would be delighted to read this novel about Charlotte’s adventures in the Iraqi wonderland and gain insight into that region’s history.
