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DOUBLEDAY, 1994
(available in paperback from Anchor, 1996)
WALL STREET JOURNAL correspondent Geraldine Brooks spent six years reporting on the Middle East. In Nine Parts of Desire, she delivers us behind the veil to capture the multifaceted face of Islam today as seen through the lives of Muslim women. Brooks introduces the reader to housewives, divorcées, athletes, career women, political activists, and other notables, including the American-born Queen Noor of Jordan and the Ayatollah Khomeini’s daughter. From Egypt and Iran to Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, Brooks takes us on a journey through the tides that influence the lives of Islamic women, and which they, in turn, are creating. Intimate, revealing, and dramatic, Nine Parts of Desire, though written in 1994, is relevant for anyone seeking to understand the post–September 11 world.
Brooks’s meetings with Muslim women—some public, some private—frequently take place over meals. The author also sets her scenes with descriptions of foods, such as the smells of lavosh bread baking in the morning in Tehran: “The air carries both the sweetness of the seared crusts and the tang of the woodsmoke from the oven sunk into the bakery floor.” Brooks is invited to a rosee—“a cross between an afternoon tea party and a religious studies class”—where women are served “fruit, tiny, crisp cucumbers, sweet cakes and tea.” At an Egyptian supper in Gaza she is served “foul, tamiyya and molokiyya—mashed beans, fried chickpeas and an okra-like green” scooped on flatbread (see Mrs. Mahfouz’s Mulukhiya, p. 317). At dinner with Jordan’s Queen Noor, she dined on light, healthy dishes the queen liked, such as seaweed soup and grilled fish, and spiced lentils with yogurt (see Her Majesty’s Mujadara, p. 221).
Cheri Caviness prepared a Persian meal for her book group, the Bookwomen of Encinitas, California, when the group discussed Nine Parts of Desire at her home. Salad shirazi, served with a Persian rice dish and chicken kabobs, was the highlight.
“My husband taught me to make salad shirazi, a traditional Persian salad made with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, and mint, dressed with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and a hint of garlic,” says Caviness. “Traditionally, this light, refreshing salad is made with mint, but I’ve had it with other herbs as well—and I usually toss in a chopped jalapeño pepper to give it some pizzazz. If you go to an authentic Persian restaurant and order salad, salad shirazi is likely what you’ll get.” Adds Caviness, “This is a summer favorite at our house, and it complements almost any meal.”
NOTE: Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling the chiles to protect your skin from the oil in them. Avoid direct contact with your eyes, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
For the dressing 4 tablespoons olive oil Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons) 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and freshly ground pepper |
For the salad 3 medium-sized firm, ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 small jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped (optional) (see note) |
Whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, and garlic with salt and pepper to taste. Put all the salad ingredients in a medium-size serving bowl, add the dressing, and toss well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cheri Caviness founded the Bookwomen of Encinitas, California, as a birthday present to herself. Caviness enjoys entertaining and had always wanted to be in a book club, so she “invited friends and neighbors from near and far to get one started.” Members come from all over San Diego County to a book-themed meal each month.
Some of the group’s best discussions have come from reading nonfiction, such as Nine Parts of Desire.
“In Nine Parts of Desire,” says Caviness, “Geraldine Brooks spoke with women from many different countries, cultures, and ‘versions’ of Islam, and did an excellent job of studying the Koran and comparing cultural practices with Islamic teaching. She broke down many stereotypes Americans have about Islamic beliefs and practices. With ongoing United States involvement in Iraq and elsewhere, this book helps Americans understand Islam and the lives of women in other parts of the world.”
Caviness’s husband, Fred Saifnia, is from Iran and “always has something to say when we read a book about the Middle East,” says Caviness. “He has lived in the United States for forty years, so he also learns new things when he reads books like Nine Parts of Desire.” Having an Iranian man at the meeting provided a valuable perspective for the group’s discussion.
Saifnia was surprised and pleased to learn that the Ayatollah Khomeini’s daughters were educated women. “He has never lived in Iran under the present religious regime,” says Caviness, “and was fascinated that even under a fundamentalist government, Iran didn’t seem to be completely oppressive to women, as evidenced by large numbers of college-educated women—including women from the Ayatollah’s own family,” says Caviness. “He thought it was interesting that some of the women had made adjustments in their attitudes and behaviors to accommodate fundamentalism in order to maintain their position in society.”
–½ cup chopped fresh mint leaves