NINE PARTS OF DESIRE The Hidden World of Islamic Women

Geraldine Brooks is a thorough writer, and this trait is mirrored in her narration style. The measured pace at which the author delivers her stories of being a Western female journalist in the Middle East may seem pedantic to listeners used to brisker styles. Yet Brooks’s deliberate pronunciation suits the content, which unfolds slowly as she spends more time in Saudi Arabia and begins to research women’s day-to-day realities throughout the Arab world. The higher pitch and volume she uses to convey dialogue is a welcome change when compared with the near monotone in which the rest of the narration is presented. The conversations Brooks has with women, and her retelling of them, are the liveliest parts of this volume. M.R. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2013]