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The Watermelon Boys

by Ruqaya Izzidien

First published 2018

Amazon
4.0(36)

Iraq, 1915. Ahmad leaves his family and their watermelon boats on the Tigris, believing that resistance to Ottoman rule may bring Arab independence. In Wales, teenager Carwyn Evans escapes an abusive home by enlisting in the British Army and is sent through Gallipoli and Egypt to the campaign in Mesopotamia.

Their lives intersect as British promises of liberation give way to occupation. Ahmad, Dabriya and their children endure war, hunger and political betrayal, while Carwyn confronts the racism and imperial violence within his own army. The story continues through the capture of Baghdad and the Iraqi Revolt of 1920, linking family loss and friendship to the contested creation of modern Iraq.

Historical Periods

World War I1914–1918 CE British Mandate in Iraq and the 1920 Revolt1920–1932

Genres

Court & Political Fiction Historical Sagas Social & Domestic Fiction War Fiction

Historical people

Arnold Wilson1884–1940

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