Hasan Namir

The longer I sit with this book, the more it's sinking in. I knew that I loved it when I finished, but the more I think about it, the more important a work it feels.

It's not a long book, but there's a lot to take in. There are so many themes that are well-explored, but without extraneous text. Religion and homosexuality are obvious themes, but more universally it tackles shame, vulnerability, misplaced trust, and the feeling of being an outsider. Despite being a culture with which I am not show more intimately familiar (and to which a great deal of my exposure is through the eyes of journalists), Namir made his protagonist's struggle so personal and relate-able. At the risk of sounding self-centered, it made this struggle feel more accessible.

This book is significant and timely. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to read it. show less

In my life I've had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with queer, trans, and other-oriented youth, many of whom have had a difficult time at home or in school. I think this book would be a marvelous read for them. It reads like a YA book, a book aimed at young people who don't feel comfortable reading Literature with a capital L. It deals in a straightforward way with the worst things that can happen when a young person comes out to a family whose religion defines being gay as being a show more sinner. In just the first chapter a young man is shot for being gay; another character kills himself for being gay. These things happen in real life and this novel gets straight to the point. The novel also has added appeal for these young readers because it is set in Baghdad, and would allow young readers to learn something about a different culture as well as the universality of gay oppression. I'd like to see it on the LGBTQ shelf in every YA section in every library, where young readers would appreciate it on many levels, and where it could do some good. show less

God in Pink is literally a little book, and it's also short. Maybe because of that, there aren't any wasted words or space. We're thrown right into the middle of things from page one, tragedy happy multiple times with in the first twenty pages, and before you can let out a breath, the book is over.

This is the story of a college kid in post-war Iraq. He is gay and knows it, but he lives in a place where being such a thing is absolutely not acceptable, where someone could put a bullet in his show more head and face absolutely no repercussions. His parents both died when he was young (his mom during child birth and his father was assassinated by Saddam) and he was raised and still lives with his older brother and his wife, both of whom are fairly religious and would not be ok if they found out the truth.

Ramy (the protagonist) just wants to be happy, but he knows that isn't possible in Iraq. He can do what his brother wants him to do—get married to a woman and have children—knowing that he will never be happy, nor will he make his wife happy; or he can follow his heart, which would result in almost certain death or imprisonment.

There were a couple pages here and there where I felt emotion, but for the most part things happened to quickly to truly be able to register much. The final twenty pages build up like something big is going to happen (and, in a way, it does) but the ending left me as unsatisfied as smoking a fat joint full of hemp. show less

Umbilical Cord is a book of free text verse by Iraqi Canadian author Hasan Namir. Namir writes about the joy that his newborn son has brought into his life, as well as his love for his husband and his strained relationship with his father, who disowned Namir when he first came out. I listened to the audiobook version of this book.

The poems are arranged in mostly chronological order to tell the story of his marriage, the agreement of his sister-in-law to become a surrogate for her brother and show more Hasan, the birth of their son Malek, and the joy that baby Malek has brought to the couple.

While an audiobook of free verse poetry may seem like it could be a struggle to listen to, Umbilical Cord is anything but. I found narrator Amir Haidar’s reading captivating, as he brought just the right emotional touch to the poems. The poetry itself is deeply personal, heartfelt and compelling.

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in parenting, gay or otherwise.

One content warning - a couple of poems near the beginning of the book include frank sexual language.

Rating: Four Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐ show less