Day of Honey

Ciezadlo, a freelance journalist, intertwines the narrative of her reporting from war-torn Beirut and Baghdad from 2003 to 2009 with her personal story of seeking a sense of home amid different cultures and impending violence. Focusing on how societies survive through war and violence, she introduces us to individuals able to reach out even when buffeted by religious or national hatred and explains important realities about the destruction brought by the American invasion of Iraq. She skillfully tempers scenes of brutality and cruelty among ethnic and religious rivals in Beirut or within the disintegrating political and social structure in Baghdad with her conviction that food can bring people together and preserve our humanity. Her fast-paced, graceful writing weaves politics into discussions of literature and cuisine to bring insight into the long history of cultural mix and transition in the Middle East, reminding us that even as war persists, our humanity helps to preserve our civilization, and our foods bind our communities and our families.