The Gardener of Baghdad

This book tells a quaint tale of life's challenges in Iraq. If you enjoy a very easy read and a nice story with a pleasant ending this is for you.
I enjoyed it's simplicity enough to give it four stars.

A great read. Baghdad became a real place with real people just like me. No matter what government is ruling at the moment, peoples lives are adversely affected by war and corruption. I would give it 4.5 stars as I thought the ending was a bit of a stretch.

The blending of two intersecting storylines beautifully intertwines the 1950's Bagdahd with that of today. This book presents the social and political context of Iraq within very personal stories of love, work and family.

As Adnan cleans his bookstore, he finds and begins reading the memoir of Ali the gardener of Bagdad. Ali's story inspires us as it inspires Adnan... we experience a sense of wonder and beauty along with him. I loved the imagery of Ali's story, and was disappointed when I reached the end of this book. I highly recommend this lovely tale as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us even in the most challenging times.

The blending of two intersecting storylines beautifully intertwines the 1950's Bagdahd with that of today. This book presents the social and political context of Iraq within very personal stories of love, work and family.

As Adnan cleans his bookstore, he finds and begins reading the memoir of Ali the gardener of Bagdad. Ali's story inspires us as it inspires Adnan... we experience a sense of wonder and beauty along with him. I loved the imagery of Ali's story, and was disappointed when I reached the end of this book. I highly recommend this lovely tale as a reminder of the beauty that surrounds us even in the most challenging times.

Unfortunately I found this pretty weak and a bit too sentimental. There were many grammatical and punctuation errors. I wonder if original was written in English. The story does portray life at the time of the revolution so it is interesting historically.

I wanted very much to like this story more than I did, unfortunately. It's a great premise, but the characters could use more complexity and depth. Most of the time we're told what the characters are feeling; more dramatization would make for a more compelling read.

Not quite as complex and developed as K. Hosseini's Kite Runner, it is of the same genre, and a very captivating read! It gives us a glimpse of what life was like in Iraq, mid 20th century, and how one man dared to dream unbound by social class standards. It is a timeless story of pursuing unanswered questions at a turning point in life, as well as a story within a story as present-times bookstore owner Adnan finds the heart-breaking story of two young people from different stations in life discover their love--a memoir hidden in his book stacks for over 50 years. Adnan is compelled to unlock the mystery of these two people, and provides us with a bitter-sweet ending. This book whet my appetite for more from this author!

The book began well and a reader could identify with the bookstore owner and get interested in his situation; however, the end trailed off into a weak ending of predictable romance novels. Too bad. Otherwise it could have been a good book despite its derivative plot structure.

Thought it was a lovely story --------sometimes a bit contrived but very enjoyable to read------light and fresh------quite unexpected in places---a holiday read when you are relaxing --------Soretha Smithers

I wanted to like this as I had been reading several books based in Afghanistan/Pakistan etc. Whilst I did not think it was a poor book I thought overall it was a bit trite. The ending I found to be too contrived.I would recommend this book only as a light read.

i have read so many books that take place in iraq and iran, in saudi arabia and pakistan, syria and the entire african continent. and while some have been significantly better than others...most are interesting enough that you can forgive adequate writing and wishy washy plots. this book could not hold my interest past 30 pages. the voice was stilted and awkward and almost immediately i found myself bored by the narrator. there are too many excellent books to read and so i have no problem dropping out of a book if the author cannot grab me somewhat early. for me, this is not a book to spend time on as it seemed to offer neither any insights about the country or the current political situation.

This may be the worst book I've read in years. I can't think of anything good to say about it.Spoiler alert ahead!
The "Gardner" completely ignores devastating events in his life, he is treated with unbelievable kindness by perfect strangers, buys land in Baghdad and earns excellent money with ease, is accepted as an equal by a British General's daughter and her household staff, is loved by and adores the daughter then elopes with her ....all preposterous situations. I could list at least 10 more events that would never in a million years happen.
This young man writes like an eight grade girl. I never toss a book aside midway through...but I so wanted to give up on this one. A total waste of time.

A heartbreaking story of forbidden love set in Iraq 1958. An explosive time, mounting tension as Iraq’s unstable political, military, social and economic order is questionable. An unlikely love blossoms between Ali and Mary, their worlds clashing and contrasting, their hearts harmonious, a delicate match. The story is revealed slowly and with great affection as Adnan, a bookstore owner, in the present, accidentally stumbles upon the couples tragic love story.

The resentment and acceptance of forbidden love is clearly felt, the lengths people will take to squelch a relationship deemed intolerable is shocking. I asked myself if such a relationship would be more acceptable now than in the past, given times are rather questionable as well as turbulent. The love between Ali and Mary is evident, their strength and devotion is absolutely touching causing the reader to turn every page with great travail to learn of their outcome. Culture, religion, traditions, politics, ethnicity all explored, as backlash grasps this endearing couple. The story itself is stunning and brutal.

Ardalan translates his vision with such practiced and sentiment intent. His writing is dense, however, he needs to relax and let the words flow with less rigidity allowing his skill to effortless spill onto the pages. Editing and more character development will unleash the potential this novella possesses. A tender story of love and hope in a world of chaos.

I received this as an ARC
Stars:5
POV: there were two- Adnan and Ali
Series: no
Cliffhanger: possibly, but I don't think it is one. But I do hope that there will be a sequel.

With descriptions so vivid, it's easy to to imagine the beauty that surrounds Ali (the main Character of this book). He creates the most beautiful gardens, ones that touch not only our eyes but our very being. Just from the descriptions, I can smell the flowers and feel the breeze touch my skin. But there's another garden that is grown because of him. One that, well read the book and find out.

The story starts off in modern day Iraq with Adnan cleaning up his book store after a roadside bomb had gone off 500 feet from the front of his store. It was while cleaning up his store that he comes to the conclusion that he should sell the book store, one that has been in his family his entire life in order to have his family live somewhere more safe. It's while he is cleaning up his most treasured books collection that he comes across something, it's the story of Ali, The Gardener of Baghdad.

This story will suck you in and keep you wrapped up in its spell until the last page! Ahmad Ardalan can write such words that, when you close your eyes you can feel as if you are there. It's a love story that is nothing short of beautiful in its innocence, and tragic as prejudices and circumstances will try to tear our lovers Ali and Mary apart.

Read it, you'll love it! If I could, I'd give this a rating of more than 5 stars. Have a box of tissues beside you as this is a story that will have you feeling a roller coaster of emotions. It's wonderful fun and heartbreaking at the same time. The ending, well I'll let you discover it for yourself.

I loved this story. It swept me away from the beginning and I devoured it quickly. The Gardener of Baghdad by Ahmad Ardalan was a classic love story that takes place primarily in 1950's Baghdad. Adnan is a local book store owner who is starting to go though some of his most prized books in order to sell the bookstore, as Baghdad has just become too unsafe for his family. It's while he is going through his books one evening that he finds a story hidden in a French book cover, a story that was written by Ali, the Gardener of Baghdad, and his Mary, back in the 1950's.

The story tells of a forbidden romance, civil unrest, murder, love, friendship and was written so beautifully that I could picture the Baghdad of the 1950's as I was reading it. What a different world, but with similarities to present day Baghdad as well. Are there some things that may seem a little far fetched as other reviews have mentioned? Yes, but this is a fiction novel. I always expect there to be a bit of artistic license with a few things that may be a tad unbelievable. I mean, I love James Bond movies. Are they anywhere realistic? Um...no. lol

Anyways, I just really enjoyed this book. I don't want to give away the story within the story other than to say that it's a love story but parts are sad as well. The ending ties everything up well though, so you aren't left with questions. Also, I found the pace of the book to be perfect, and never found myself getting bored at all.

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review. If it sounds interesting, give it a listen. It was great!

This book was an interesting balance between the violent Baghdad of today and the genteel place of luxury gardens that it once was.

Current day Adnan struggles to run his bookshop amongst bombings, terror and intermittent electricity. His wife is desperate to leave the city, but Adnan is attached to the shop, which he inherited from his father. Although he has reluctantly agreed to leave, he is still nostalgically pottering around, when he comes across an old handwritten memoir hidden on shelves right at the back.
It immediately grabs his attention and he spends several nights ensconced in the shop, reading by candlelight.

The manuscript details the story of Ali, a young farmer who branches out into gardening and makes quite a name for himself in 50's Baghdad. Unfortunately he falls in love with a young lady whom he is prohibited from marrying. When the narrative of the sad love story comes to a sudden end, Adnan uses his contacts to try and find out what happened - and he takes us with him; we too are longing to know how the story ends.

This book has a beautiful cover, which appealed to me immediately. There is some fairly floral language, but this is not inappropriate when reading a book set in the Middle East. The story is told in an interesting way, using Adnan's bookshop and later his contacts. It is also well read in the audiobook version, by Randal Schaffer.

Ahmad Ardalan has other books set in Iraq and I am hoping that it won't be too long before these are also available as audiobooks.

It was during a long day at work and thinking of selling his bookstore, Adrian comes upon a book that he did not recall seeing there before. Taking the book in hand, he realizes that is tye memoir of a young man who fell in love with an English woman. Adian is captivated and reads the entire memoir of the young man who wrote it more than 40 years ago.
The Gardener of Baghdad is a beautiful and heartwarming story of two young people of different race and religion who fell in love and their struggles to be together. This story does not only captivates you with its characters but gives you an insight of how it was in Iraq.
This is a great story, one to read or listen to, whichever you prefer.

Ahmad Ardalan, born in Baghdad in 1979, but at the age of two he moved with his parents to Vienna, Austria. After his father's diplomatic mission finished at the end of 1989, he returned to Iraq, where he continued his studies and graduated from the University of Dentistry. As a result of the unstable political, military, social, and economic conditions in his home country, Ahmad left Iraq and move to the UAE. Not finding dentistry a satisfying option, he pursued employment in the business world, holding several senior roles within the pharmaceutical and FMCG industries, throughout much of the Middle East. He has successfully penned three books with this nostalgic story being his second publication.

Ahmad sets the tenor of the times in Baghdad in his opening paragraphs: `Adnan brushed away the last shards of shattered window glass that were scattered all over the floor. It had taken six hours of effort, hard labor, to restore his bookstore to order, but finally, a new window was in place, and there was no dangerous glass shrapnel anywhere for any of his customers to step on. Luckily for Adnan, he was in the back with a customer when the roadside bomb exploded, the third in two years. The thing exploded about 500 feet away from his store, aimed at a small gathering of workers, and it had taken its bitter toll: five casualties and dozens of injured workers in all.'

Once the setting is created we move into this timely yet timeless story of survival in the worst of ties. Ahmad's synopsis at the beginning of his book outlines the plots well: `"Two people, one city, different times; connected by a memoir. Can love exist in a city destined for decades of misery?" Adnan leads a weary existence as a bookshop owner in modern-day, war-torn Baghdad, where bombings, corruption and assault are everyday occurrences and the struggle to survive has suffocated the joy out of life for most. But when he begins to clean out his bookshop of forty years to leave his city in search of somewhere safer, he comes across the story of Ali, the Gardener of Baghdad, Adnan rediscovers through a memoir handwritten by the gardener decades ago that beauty, love and hope can still exist, even in the darkest corners of the world.'

This story is well sculpted, generous in its sharing of the conditions of Baghdad that remain today, and yet opens a light on a love story that proves there is a light at the end of every tunnel. Poetic, emotionally satisfy, this book is the work of a very fine young author. Read it and understand the tragedies that are befalling the Middle East - in art, in compassion, and in hope. Grady Harp, August 15

I picked this up at a "Bring a Book/Take a Book" library. Probably a reason it landed there in the first place. But,the premise seemed viable, the cover appealing--sadly, I didn't even get through the first chapter. After two pages I concluded the book needed serious editing. I think this is self-published, which I have no argument with. But if an author is going to do this, at least invest time and money and do your readers a favor. Have it edited!!! Sorry, I'm afraid I did my own on the first few pages.

Been waiting for another Hosseini book, but he’s DOING real world-changing humanitarian works. Now this book dropped into my reader suggestions and it was a fast enjoyable read. Would make a great Netflix show. Writer even brought British aristocrat into the pivotal point of the story. Mixing up Romeo and Juliet is a perfect way to get the west to read and watch and understand a sliver of Baghdad culture. Actually a good book for teen readers. How wars affect people who just want to live peacefully and make the world more beautiful. We can all relate to that.

An easy to read book, I completed this in two days as I could not put it down. I was away on a holiday and the book transported me to Iraq in the '50s, so much so that once I looked up from my book and for a few minutes I was literally unable to remember where in the world I was.

The central character, Ali, is believable though initially comes across as hopelessly naive and romantic, however, the other characters are a little one dimensional. But then again, this was Ali's story told in his words.

My only concern is that the ending was too neat and pat for my liking. Without giving anything away I felt the story could have been finished 1 chapter prior and would have been far more authentic.

Nonetheless, I loved the story and will read more by Ahmad Ardalan.

I was just so enthralled and excited to read this most beautiful and wonderful tale of the conflict and tragedy and the romance of living and surviving in these two very different world today.

Adman was such a hard worker in his book shop. Spending hours repairing and cleaning. After a bomb blew up not far outside from where people where. It was time that Adman realised that he maybe should give up now. It was be such a sad and hard thing to give up also. It was time to go for him and his love ones to move on to something new.

I adored this fabulous and most wonderful story. Such a captivating tale of promise for the future. And such a beauty in all it unique characters invoke. I loved it!!

* I recommend this book to everyone!!

I love stories about Middle Eastern culture. I believe their ancient culture is so maligned by politics and the media. The food, the culture, the literature - ancient and modern - speaks to all of us on such human, evocative levels. This was a story of two cultures, of love, of strife, of rising above to the best of humanity. I enjoyed this book and would heartily recommend it to all readers. My heart breaks for Baghdad and the politics and greed that have brought her low. Still, where there's hope, heart, and humanity, there is life at the other end of strife, greed, and fear. This book shines a light on hope and love. A good read about people doing the best that they can - and loving - in spite of the odds against them.

Just finished this fast wonderful read! The story line was described in other reviews, and what was profound for me was the joy of life that these characters represented! It's a lovely gracious beautiful story, that expresses another side of life in Iraq than we are exposed to in the media...What a touching tender story!

I don’t review a lot of books because I just read anything but this book deserves my 5star review because the story telling is beautiful. I loved this book and didn’t want it to end. I loved all the characters and their lives.

Loved the perspective used to tell the story. The descriptive wording made it possible to see with my mind's eye, in vivid detail, the gardens and scenes from the story. Enjoyed the historical info included as well.

I don't understand how this book has 4.5 stars... I am ashamed to say I picked it as a book club read & have now forced everyone to waste their time on this insipid, trite read. I think this is the worst book I have read in years & I wouldn't have finished it but for the fact that I was the one who recommended it in the first place & felt I had to. Auther writes with the vocabulary of Trump, all the characters are one dimentional & the situations unbelievable. Ugggggggggggg

I almost gave up on this gem of a book. It began so slowly, centering on the life of the bookstore owners life, which was dull and dissatisfying. Then he finds the journal of The Gardener and the story comes to life. We're transported back in history, there's love, war, conflict, heartache, wonderful characters.
Don't miss this!

I love this story because of the style of writing was so fresh and endearing. Where such passion and depth of character exist there will always be a rewarding future. Thank you Ahmad for giving me the assurance that what will be will be. Smiles and hugs.

I am not a book snob but I do want to read a book that does not contain as many grammatical errors as were in this book. The story line started out well but became unbelievable as the events were predictable and the success of the main character was too "fall in your lap" easy. I do not believe the actual atmosphere in Baghdad was as pleasant as the book portrayed it.

An unusual story, in a part of the world now being spotlighted. The owner of a bookstore, thinking of selling and taking his family to safety.
Adnan is dusting his rare book section, and comes across a book stuck inside of another. He sits down to read it.....

Mere words cannot express how wonderful, educational, romantic, hopeful, and spellbinding I found this book to be! All I can say is to recommend this novel to the highest degree. Tears of sadness and, ultimately, joy fill my eyes as I encourage you not to pass this one by.

As this tender love story unfolded, I could not put it down and read it in one session. Against a backdrop of political uncertainty a man uses his talents to beautify and design gardens in Iraq. Will he be able to overcome society's distrust and cultural differences to win the women he loves?

I've never read a novel that took place in Iraq. It was truly a wonderful story and transported me back in time. I also appreciated learning about the historical events that were going on at that time.

I could not put this book down. What treat it was for me. It’s basically a love story, but it is also so much more. It’s a mystery and an insight into social norms during the fifties and sixties. I would recommend it to anyone.

I wish I could have given this novel a ten. I felt as if I was in Baghdad during all the good and bad times. The class system that destroys so many. A beautiful love story and one's search to know the ending. A Fantastic book.

What a haunting, beautiful story. A love story about two people and about a land that was precious to them both. So richly described that I could see Baghdad, see the nursery, watch as Ali and Mary fell in love. A definite must read!

Like a memoir inside a memoir, this is a gentle story pasted together with news headlines we have been reading now for years. Thoroughly enjoyable, giving us a glimpse of a culture that may never be completely restored. Wonderful characters, people we wish we could meet. Very satisfying.

It is always good to broaden one’s understanding, and this gem of a story does that twofold. The Baghdad that has been in the news throughout the past decades gave a harsh picture. In reading ‘The Gardener of Baghdad,’ I learned what Old Baghdad was like, and I learned about the heart and soul of Iraq’s people. I learned that we simply all want to be free, to love and nurture our families, and to do a bit of good in the world. This is a good read.