Paradise and tragedy will be recalled at the Westmount Public Library on Thursday, May 29, when Mira Shamash and her husband Tony Rocca present 'Memories of Eden', the memoirs of Shamash’s mother, Violette Shamash.
The book describes the way of life of Jews in Baghdad during the early 20th century, from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I to the 1941 massacre, called the Farhud, which marked the beginning of the decline of the Jewish presence in the city.
The event at the library will be free of charge, and begins at 6:45 p.m. with a reception and half-hour slide show featuring pictures of Baghdad as it was. Rocca and Shamash will then discuss the story behind the creation of the book, and newly-discovered material on the Farhud. A question and answer session will follow.
“They will be selling the book, so people could get a copy of it,” said Library Director Ann Moffat. 'Memories of Eden', published in February in the UK by Forum Books, launched with events in London and Tel Aviv, and has received praise from several historians as well as positive reviews in The Guardian and Ha’aretz.
“The detailed description of life in the first half of the 20th century is a rare first-hand narrative from a female perspective; all the more valuable considering that it would have seemed unlikely, in that area and time, for a woman to be educated enough to write in such an engaging way,” said Rocca, noting that the description of harmonious relations between Baghdad’s religious communities is a key theme in the book. “She tells of a shared heritage common to all who lived through that long-forgotten period, irrespective of a person’s religion.”
The upcoming evening at the library is an example of quick action on the library’s part. Rocca contacted Moffat for the first time on May 5, and within three days plans for the evening were set in place. “I love it when we can do that!” said Moffat. “I love it when we can say ‘our audience would like that,’ and we don’t need a six-month plan. I think it’s wonderful when these opportunities come. It’s a wonderful thing that the library can provide the community.”
More information about 'Memories of Eden' may be found at the book’s web site,
www.memoriesofeden .com.
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