Unwilling Nomads

Unwilling Nomads is a memoir charting the emotional transformation of a young Feyli Kurd growing up in one of Baghdad's oldest neighbourhoods, in the shadow of Iraq's most profound political shift, the transition from monarchy to republic.

The book offers a vivid account of how the author, Falah, navigated intertwined personal and familial traumas within the rapidly changing political landscape. All the while seeking to understand the significance of his social and ethnic identity as a Feyli Kurd and his legal status as a lower tier citizen in his ancestral homeland as well as how the suffering endured by his people shaped both that homeland and his own character.

Divided into four parts, the book blends personal narratives and family history with a layman's account of modern Iraq's political history since its inception in the aftermath of World War I. The first section provides a fascinating portrayal of his ancestors' migration across cultural boundaries and how they succeeded in building new lives in the Mesopotamian city of Baghdad during the 19th century, far from their isolated villages on the slopes of the Zagros Mountains, east of Persia.

The remainder of the memoir chronicles the emotions and experiences the author undergoes while growing up, witnessing countless betrayals of his people at the hands of a deeply criminal clan and one of the most notorious Arab nationalist factions. After seizing power, these individual eventually transform the country into a tyrannical one-man dictatorship under Saddam Hussein. Here, we gain a rare and intimate glimpse into his life as he reflects on moments of despair and disillusionment that shatter his self-image, forcing him to rebuild it from the inside out as he transitions from an innocent, happy, and carefree child to a deeply introspective youth.

Unwilling Nomads takes the reader on an enlightening journey through a remarkable story of resilience and transformation, from the chaotic life in the alleyways of the Kurdish quarter in old Baghdad to the academic environments of Leeds and Manchester, where the author truly matures and manages to break free from the mental barriers imposed by the religious and political brainwashing, he endured while growing up. The final part of the memoir depicts the years of disillusionment following his return from England and how, after witnessing one of the most heinous atrocities committed against the Feyli Kurds, he ultimately decides to leave his ancestral homeland for good and seek a new home capable of offering him and his descendants a life of dignity.