Da (Mother) One Woman’s War

Da is a realistic work that depicts the memories of the Iran-Iraq war through the eyes of a woman who experienced the conflict firsthand. Although it is a memoir, it contains many narrative and storytelling elements, giving it the form of a long novel. Da tells the story of Hosseini’s life in both Basra (Iraq) and Khorramshahr (Iran). Sediyeh Zahra Hosseini, who was only 17 years old at the time of the war, narrates the historical events surrounding the liberation of Khorramshahr and related incidents. The book is divided into three main sections: Life in Iraq and forced migration to Iran under pressure from Iraqi forces، Life during the Iran-Iraq war in Khorramshahr, including her personal experiences in the city during the conflict، Personal life after the war, including her meeting with Imam Khomeini and her marriage.

Upon its publication, the book quickly became a bestseller and one of the most widely read works of its time. It has been translated into English, Turkish, and Urdu, and translations into Spanish and Arabic are in progress. The main part of the book focuses on the 33-day resistance of Khorramshahr. However, Hosseini’s personal memories cover up to the 20th day, as she was injured and had to leave the city. According to her account, on the first day of Mehr (the first month of autumn in the Iranian calendar), while on her way to school, she notices that the school is closed, the city is deserted, and the sky is filled with smoke—she realizes the city has been bombed. She goes to the hospital, where the blood has filled the entire space. She tries to help the wounded and care for the injured. Eventually, she arrives at the Amirabad morgue, where she witnesses horrors that are so intense they are chilling even to hear about. Hosseini describes burying many fetuses that were miscarried due to fear and bombings.

A significant part of her memoirs focuses on her work in the morgue. The book also recounts the martyrdom of her father: when her mother (referred to as “Da”) comes to inform her, Sediyeh herself buries her father. After the death of her father and brother, she decides to take up arms and go to the frontlines. During combat, she is injured by shrapnel and is transferred to a hospital in Khorramshahr and Mahshahr. She later attempts to return to Khorramshahr but cannot enter due to the enemy’s advance and restrictions on civilians. She eventually goes to Tehran for further treatment and is hospitalized there. The book concludes with her personal life, including her marriage to Habib, a friend of her brother and a war veteran. Other parts of Da recount her meeting with Imam Khomeini, describing the overwhelming emotions she felt during the encounter, and her marriage, which included the condition that her husband would participate in the war. Finally, the book depicts Khorramshahr at the time of liberation, describing the joy, celebrations, and excitement of the city during its recapture, painting a vivid and moving historical picture.