Iraqi Nationalism in the Novels of Maysalun Hadi

This article discusses the work of Maysalun Hadi, one of Iraq’s most prominent women novelists. Throughout her work, Hadi’s books deal with themes of Iraqi national identity and nostalgia for the glory days of pan-Arabism that are consistent with the country’s pre-2003 ruling Ba‘thist ideology. Yet, reading and analyzing her works offer a more comprehensive and nuanced look at this identity, including a limited acceptance of pluralism along with solidarity with the “Iraqi resistance.”