Seierstad, Asne. A hundred and one days; fear and friendship in the heart of a war zone.

SEIERSTAD, Asne. A hundred and one days; fear and friendship in the heart of a war zone. Basic Books. 327p. map. c2003. 0465-07601-7. $14.00. SA *

Norwegian journalist Asne Seierstad was initially planning to spend ten days in Baghdad, having been given permission by the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to report briefly on Iraq's situation. She ended up staying 101 days, from January to April 2003, before, during, and after the allied invasion that ousted Saddam's repressive regime and replaced it with instability. Seierstad's even-handed reporting covers the fear of ordinary Iraqis under Saddam's thumb and the deaths of civilians during the war. "Before the war the problem was elementary: no one said anything," writes the journalist, eager to interview housewives, shopkeepers, and school children. All reporters were given drivers, minders, interpreters, and assigned areas of permitted travel. Still, Seierstad sent out stories with telling details of everyday life under sanctions. She captures the confusion at the beginning of the war, when foreign correspondents were hunkered down in Hotel Palestine--no water, no electricity, bomb blasts and explosions. "Screams rent the air. Blood runs into the sand on the street and pavements. Those who can, get up...Torn-off body parts are removed from the street. After a few hours only the blood in the sand remains." Although her editor ordered her home, Seierstad stayed on to witness the horrors of war. Some Iraqis welcomed the Americans; others hated them. Looting began; no one was in charge. "We are an invading force, not an occupying army. People ask for protection but we are not the police," says one American soldier.

Seierstad's vivid prose includes dispatches sent to her newspaper as well as her memories of her experiences. She is a seasoned war correspondent and the author of The Bookseller of Kabul, an international bestseller. Her account is highly recommended. Janet Julian, English Teacher (retired), Grafton, MA

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.