Marina Benjamin grew up in London, feeling estranged from her family’s Middle Eastern ways, refusing to speak Arabic or eat their food. But when Benjamin had her own child a few years ago, she realized that she was losing her link to the past, inspiring a journey to Baghdad and into her family’s history. Her discoveries will haunt anyone who seeks to understand a country whose ongoing struggles continue to command the world’s attention. By turns moving and funny, Last Days in Babylon is an adventure story, a riveting history and a timely reminder that behind today’s headlines are real people whose lives are caught in the crossfire of misunderstanding, prejudice and ambition.