Though the last of the US troops didn’t pull out until late in 2011, few areas of Iraq are free from violence, and the Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish people continue to vie for adequate representation in the new government. Readers are provided with a comprehensive look at the recent history of Iraq, beginning with the rise of Hussein. Throughout the text, readers experience the war through vivid photographs and through the correspondence of two young people: an Iraqi girl living in Baghdad and an American boy whose father is serving in the military. Readers will garner a better understanding of the complexities facing the still-rebuilding nation.