Tell Them I Didn’t Cry

Tell Them I Didn’t Cry
Jackie Spinner, Jenny Spinner, David Ignatius
Scribner
ISBN: 074328853X
Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewed by Chris Gerrib

Tell Them I Didn’t Cry is a great book, and well worth the read. Although Jennifer Spinner gets a co-author credit, the vast majority of the book is her twin sister Jackie’s story as a foreign correspondent in Iraq. The author was sent for what was to be a three-week assignment to cover the first of the Abu Graib court-martials. This became a ten-month assignment, running up to the first election in Iraq in 2004.
This is not an in-depth analysis of the Iraq war. Rather, it is a deeply personal account of Jackie’s growth from junior reporter for the Washington Post to acting bureau chief in Iraq, while dodging bombs, mortars and kidnappers. Jackie tells an unbiased story, pointing out the good and bad of Iraq, “calling them as she sees them.” The book is full of interesting stories, including a poignant account of her Christmas in Baghdad, part of which was spent looking for a church safe enough to attend for mass.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t find such a church. Jackie’s story highlights one of the problems of covering the war, namely the insurgents consider correspondents prime targets. Jackie did, however, make a number of friends among the Iraqi workers at the bureau, and their hopes and aspirations shine through.
Jenny Spinner’s chief contributions consist of small blurbs at the end of each chapter, highlighting the activities at the home front. This makes for both a welcome relief and highlights the great risks taken by Jackie. Although I am slightly biased (like Jackie, I am an alumnus of Southern Illinois University) I think this is a great read.