Super Short Summary

My Father's Paradise: A Son’s Search for his Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq is a memoir by Ariel Sabar that explores his Jewish-Kurdish heritage and his father Yona's journey from Kurdistan to Israel and then to the United States. Sabar recounts his experiences growing up in Los Angeles, feeling different due to his family's unique background, and his later quest to understand his genealogical roots by retracing his father's steps in Iraq. The book delves into themes of cultural identity, genealogy, and the challenges of assimilation, enriched by the historical context of the Kurdish Jewish community and personal stories from Sabar's family history. Topics of family trauma and estrangement from heritage are discussed.