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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I read this book after I saw the movie (which I loved). The book was better than the movie in that it gave more information about what she and her daughter went through, but the movie was awesome as well.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
| Book Review | Not Without My Daughter.
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"You are here for the rest of your life. Do you understand? You are not leaving Iran. You are here until you die." - Betty Mahmoody.
•
It was a humid day in1984 when Betty Mahmoody lands in Iran with her husband Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody (Moody) and her daughter Mahtob. As an American, she instantly detests Iran with dirt sprawling across every inch of the country. With her four year old daughter in tow, she feels uneasy about having to spend two weeks in the dreadful country. Betty first meets Moody at a hospital where she was being treated. They immediately hit it off and Moody's kind demeanor towards her two sons from a previous marriage, melts her heart. Their relationship blooms over the next few years and very soon they tie the knot. Though Betty notices unusual changes in Moody's behaviour when his cousin from Iran drops by, she shrugs it off as normal.
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Moody convinces Betty to visit Iran to see his family over a span of two weeks but she cannot dismiss a nagging disturbance at the back of her head about the visit. As soon as she lands in a alien country, she immediately noticed how submissive women are all around her. She is then made to wear a chador and Manteau along with a pair of long pants as the Iranian government orders. She's met with a swarm of relatives at the airport and finds herself fixated by the unusual customs that the country follows. Betty and Mahtob experience a wave of sickness and morbidity as they take in the dirtiness of both the house and people that she'll have to live with during her stay. She gets to meet countless people who are awed at the sight of an American woman but it soon gets replaced by insignificance.
•
She notices a sudden change in her husband's personality as he soon starts bullying her and shows dominating quality of a typical Iranian man. Her fears turn into reality when he reveals the truth that she now cannot leave Iran and that she is now an Iranian citizen and has to listen to her husband. Betty struggles with the truth and hence begins her quest for freedom. Trapped in an unknown city with her child, she then fights back to escape.In this work of non-fiction, Betty tells us that there are many other women like her who are trapped in Iran with no way out. These women are Americans and in spite of being educated, they find themselves giving up to the fate that has been handed down by their husbands. It's shocking to read about such incidences where women are often rendered helpless and kept as prisoners. Betty's story is intense as she narrates honestly about various traditions where women are forced to submit to their men. They have no say in anything and the laws do not support them as well. If a woman is being beaten for no fault of hers, no one steps forward to rescue her because it's often considered that they deserve such beatings. Betty soon realises that she needs to rescue her daughter before she starts taking in Iranian culture.
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This book is brilliant and brutally raw and I can imagine the uproar it must have caused when it initially came out. Her experiences and opinions about Iran and the government are very loud and unpleasant. As a woman, when I read it I couldn't help but sympathise with Betty but I felt gloriously happy as she never gave up. It's frightening to see such people exist but one cannot deny such existence. Betty's story is inspiring and perhaps this was why I finished a book of over 500 pages in just two days. I highly recommend it.
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Rating - 5/5
•
"You are here for the rest of your life. Do you understand? You are not leaving Iran. You are here until you die." - Betty Mahmoody.
•
It was a humid day in1984 when Betty Mahmoody lands in Iran with her husband Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody (Moody) and her daughter Mahtob. As an American, she instantly detests Iran with dirt sprawling across every inch of the country. With her four year old daughter in tow, she feels uneasy about having to spend two weeks in the dreadful country. Betty first meets Moody at a hospital where she was being treated. They immediately hit it off and Moody's kind demeanor towards her two sons from a previous marriage, melts her heart. Their relationship blooms over the next few years and very soon they tie the knot. Though Betty notices unusual changes in Moody's behaviour when his cousin from Iran drops by, she shrugs it off as normal.
•
Moody convinces Betty to visit Iran to see his family over a span of two weeks but she cannot dismiss a nagging disturbance at the back of her head about the visit. As soon as she lands in a alien country, she immediately noticed how submissive women are all around her. She is then made to wear a chador and Manteau along with a pair of long pants as the Iranian government orders. She's met with a swarm of relatives at the airport and finds herself fixated by the unusual customs that the country follows. Betty and Mahtob experience a wave of sickness and morbidity as they take in the dirtiness of both the house and people that she'll have to live with during her stay. She gets to meet countless people who are awed at the sight of an American woman but it soon gets replaced by insignificance.
•
She notices a sudden change in her husband's personality as he soon starts bullying her and shows dominating quality of a typical Iranian man. Her fears turn into reality when he reveals the truth that she now cannot leave Iran and that she is now an Iranian citizen and has to listen to her husband. Betty struggles with the truth and hence begins her quest for freedom. Trapped in an unknown city with her child, she then fights back to escape.In this work of non-fiction, Betty tells us that there are many other women like her who are trapped in Iran with no way out. These women are Americans and in spite of being educated, they find themselves giving up to the fate that has been handed down by their husbands. It's shocking to read about such incidences where women are often rendered helpless and kept as prisoners. Betty's story is intense as she narrates honestly about various traditions where women are forced to submit to their men. They have no say in anything and the laws do not support them as well. If a woman is being beaten for no fault of hers, no one steps forward to rescue her because it's often considered that they deserve such beatings. Betty soon realises that she needs to rescue her daughter before she starts taking in Iranian culture.
•
This book is brilliant and brutally raw and I can imagine the uproar it must have caused when it initially came out. Her experiences and opinions about Iran and the government are very loud and unpleasant. As a woman, when I read it I couldn't help but sympathise with Betty but I felt gloriously happy as she never gave up. It's frightening to see such people exist but one cannot deny such existence. Betty's story is inspiring and perhaps this was why I finished a book of over 500 pages in just two days. I highly recommend it.
•
Rating - 5/5
In August 1984, Michigan housewife Betty Mahmoody accompanied her husband to his native Iran for a two-week vacation that turned into a permanent stay. Mahmoody want to build his career and America won't allow Iran citizen to practice there. He want to be in his comfort zone as earlier he was interested in country politics and have some good connection but war changes everything.
Betty on the other hand, To her horror, she found herself and her four-year-old daughter, Mahtob, virtual prisoners of a man rededicated to his Muslim faith, in a land where women are near-slaves and Americans despised as enemies. Their only hope for escape lay in a dangerous underground that would not take her child.
They had tough time ahead and she try to escape the fate of Iranian women and for next 2 years she tries well until her father fell ill and Mahmoody want her to go and get the money she got from her father inheritance , she refused and plan to fled, she got hold of man who do smuggling people. She take a risk of life and through Turkey she reach America with her daughter.
Betty on the other hand, To her horror, she found herself and her four-year-old daughter, Mahtob, virtual prisoners of a man rededicated to his Muslim faith, in a land where women are near-slaves and Americans despised as enemies. Their only hope for escape lay in a dangerous underground that would not take her child.
They had tough time ahead and she try to escape the fate of Iranian women and for next 2 years she tries well until her father fell ill and Mahmoody want her to go and get the money she got from her father inheritance , she refused and plan to fled, she got hold of man who do smuggling people. She take a risk of life and through Turkey she reach America with her daughter.
It doesn’t matter if you are a mother, a father, or in a relationship… You can always relate and feel the struggles and ambition to survive from the main character. I got so trapped inside the story that I end up believing that I am the one who want to save my own daughter. The book has it all: tension, unexpected twists, and even dark moments where I though the main character will not find any possible way to survive. In order to know if there is a happy ending… Enjoy reading.
I first read Not Without My Daughter when I was maybe 11 years old. It was probably too young (I remember being particularly confused about the IUD Betty removes from within her own body with a pair of pliers) but it stuck with me in a tremendous way, and I've re-read it several times.
The true story follows a Michigan mother whose Saudi Arabian husband takes them to his home country for a visit, and then imprisons them there. For a time, he even separates them so that Betty cannot comfort Mahtob or even remind the five-year-old about her true home in the United States. The government is no help - since Mahtob has dual citizenship, they can help Betty but would require her to leave her child behind. Through great personal strength of will, Betty is able to endure her captivity and make a daring and desperate bid for freedom through icy mountains in the middle of the night. It's an inspiring story of what a mother will do for her child. (I saw the movie, too, but I vastly prefer the book.)
The true story follows a Michigan mother whose Saudi Arabian husband takes them to his home country for a visit, and then imprisons them there. For a time, he even separates them so that Betty cannot comfort Mahtob or even remind the five-year-old about her true home in the United States. The government is no help - since Mahtob has dual citizenship, they can help Betty but would require her to leave her child behind. Through great personal strength of will, Betty is able to endure her captivity and make a daring and desperate bid for freedom through icy mountains in the middle of the night. It's an inspiring story of what a mother will do for her child. (I saw the movie, too, but I vastly prefer the book.)
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Šiuo metu sutikti žmogų, kuris nežinotų apie Rytų šalyse esančia priespauda moterims, būtų nelengva, galbūt neįmanoma, užduotis. Paėmusi knyga jau žinojau ko tikėtis. Ir vis dėlto nors apie šių šalių tironiškumą aš esu girdėjusi nemažai, bet perskaičius šią knygą sužinojau daar daug daugiau. Baigusi skaityti ne tik įsiminiau daugiau įdomiu ar šokiruojančių faktų, bet ir susipažinau su iraniečių tradicijomis, politika, ir Iranietiška propaganda. Rekomenduoju perskaityti visiems žmonėms, kurie domisi pasaulio kultūromis ir tiems, kuriems dabar trūksta ryžto. Ši knyga įkvepia veikti dabar, Betė dėl savo ir dukros laisvės perkopė kalnus, pabėgo nuo vyro šalyje, kurioje ji buvo jo nuosavybė. Ši knyga atveria akis ir atsako į klausima kodėl iraniečiai tokie kontroliuojantys, o moterys tokios nuolankios. Skaičiau daug nuomonių, kad knyga rasistiška. Asmeniškai aš nepritariu. Taip ji vienos šeimos nevalingumą, abejingumą primetė visai valstybei. Tačiau ji ne viena karta pabrėžė, kad yra ir gerų, novatoriškų žmonių, vyrų, kurie gerbia moteris. Tokie žmonės padėjo jai pabėgti. Ir turint omenyje, kad ji buvo klasta pagrobta ir uždaryta svetimoję šalyje, kurioje dar ir neturi savo teisių jos požiūris pateisinimas. Pabaigoje buvo net gi pateikta statistika kiek moterų vien iš JAV yra klasta pagrobiamų.
this is a truely amazing book basedon real life and one womens struggle too get back home to america, i couldnt believe what she had to fgo through and the way that she was treated, a very well recommended read x
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced