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Eine Höhle in den Wolken - Dem IS entkommen by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed, Susan Elizabeth McClelland
jess_mango's review against another edition
4.0
Badeeah Hassan Ahmed was 16 years old and living with her family in their small village in Northern Iraq when it was invaded by ISIS soldiers. The village was inhabited by Ezidi people, a persecuted minority people in Iraq. The soldiers separated families. Badeeah was able to stay with her toddler nephew by claiming he was her son. The two of them were taken with a number of women and kept as prisoners. Badeeah and her nephew end up in Syria where she is sold to a high ranking ISIS soldier who is from America. They are kept as slaves. Badeeah is regularly assaulted and raped. She eventually escapes and has found the courage to share her story.
This was a harrowing read in part because I knew what was coming. However, I believe it is very important to hear about how women are often mistreated in wartimes. What happened to Badeeah and her village IS a war crime. This is a story of a young woman finding inner strength in a time of extreme hardship. Her individual story can help bring awareness to the plight of women especially those in persecuted and culture-minority groups.
Thank you to the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!
This was a harrowing read in part because I knew what was coming. However, I believe it is very important to hear about how women are often mistreated in wartimes. What happened to Badeeah and her village IS a war crime. This is a story of a young woman finding inner strength in a time of extreme hardship. Her individual story can help bring awareness to the plight of women especially those in persecuted and culture-minority groups.
Thank you to the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review!
marshaskrypuch's review against another edition
5.0
This is a book that everyone should read.
I cannot begin to imagine how hard it was for Badeeah Hassan Ahmed to bare her soul to her co-author like this, but I'm grateful that she did. By doing so, she has enabled every human to get an inkling of the horrors she and her fellow Ezedis suffered under ISIS. Right now, with ISIS forces nearly obliterated and individual former soldiers wanting to return home and be forgiven for what they've done, her story is incredibly timely. The fact that her primary rapist was a blond and blue-eyed American with a wife and baby back home cannot be ignored.
Co-author Susan Elizabeth McLelland is to be commended for writing this story with the thinnest of veils, letting Badeeah's experiences and words shine through. This is a horrific story that's told with sensitivity, shunning all sensationalism, enabling Badeeah to keep her dignity while still educating readers about what she and her fellow captives suffered.
Despite all that Badeeah suffered, it's her hope for the future and love of all humanity that shines through with every word. Her acts of bravery and kindness were astonishing. I am in awe.
I cannot begin to imagine how hard it was for Badeeah Hassan Ahmed to bare her soul to her co-author like this, but I'm grateful that she did. By doing so, she has enabled every human to get an inkling of the horrors she and her fellow Ezedis suffered under ISIS. Right now, with ISIS forces nearly obliterated and individual former soldiers wanting to return home and be forgiven for what they've done, her story is incredibly timely. The fact that her primary rapist was a blond and blue-eyed American with a wife and baby back home cannot be ignored.
Co-author Susan Elizabeth McLelland is to be commended for writing this story with the thinnest of veils, letting Badeeah's experiences and words shine through. This is a horrific story that's told with sensitivity, shunning all sensationalism, enabling Badeeah to keep her dignity while still educating readers about what she and her fellow captives suffered.
Despite all that Badeeah suffered, it's her hope for the future and love of all humanity that shines through with every word. Her acts of bravery and kindness were astonishing. I am in awe.
julxa's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
ellas1550's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
ralovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Annick Press for my free copy!
This YA nonfiction account of Badeeah's experience of being abducted, trafficked, and abused by ISIS is powerful. Badeeah was 18 when her town was invaded, and her story of perseverance and grit is inspiring, albeit difficult. My biggest takeaway from this book is a reminder that exploitation and abuse is made possible by the dehumanization of other human beings. Badeeah was separated from her family, denied basic human rights, and treated as a commodity. It happened during the Holocaust and the Japanese internment, it is happening at the US border, and it happens today. Reading true stories like this helps us stay vigilant to upholding human rights all around us.
For similar, true stories of overcoming oppression, I recommend Slave: True Story, by Mende Nazer (adults), and I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, by Nujood Ali (YA).
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"Always move toward the light. Don't let the darkness in. Remember the purpose of life. Hold onto love, so that darkness will eventually be banished." (words from Badeeah's mother, Adlan)
This YA nonfiction account of Badeeah's experience of being abducted, trafficked, and abused by ISIS is powerful. Badeeah was 18 when her town was invaded, and her story of perseverance and grit is inspiring, albeit difficult. My biggest takeaway from this book is a reminder that exploitation and abuse is made possible by the dehumanization of other human beings. Badeeah was separated from her family, denied basic human rights, and treated as a commodity. It happened during the Holocaust and the Japanese internment, it is happening at the US border, and it happens today. Reading true stories like this helps us stay vigilant to upholding human rights all around us.
For similar, true stories of overcoming oppression, I recommend Slave: True Story, by Mende Nazer (adults), and I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, by Nujood Ali (YA).
---
"Always move toward the light. Don't let the darkness in. Remember the purpose of life. Hold onto love, so that darkness will eventually be banished." (words from Badeeah's mother, Adlan)
justawesome1's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Rape
Moderate: Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, War, and Xenophobia
librarykate's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. Badeeah tells her horrific story with grace and tact. I found myself rooting for her and for her family from the first few sentences. I think that understanding the experiences of others is crucial to kindness, and I really appreciated this glimpse into the life of someone else.
kateteaching7and8's review against another edition
4.0
@kidlitexchange #partner
Thank you to the @kidlitexchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A Cave in the Clouds in the harrowing story of a young woman's escape from ISIS. The story is based on Badeeah Hassan Ahmed's experiences. At 18, Badeeah was captured by ISIS after they invaded her village in Iraq. She was forced into a human trafficking network and eventually purchased by a high-ranking ISIS general, who is also an American. Throughout all of this Badeeah is also protecting her nephew who was captured with her by pretending to be his mother. Her courage, faith, and the relationship she developed with another captured woman lead her to freedom.
This was a gripping novel and a very quick read. This book gives insight into Ezidi culture, the atrocities being committed against women and children, and the genocides still occurring in the Middle East. I love the message o this story and how it doesn't focus on the war itself, but instead on the restorative powers of storytelling and the strength and faith that Badeeah displayed.
Thank you to the @kidlitexchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A Cave in the Clouds in the harrowing story of a young woman's escape from ISIS. The story is based on Badeeah Hassan Ahmed's experiences. At 18, Badeeah was captured by ISIS after they invaded her village in Iraq. She was forced into a human trafficking network and eventually purchased by a high-ranking ISIS general, who is also an American. Throughout all of this Badeeah is also protecting her nephew who was captured with her by pretending to be his mother. Her courage, faith, and the relationship she developed with another captured woman lead her to freedom.
This was a gripping novel and a very quick read. This book gives insight into Ezidi culture, the atrocities being committed against women and children, and the genocides still occurring in the Middle East. I love the message o this story and how it doesn't focus on the war itself, but instead on the restorative powers of storytelling and the strength and faith that Badeeah displayed.
bridgetdeveney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5