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A Sliver of Light: Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran
Hikers held captive in Tehran tell their story in “a moving memoir by three individuals who found the strength to survive” (San Jose Mercury News). During the summer of 2009, Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, and Sarah Shourd were hiking in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan when they unknowingly crossed into Iran and were captured by border patrol. Wrongly accused of espionage, the three Americans ultimately found themselves in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, where activists and protesters from the Green Movement were still being confined and tortured. Cut off from the world and trapped in a legal black hole, the three friends discovered that pooling their strength of will and relying on one another was the only way they could survive. In A Sliver of Light, Bauer, Fattal, and Shourd finally get to tell their side of the story. They offer a rare glimpse inside Iran at a time when understanding this fractured state has never been more important. But beyond that, this memoir is a profoundly humane account of defiance, hope, and the elemental power of friendship—and a “ record of a human rights triumph” (San Jose Mercury News).
357 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 18, 2014
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August 12, 2016
Allow me to start my review with a little story:
I used to petsit for two adorable miniature dachshunds with adorable miniature brains. In a misguided attempt to mark their territory, they wound up urinating in their shared water bowl. They'd then take a sip of water, make the canine-equivalent "Ewww" face, and stare at me with soulful puppy eyes as if to say "Dearest Petsitter, our water tastes bad and we love you".
Sarah, Shane, and Josh remind me of those dogs, except that they didn't have the adorable factor working for them and don't love anyone except themselves. They were fully aware that they peed in their water bowl. In fact, they did so deliberately. Yet when they got thirsty and wanted a drink, who did they blame for their water tasting bad? Who did they expect to provide them with fresh water? Answer: everyone except for themselves.
That's the problem with this book. It should be an interesting prison memoir with an added unique edge as Americans in Iran. There is surprisingly little of day-to-day life, and the book instead spends time complaining about everything from US foreign policy to their irritation at being known as "the hikers". Their "solitary confinement" is more like having a private dorm room, nothing like real prison solitary confinement. They aren't young - they were in their late 20s/early 30s. In fact, I'd say most people would prefer their prison experience than anything ever aired on "Locked Up Abroad". It also suffers from being narrated by three extremely unlikeable narrators that the average decent, hardworking, morally sound person cannot identify with.
For those unfamiliar with their story, these threed-bags friends went on a sightseeing trip to Iraq. Sarah and Shane claim they were "experienced" travelers because they were living in Damascus at the time. I also got the impression that they exaggerated their employment, sort of living life as unemployed ne'er-do-wells. Sarah was not a teacher; she volunteered helping Iraqi refugees learn English (and uses this as yet another platform to criticize America) and Shane did occasional freelance journalism (in the same way that I'm a freelance book reviewer, pastry chef, and dragon tamer). Josh was a volunteer sustainable living "educator", whatever that means.
Anyway, looking for bragging rights for seeing something off the beaten path, locals suggested they check out a waterfall. They were unimpressed by the waterfall and decided to camp out overnight. For people passionate about the Middle East, it seems pretty disrespectful for an unmarried couple and another man wearing inappropriate attire to wander away from the campground and sleep on a trail. They hiked 5 or 6 hours the next morning without a map and either accidentally crossed into Iran, or got so close than Iranian border guards waved them over.
They claim they had no idea they were near the border, and blame everyone from their hotel manager to a taxi driver for not warning them that they were close. This means they are either stupid or lying. I suspect they knew they were near the border and wanted to get close for Shane's journalism purposes, perhaps to get a glimpse of a border well known for illegal immigration. Or maybe wanted a "LOL, I've got one foot in Iran and one foot in Iraq" picture. I've taken those, but never in a country with a State department warning.
Regardless, they get arrested and thrown into Iranian prison. I sympathize with Iranian officials because quite frankly, they had no idea what to do with these three. It's not unreasonable for authorities to consider espionage. Once it was clear that they were just idiots, not spies, they were sent to the political prisoner wing of Tehran's Evin prison. Not because they were political prisoners, but rather because it was a nicer and safer place to stay away from criminal prisoners.
I'm disgusted that they refer to themselves as political prisoners. Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner. They were just idiots.
From here, it's just a soap opera. If anything, the prison guards are generous to them. They allow the three an hour of time together every day in the prison courtyard. They have very good meals 3 times a day. They're allowed to order anything they want, at no charge, from the prison commissary (in fact, Shane and Josh detail an extensive and delicious grocery list). They have excellent medical care for minor problems that Sarah and Shane admit they exaggerated. They are permitted a visit at a hotel with their mothers. They have English books, mini-fridges, and DVD players. The guards even take them out to a local park for pizza and ice cream for a birthday.
So what do Sarah, Shane, and Josh do?
Whine.
Holy buckets, Batman. Constant whining.
Sarah has a private room and claims "solitary confinement" and begs for a roommate. I suspect she would have insisted on a private room had she been given a roommate from the start, or surely would have found a way to complain about her roommate. She's angry at Shane and Josh for rooming together, though Shane and Josh eventually drive each other nuts in their shared cell. Josh gets pissy at a guard for slamming a door and demands an apology. The guard angrily pushes him and Shane, hence the exaggerated "beating" of what seemed to be a b*tch-slap that Sarah so frequently mentioned. Oh, and the hunger strikes? Fake.
Sarah was released after 14 months on compassionate grounds. Oman paid the $500,000 bail. She describes her "campaign" for Shane and Josh's release, along with the efforts their families put into publicizing their case, but it seems more like organized pestering. It was really only the generosity of the Sultan of Oman who got wheels turning and agreed to pay another $500,000 each for Shane and Josh a year later. In all fairness, the three were not "freed". They just skipped bail.
They are angry with America - the same America they openly criticized - for not rescuing them. Josh protested the presence of military recruiters on college campuses, then fantasized about SEALs rescuing him. They reference kidnapped US government employees who were rescued and wonder why no one came for them. Don't they get it? They peed in their water bowl. No one was going to clean it up for them.
I might have been able to give it two stars because little bits of the book were interesting, and I liked the alternating narration between the three. However, they did one of the most cold-hearted things a human can do that drained what little I enjoyed about the book away: they refused to help others in need. Upon their return, US agents wanted to talk to them to help US efforts in the search for missing Americans in Iran. Sarah, Shane, and Josh told them to GTFO. The US didn't rescue them, so why should they bother to help the US? Clearly, they learned nothing from their experience.
At the end, they're all three still unemployed and useless, doing things such as campaigning for rights of that oh-so-worthy demographic - violent criminals. GET A JOB! Josh fathered an illegitimate child, an event he describes briefly with the same enthusiasm one might use if eating a meal at Applebee's. I hope he teaches that poor little tyke to read a map.
This book should have been titled "Three D-bags Who Were Dumb Enough to Get Arrested in Iran and Spend Two Years Blaming Everyone Except Themselves".
I used to petsit for two adorable miniature dachshunds with adorable miniature brains. In a misguided attempt to mark their territory, they wound up urinating in their shared water bowl. They'd then take a sip of water, make the canine-equivalent "Ewww" face, and stare at me with soulful puppy eyes as if to say "Dearest Petsitter, our water tastes bad and we love you".
Sarah, Shane, and Josh remind me of those dogs, except that they didn't have the adorable factor working for them and don't love anyone except themselves. They were fully aware that they peed in their water bowl. In fact, they did so deliberately. Yet when they got thirsty and wanted a drink, who did they blame for their water tasting bad? Who did they expect to provide them with fresh water? Answer: everyone except for themselves.
That's the problem with this book. It should be an interesting prison memoir with an added unique edge as Americans in Iran. There is surprisingly little of day-to-day life, and the book instead spends time complaining about everything from US foreign policy to their irritation at being known as "the hikers". Their "solitary confinement" is more like having a private dorm room, nothing like real prison solitary confinement. They aren't young - they were in their late 20s/early 30s. In fact, I'd say most people would prefer their prison experience than anything ever aired on "Locked Up Abroad". It also suffers from being narrated by three extremely unlikeable narrators that the average decent, hardworking, morally sound person cannot identify with.
For those unfamiliar with their story, these three
Anyway, looking for bragging rights for seeing something off the beaten path, locals suggested they check out a waterfall. They were unimpressed by the waterfall and decided to camp out overnight. For people passionate about the Middle East, it seems pretty disrespectful for an unmarried couple and another man wearing inappropriate attire to wander away from the campground and sleep on a trail. They hiked 5 or 6 hours the next morning without a map and either accidentally crossed into Iran, or got so close than Iranian border guards waved them over.
They claim they had no idea they were near the border, and blame everyone from their hotel manager to a taxi driver for not warning them that they were close. This means they are either stupid or lying. I suspect they knew they were near the border and wanted to get close for Shane's journalism purposes, perhaps to get a glimpse of a border well known for illegal immigration. Or maybe wanted a "LOL, I've got one foot in Iran and one foot in Iraq" picture. I've taken those, but never in a country with a State department warning.
Regardless, they get arrested and thrown into Iranian prison. I sympathize with Iranian officials because quite frankly, they had no idea what to do with these three. It's not unreasonable for authorities to consider espionage. Once it was clear that they were just idiots, not spies, they were sent to the political prisoner wing of Tehran's Evin prison. Not because they were political prisoners, but rather because it was a nicer and safer place to stay away from criminal prisoners.
I'm disgusted that they refer to themselves as political prisoners. Nelson Mandela was a political prisoner. They were just idiots.
From here, it's just a soap opera. If anything, the prison guards are generous to them. They allow the three an hour of time together every day in the prison courtyard. They have very good meals 3 times a day. They're allowed to order anything they want, at no charge, from the prison commissary (in fact, Shane and Josh detail an extensive and delicious grocery list). They have excellent medical care for minor problems that Sarah and Shane admit they exaggerated. They are permitted a visit at a hotel with their mothers. They have English books, mini-fridges, and DVD players. The guards even take them out to a local park for pizza and ice cream for a birthday.
So what do Sarah, Shane, and Josh do?
Whine.
Holy buckets, Batman. Constant whining.
Sarah has a private room and claims "solitary confinement" and begs for a roommate. I suspect she would have insisted on a private room had she been given a roommate from the start, or surely would have found a way to complain about her roommate. She's angry at Shane and Josh for rooming together, though Shane and Josh eventually drive each other nuts in their shared cell. Josh gets pissy at a guard for slamming a door and demands an apology. The guard angrily pushes him and Shane, hence the exaggerated "beating" of what seemed to be a b*tch-slap that Sarah so frequently mentioned. Oh, and the hunger strikes? Fake.
Sarah was released after 14 months on compassionate grounds. Oman paid the $500,000 bail. She describes her "campaign" for Shane and Josh's release, along with the efforts their families put into publicizing their case, but it seems more like organized pestering. It was really only the generosity of the Sultan of Oman who got wheels turning and agreed to pay another $500,000 each for Shane and Josh a year later. In all fairness, the three were not "freed". They just skipped bail.
They are angry with America - the same America they openly criticized - for not rescuing them. Josh protested the presence of military recruiters on college campuses, then fantasized about SEALs rescuing him. They reference kidnapped US government employees who were rescued and wonder why no one came for them. Don't they get it? They peed in their water bowl. No one was going to clean it up for them.
I might have been able to give it two stars because little bits of the book were interesting, and I liked the alternating narration between the three. However, they did one of the most cold-hearted things a human can do that drained what little I enjoyed about the book away: they refused to help others in need. Upon their return, US agents wanted to talk to them to help US efforts in the search for missing Americans in Iran. Sarah, Shane, and Josh told them to GTFO. The US didn't rescue them, so why should they bother to help the US? Clearly, they learned nothing from their experience.
At the end, they're all three still unemployed and useless, doing things such as campaigning for rights of that oh-so-worthy demographic - violent criminals. GET A JOB! Josh fathered an illegitimate child, an event he describes briefly with the same enthusiasm one might use if eating a meal at Applebee's. I hope he teaches that poor little tyke to read a map.
This book should have been titled "Three D-bags Who Were Dumb Enough to Get Arrested in Iran and Spend Two Years Blaming Everyone Except Themselves".
April 19, 2014
I came to this book from a perspective different than that of most readers. I represent men who have been kept in solitary in Illinois' prisons, sometimes for decades.I represent them in prison, and I represent them after their release (often in applications for disability benefits, as the experience has so damaged them that they are no longer capable of functioning in a work environment). This book is honest, tells us much about ourselves as a society, and should be read by every American.
In the Summer of 2009, three independent journalists (Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd) who had been living in the middle east writing stories critical of the US involvement. They decided to take a short vacation in the Kurdish territory of Iraq--at the time advertised by the US as tourist friendly. One afternoon as they were hiking in the mountains, Iranian soldiers lured all three over the unmarked mountain border between Iran and Iraq. They were seized as they stepped across the border, and charged with sneaking into Iran illegally as US "spies."This happened at the same time as the mass demonstrations in Iran against the rigged Presidential election ("the Green Revolution"). As we now know, the US was, in fact, sending spies and saboteurs into Iran during this period. While, none of these three were in fact spies, in retrospect, Iran's actions were hardly irrational
The three were quickly transferred to the notorious Evin prison, where they under went intense interrogation, but were NOT harmed in any way. Initially, all three were kept in solitary. However, after a few months, Josh and Shane were placed in the same cell. After a massive public relations campaign, largely organized by their families, and some quiet diplomacy by several countries, Sarah was released after spending almost 450 days in solitary. Shane and Josh remained in a cell together, but otherwise completely isolated, for over two years before their release was negotiated.
The three have now written a book, entirely in the firs person, recounting their ordeal. Since they are quite disciplined about writing only what they knew at the time, we get very little insight into the diplomatic maneuvering which won their release. Instead, they have written a riveting description of what it feels like to live in isolation for month after month. In short, it destroys your mind.
For a while, I was worried. The narrative did not seem to get beneath the surface, and instead described the mundane day to day trips to be interrogated, the yard, etc. There were hints of the mental stress they were enduring, but it didn't seem personal. Then, suddenly, in chapter 30, page 77, Shane starts peeling back the scars:
"To write about solitary confinement is to provide the texture of experience, but how do I provide the texture of an experience whose essential quality is its texturelessness? Solitary confinement is not a head banging against a wall in terror or rage. Sometimes it is, but mostly is is just the slow erasure of who you thought you were."
From there to the end, it is an entirely different book. All three dig into what must still be extremely painful memories, and pour their experiences out into paragraph after paragraph, page after page, right through the epilogue.
In some ways, Sarah had it hardest--she was alone. However, she was released after a little more than a year, while Josh and Shane remained for almost another year. Did living together make it easier? This question comes up regularly in US prisons, as they are often so overcrowded that even solitary cells are doubled up. This leads to a sort of enforced intimacy, which many experts think is actually worse than solitary. Typically, of course, prisoners are not housed with their good friends; they are housed with violent strangers. Josh and Shane thus had it much easier. BUT, as Josh poignantly describes in chapter 88, they eventually so got on each other's nerves that they used a blanket to divide their cell, and thereafter constantly fought over every square inch--what belonged to who. So, is isolation alone better or worse than isolation with a cell mate? Neither. Both will destroy you.
The US holds 80,000 people in solitary. Far more than any other country in the world. Shane, Josh and Sarah's conditions were in many ways better than that of most US prisoners in solitary. Their cells were larger, they regularly were allowed to spend "yard" time together, and they were able to keep a fair amount of personal property. With the exception of one incident, they were never physically abused. In other ways, their conditions were worse--they were in a foreign country and had only a very basic grasp of the language, and of course, they had done nothing wrong, and had no clue when or how they would be released.
Yet even that does not really set them apart. Prisoners in solitary in the US are routinely held without formal disciplinary charges; with no clear end date for their stay in solitary; and no clear path to return to the general population.
The bottom line is--solitary is torture. A Sliver of Light sheds some much needed light on what that means. We are all responsible for the 80,000 people in solitary in US prisons. We all should read this book so that we understand just what we are doing to our fellow human beings.
In the Summer of 2009, three independent journalists (Shane Bauer, Josh Fattal and Sarah Shourd) who had been living in the middle east writing stories critical of the US involvement. They decided to take a short vacation in the Kurdish territory of Iraq--at the time advertised by the US as tourist friendly. One afternoon as they were hiking in the mountains, Iranian soldiers lured all three over the unmarked mountain border between Iran and Iraq. They were seized as they stepped across the border, and charged with sneaking into Iran illegally as US "spies."This happened at the same time as the mass demonstrations in Iran against the rigged Presidential election ("the Green Revolution"). As we now know, the US was, in fact, sending spies and saboteurs into Iran during this period. While, none of these three were in fact spies, in retrospect, Iran's actions were hardly irrational
The three were quickly transferred to the notorious Evin prison, where they under went intense interrogation, but were NOT harmed in any way. Initially, all three were kept in solitary. However, after a few months, Josh and Shane were placed in the same cell. After a massive public relations campaign, largely organized by their families, and some quiet diplomacy by several countries, Sarah was released after spending almost 450 days in solitary. Shane and Josh remained in a cell together, but otherwise completely isolated, for over two years before their release was negotiated.
The three have now written a book, entirely in the firs person, recounting their ordeal. Since they are quite disciplined about writing only what they knew at the time, we get very little insight into the diplomatic maneuvering which won their release. Instead, they have written a riveting description of what it feels like to live in isolation for month after month. In short, it destroys your mind.
For a while, I was worried. The narrative did not seem to get beneath the surface, and instead described the mundane day to day trips to be interrogated, the yard, etc. There were hints of the mental stress they were enduring, but it didn't seem personal. Then, suddenly, in chapter 30, page 77, Shane starts peeling back the scars:
"To write about solitary confinement is to provide the texture of experience, but how do I provide the texture of an experience whose essential quality is its texturelessness? Solitary confinement is not a head banging against a wall in terror or rage. Sometimes it is, but mostly is is just the slow erasure of who you thought you were."
From there to the end, it is an entirely different book. All three dig into what must still be extremely painful memories, and pour their experiences out into paragraph after paragraph, page after page, right through the epilogue.
In some ways, Sarah had it hardest--she was alone. However, she was released after a little more than a year, while Josh and Shane remained for almost another year. Did living together make it easier? This question comes up regularly in US prisons, as they are often so overcrowded that even solitary cells are doubled up. This leads to a sort of enforced intimacy, which many experts think is actually worse than solitary. Typically, of course, prisoners are not housed with their good friends; they are housed with violent strangers. Josh and Shane thus had it much easier. BUT, as Josh poignantly describes in chapter 88, they eventually so got on each other's nerves that they used a blanket to divide their cell, and thereafter constantly fought over every square inch--what belonged to who. So, is isolation alone better or worse than isolation with a cell mate? Neither. Both will destroy you.
The US holds 80,000 people in solitary. Far more than any other country in the world. Shane, Josh and Sarah's conditions were in many ways better than that of most US prisoners in solitary. Their cells were larger, they regularly were allowed to spend "yard" time together, and they were able to keep a fair amount of personal property. With the exception of one incident, they were never physically abused. In other ways, their conditions were worse--they were in a foreign country and had only a very basic grasp of the language, and of course, they had done nothing wrong, and had no clue when or how they would be released.
Yet even that does not really set them apart. Prisoners in solitary in the US are routinely held without formal disciplinary charges; with no clear end date for their stay in solitary; and no clear path to return to the general population.
The bottom line is--solitary is torture. A Sliver of Light sheds some much needed light on what that means. We are all responsible for the 80,000 people in solitary in US prisons. We all should read this book so that we understand just what we are doing to our fellow human beings.
June 13, 2014
One star because as a human, I empathize with what the three went through; however, these three are probably the most arrogant, self-loving and whiny people I have ever read about. There were times I almost wanted the Iranians to smack them around a little bit just to knock them off of their high horses. The three hate America and take every chance to speak out against this country while living in the Middle East, then whine when America doesn't respond to help them. They mock religion and God, then wonder why God is letting this happen to them (Although at some points here and there, they do devise their own psuedo-religious beliefs, when it suits them). And ultimately when freed, refuse to speak to the FBI to help other Americans in the same situation.
I imagine that in terms of Iranian (and other foreign) prisons, they actually had it pretty well. The most interesting part of the book was a glimpse into Iran.
I imagine that in terms of Iranian (and other foreign) prisons, they actually had it pretty well. The most interesting part of the book was a glimpse into Iran.
September 23, 2014
This book didn't sit well with me, for a variety of reasons, some of which I'll try to explain. To begin, the book's structure is off-putting. It is broken into small sections, most only a few pages long, with each being written from the viewpoint of one of the authors. I understand that all three wanted to tell their stories, each from his/her own point of view, but the constant jerking between them was disruptive. What made this structure even worse, all three speak in essentially the same literary voice. Meaning, it is nearly impossible to tell one person's section from another simply by reading them. (I had to keep referring to the listed name at the start of each section to keep them straight.) Without being able to hear each person as an individual, it is somewhat difficult to immerse oneself in the story. I wish they had found a more engaging and elegant way to convey their stories.
Another problem. This has been mentioned by quite a few other people. I have a difficult time believing that the hikers had no clue where they were. Why? I've traveled extensively both in the U.S. and in foreign countries on multiple continents, and not once did I not know where I was. Especially if there was a border anywhere nearby. That just doesn't happen with experienced travelers. And, given the extremely fraught nature of the greater Middle East area, it would be even more imperative for any experienced traveler with any common sense to be extremely situationally aware. Especially since it was the IRANIAN border. But these three claim that they thought they were 100 miles from the border. Not one mile, where some confusion might be expected, but 100 miles. That is a huge distance, especially in the mountains.
My next paragraphs will probably cause the Not Helpful votes to rack up like a pinball machine score, but I've got to be honest and tell you what I think. First, I was put off by the fact that the hikers refuse (to this day) to admit that they did anything wrong, or in any way contributed whatsoever to their imprisonment. I am not saying at all that what happened to them was justified. But look at the situation. Three Americans hiking within a few feet of the Iranian border? What did they think was going to happen? What do you think the U.S. would do if three North Korean hikers were found in the mountains at the Canadian/U.S. border without required papers? They certainly would be detained and questioned, as they should be. (Not imprisoned for years, but you get the point.) It is as if the authors feel that they should be able to do anything they want, without realistic consequences because, hey, don't you know who we are?
Another negative. The hikers, in the years before their imprisonment, as well as during their imprisonment, made a big deal out of being so sympathetic to and understanding of the Middle East Arab and Persian plights, and so critical of the U.S. Gosh, Mr. Iranian interrogator, we disagree with the U.S. and empathize with you greatly. If you could just understand how much we sympathize, you would know that we're really on your side. (This wasn't a strategy. They actually believed this.) The sheer hypocrisy of this attitude is almost overwhelming, and yet the crazy thing is that none of the three hikers has the faintest recognition of his/her hypocrisy. They are sitting in a prison in which the Iranians are brutally torturing and killing their own political dissenters, and yet the hikers sincerely explain to their captors how much they sympathize with Iran, and disagree with the U.S. And they are stunned that their captors don't say, oh, you sympathize with us? Gosh, we'll release you because we're such great and tolerant people. How can the hikers possibly be that blind? Inexplicable. This is Sarah, speaking to Ahmadinejad himself, after her release: "The three of us are very critical of our government's foreign policy. We are all against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I even helped organize a protest against bombing Iran when I was in my twenties. Will you tell this to the [Iranian] judiciary?" And yet, oddly, Sarah doesn't beg Ahmadinejad to be allowed to leave the U.S. and live in wonderful Iran. Hmmm.
Another problem. The hikers continually insist throughout the book that Sarah spends her captivity in solitary confinement. This annoys me. I've spent many years volunteering time with organizations that attempt to help brutalized political prisoners in many countries. And, let me tell you, Sarah is not in solitary confinement. Simply being by herself in a cell doesn't qualify. She is regularly, almost daily, taken to visit the other two hikers. They spend large amounts of time together. She also has regular interactions with non-hostile guards and some fellow prisoners. This doesn't constitute solitary confinement. The continual misuse of this term is a huge slap in the face to all of the political prisoners who truly live in solitary.
And, I don't know how else to say it, the hikers' continual whining was embarrassing. Being imprisoned is horrible. No doubt about it. But they, like many Americans (myself included), have led such easy and entitled lives, in which I'm sure they were continually told how important and unique they are, that they seem to have no mental capacity to deal with, or even comprehend, adversity. Bad things just can't or shouldn't happen to them. We hiked at the Iranian border. We were imprisoned as a result (which was an entirely foreseeable consequence), but how can this possibly be happening to us? Don't you know how unique and intelligent and empathetic we are? Don't you know how cool we are to have lived in foreign countries and thought so very much about the plight of you poor Iranian government, so abused by the dastardly Americans? Don't you know... don't you know... don't you know how very special we are? Because we're us. Us. Isn't our value self-evident?
Next, the hikers aren't abused in any way. Other than a few scuffles, nothing physically bad happens to them. They are given plenty of food and water, books, even a refrigerator, TV, VCR, and delicious birthday cake. During this time, on more than one occasion, they hear the horrible screams of Iranian prisoners being brutally tortured. So the hikers' complaining about relative trivialities casts them in a very unsympathetic light.
One positive use for this book: it is an excellent, if inadvertent, psychological study of truly entrenched and unthinking white American entitlement. First example. After being released, Sarah thinks, "I'm not sure that I've ever felt anything akin to nationalism in my life- my core identity has largely been shaped in response to (and rebellion against) what I dislike about my culture...greed, selfish individualism, a sense of superiority and entitlement over others." Unbelievable. Why? Because the three hikers continually display and embody every single one of these attributes, apart from greed. They are the living essence of them. They feel so incredibly entitled and selfishly individual, that they have no ability to self-reflect and recognize that truth. (And, might it be pointed out, that American taxpayers contribute more humanitarian aid to people around the world than just about all other countries combined. Very selfish and greedy.)
Second example. The hikers have a firmly entrenched image of who they are. And not even a deep, internal image, but an image that they believe they project to the exterior world. A superficial, look at my fabulous empathy image. And it is amazing how they can twist their perception of events to fit this image. This is Josh, witnessing a minor and equal scuffle between Shane and a guard: "I can't be mad at Shane for fighting with [the guard]. Even Gandhi wrote that he would choose violent resistance over cowardice. That was what Shane did. Perhaps fighting, yet refusing to gang up on [the guard], was Gandhian." Wow. So Shane gets into a little scuffle with a guard, but it can't just be that. No. These hikers have such an inflated view of themselves, of their grand importance, that in having a scuffle Shane isn't Shane having a scuffle. No, Shane is like... Gandhi. I say it again. Wow.
Again, rack up the Not Helpfuls, write nasty comments, but here goes. Get over it, you three hikers. Get over it. Something bad happened to you. Something that was somewhat foreseeable, given the circumstances and your actions. You are partially to blame. While imprisoned, you were treated well, allowed to see each other, fed, watered, showered, tolerated even when you screamed at guards, slapped them, and demanded things. You are extremely lucky that you are Americans, that you are from a great and tolerant country, because if you had been Iranian, you would have been tortured, raped, and killed by your own government. Put that in perspective, why don't you?
Another problem. This has been mentioned by quite a few other people. I have a difficult time believing that the hikers had no clue where they were. Why? I've traveled extensively both in the U.S. and in foreign countries on multiple continents, and not once did I not know where I was. Especially if there was a border anywhere nearby. That just doesn't happen with experienced travelers. And, given the extremely fraught nature of the greater Middle East area, it would be even more imperative for any experienced traveler with any common sense to be extremely situationally aware. Especially since it was the IRANIAN border. But these three claim that they thought they were 100 miles from the border. Not one mile, where some confusion might be expected, but 100 miles. That is a huge distance, especially in the mountains.
My next paragraphs will probably cause the Not Helpful votes to rack up like a pinball machine score, but I've got to be honest and tell you what I think. First, I was put off by the fact that the hikers refuse (to this day) to admit that they did anything wrong, or in any way contributed whatsoever to their imprisonment. I am not saying at all that what happened to them was justified. But look at the situation. Three Americans hiking within a few feet of the Iranian border? What did they think was going to happen? What do you think the U.S. would do if three North Korean hikers were found in the mountains at the Canadian/U.S. border without required papers? They certainly would be detained and questioned, as they should be. (Not imprisoned for years, but you get the point.) It is as if the authors feel that they should be able to do anything they want, without realistic consequences because, hey, don't you know who we are?
Another negative. The hikers, in the years before their imprisonment, as well as during their imprisonment, made a big deal out of being so sympathetic to and understanding of the Middle East Arab and Persian plights, and so critical of the U.S. Gosh, Mr. Iranian interrogator, we disagree with the U.S. and empathize with you greatly. If you could just understand how much we sympathize, you would know that we're really on your side. (This wasn't a strategy. They actually believed this.) The sheer hypocrisy of this attitude is almost overwhelming, and yet the crazy thing is that none of the three hikers has the faintest recognition of his/her hypocrisy. They are sitting in a prison in which the Iranians are brutally torturing and killing their own political dissenters, and yet the hikers sincerely explain to their captors how much they sympathize with Iran, and disagree with the U.S. And they are stunned that their captors don't say, oh, you sympathize with us? Gosh, we'll release you because we're such great and tolerant people. How can the hikers possibly be that blind? Inexplicable. This is Sarah, speaking to Ahmadinejad himself, after her release: "The three of us are very critical of our government's foreign policy. We are all against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I even helped organize a protest against bombing Iran when I was in my twenties. Will you tell this to the [Iranian] judiciary?" And yet, oddly, Sarah doesn't beg Ahmadinejad to be allowed to leave the U.S. and live in wonderful Iran. Hmmm.
Another problem. The hikers continually insist throughout the book that Sarah spends her captivity in solitary confinement. This annoys me. I've spent many years volunteering time with organizations that attempt to help brutalized political prisoners in many countries. And, let me tell you, Sarah is not in solitary confinement. Simply being by herself in a cell doesn't qualify. She is regularly, almost daily, taken to visit the other two hikers. They spend large amounts of time together. She also has regular interactions with non-hostile guards and some fellow prisoners. This doesn't constitute solitary confinement. The continual misuse of this term is a huge slap in the face to all of the political prisoners who truly live in solitary.
And, I don't know how else to say it, the hikers' continual whining was embarrassing. Being imprisoned is horrible. No doubt about it. But they, like many Americans (myself included), have led such easy and entitled lives, in which I'm sure they were continually told how important and unique they are, that they seem to have no mental capacity to deal with, or even comprehend, adversity. Bad things just can't or shouldn't happen to them. We hiked at the Iranian border. We were imprisoned as a result (which was an entirely foreseeable consequence), but how can this possibly be happening to us? Don't you know how unique and intelligent and empathetic we are? Don't you know how cool we are to have lived in foreign countries and thought so very much about the plight of you poor Iranian government, so abused by the dastardly Americans? Don't you know... don't you know... don't you know how very special we are? Because we're us. Us. Isn't our value self-evident?
Next, the hikers aren't abused in any way. Other than a few scuffles, nothing physically bad happens to them. They are given plenty of food and water, books, even a refrigerator, TV, VCR, and delicious birthday cake. During this time, on more than one occasion, they hear the horrible screams of Iranian prisoners being brutally tortured. So the hikers' complaining about relative trivialities casts them in a very unsympathetic light.
One positive use for this book: it is an excellent, if inadvertent, psychological study of truly entrenched and unthinking white American entitlement. First example. After being released, Sarah thinks, "I'm not sure that I've ever felt anything akin to nationalism in my life- my core identity has largely been shaped in response to (and rebellion against) what I dislike about my culture...greed, selfish individualism, a sense of superiority and entitlement over others." Unbelievable. Why? Because the three hikers continually display and embody every single one of these attributes, apart from greed. They are the living essence of them. They feel so incredibly entitled and selfishly individual, that they have no ability to self-reflect and recognize that truth. (And, might it be pointed out, that American taxpayers contribute more humanitarian aid to people around the world than just about all other countries combined. Very selfish and greedy.)
Second example. The hikers have a firmly entrenched image of who they are. And not even a deep, internal image, but an image that they believe they project to the exterior world. A superficial, look at my fabulous empathy image. And it is amazing how they can twist their perception of events to fit this image. This is Josh, witnessing a minor and equal scuffle between Shane and a guard: "I can't be mad at Shane for fighting with [the guard]. Even Gandhi wrote that he would choose violent resistance over cowardice. That was what Shane did. Perhaps fighting, yet refusing to gang up on [the guard], was Gandhian." Wow. So Shane gets into a little scuffle with a guard, but it can't just be that. No. These hikers have such an inflated view of themselves, of their grand importance, that in having a scuffle Shane isn't Shane having a scuffle. No, Shane is like... Gandhi. I say it again. Wow.
Again, rack up the Not Helpfuls, write nasty comments, but here goes. Get over it, you three hikers. Get over it. Something bad happened to you. Something that was somewhat foreseeable, given the circumstances and your actions. You are partially to blame. While imprisoned, you were treated well, allowed to see each other, fed, watered, showered, tolerated even when you screamed at guards, slapped them, and demanded things. You are extremely lucky that you are Americans, that you are from a great and tolerant country, because if you had been Iranian, you would have been tortured, raped, and killed by your own government. Put that in perspective, why don't you?
June 4, 2014
One always hopes that a cathartic experience will make someone change their ways and grow and learn. But many people seem to manage to stay the same even when life deals them experiences that they should learn from.
These three remind me of the tourists in "Muppet Treasure Island". Seemingly oblivious to wars, they are out hiking along the Iraq/Iran border. They assume as long as they hate Bush and Israel, they will be welcomed by all the good people in this part of the world.
They enter Iranian jails as typical academic leftists, and return to the states with their same prejudices. They make it clear to their captors and the reader that Iran is the moral equivalent of the United States. While Iran can torture teen age girls by twisting their legs 360 degrees, and then raping and killing them in front of their dissident parents, We are to be informed that sometimes Americans are convicted of crimes when there is a doubt in the evidence.
This trio might be over educated and smitten by the latest academic trends, but they come across as stupid.
These three remind me of the tourists in "Muppet Treasure Island". Seemingly oblivious to wars, they are out hiking along the Iraq/Iran border. They assume as long as they hate Bush and Israel, they will be welcomed by all the good people in this part of the world.
They enter Iranian jails as typical academic leftists, and return to the states with their same prejudices. They make it clear to their captors and the reader that Iran is the moral equivalent of the United States. While Iran can torture teen age girls by twisting their legs 360 degrees, and then raping and killing them in front of their dissident parents, We are to be informed that sometimes Americans are convicted of crimes when there is a doubt in the evidence.
This trio might be over educated and smitten by the latest academic trends, but they come across as stupid.
July 8, 2014
This is a well-written book, but after reading it, I may have lost my liberal street cred. I hated these whining, self-absorbed anti-Americans that much. I feel like going to shop at Wal-Mart, joining the NRA, and changing my political party affiliation to Republican just to further disassociate myself from people like Shane, Sarah, and Josh. I found, to my surprise, so much to dislike about these three.
When reading it, I found myself thinking, "I want my $11 back," not only because reading it was not enjoyable, but because I don't want these people to benefit in any way from their easily-avoided captivity. It just doesn't make any sense for three Americans to be hiking on the Iran-Iraq border. And it certainly doesn't make sense for a person of Jewish heritage to be doing so, as author Josh Fattal is.
I'm sorry that they were in a foreign prison for so long, but they were old enough to know better than to put themselves in that situation in the first place. And their refusal to talk to U.S. officials about prison conditions and other Western prisoners after their release? Unconscionable.
A quote from the book, which I found particular revealing: "One family member told me that being an antiwar, pro-Palestinian leftist blinded me to life's dangers. Though I knew Kurdistan was safe and that the sirens in Jerusalem were a statistical improbability, I started to doubt myself."
Listen to that voice inside your head, my friend...it's saying something important.
Also, "One cousin thought I should just be grateful the Iranians didn't kill me and stay put."
Ya think?
If you want to contemplate real, actual suffering, please consider the plight of the hostages held in Iran between November 4, 1979 and January 20, 1981. Here's the Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hos...
Do yourself a favor, and don't expose yourself to these self-involved, highly educated, but incredibly stupid individuals.
When reading it, I found myself thinking, "I want my $11 back," not only because reading it was not enjoyable, but because I don't want these people to benefit in any way from their easily-avoided captivity. It just doesn't make any sense for three Americans to be hiking on the Iran-Iraq border. And it certainly doesn't make sense for a person of Jewish heritage to be doing so, as author Josh Fattal is.
I'm sorry that they were in a foreign prison for so long, but they were old enough to know better than to put themselves in that situation in the first place. And their refusal to talk to U.S. officials about prison conditions and other Western prisoners after their release? Unconscionable.
A quote from the book, which I found particular revealing: "One family member told me that being an antiwar, pro-Palestinian leftist blinded me to life's dangers. Though I knew Kurdistan was safe and that the sirens in Jerusalem were a statistical improbability, I started to doubt myself."
Listen to that voice inside your head, my friend...it's saying something important.
Also, "One cousin thought I should just be grateful the Iranians didn't kill me and stay put."
Ya think?
If you want to contemplate real, actual suffering, please consider the plight of the hostages held in Iran between November 4, 1979 and January 20, 1981. Here's the Wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran_hos...
Do yourself a favor, and don't expose yourself to these self-involved, highly educated, but incredibly stupid individuals.
May 15, 2014
I read some other reviews and I'm probably the only person who did not like this book. I gave up halfway through. It's quite long, but that is because there are three people writing here instead of one. At times, it just drags because of the many details. My second problem with this book is they never explain how they accidentally ended up in Iran. My theory is these three don't want to admit they never bothered to look at a map, because they want you to focus on how intellectually brilliant they are. Which leads to my third problem with this book. The reason these three are in the Middle East is because they are Arab sympathizers who are against American policies toward this region, and they are also anti-Israel (including Josh who is of Jewish heritage). Quite ironic, huh? During the first half of the book I've read so far, they have changed religions several times each and seem to just believe whatever suits them that day. It's hard to keep reading because I think they are so flaky and very misguided in their political beliefs.
I do feel bad for their plight and their imprisonment. It does seem they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I think for the most part they were treated as normal political prisoners. They were not tortured, just extensively questioned and isolated from their loved ones. Sarah had the most difficult time, because she was held in solitary confinement for over a year. There are small kindnesses shown to them by Iranian guards and other prisoners, which is touching. I wonder if after this ordeal they are still pro-Iran.
I do feel bad for their plight and their imprisonment. It does seem they were in the wrong place at the wrong time, but I think for the most part they were treated as normal political prisoners. They were not tortured, just extensively questioned and isolated from their loved ones. Sarah had the most difficult time, because she was held in solitary confinement for over a year. There are small kindnesses shown to them by Iranian guards and other prisoners, which is touching. I wonder if after this ordeal they are still pro-Iran.
April 2, 2014
When rating books like these, I always have to remind myself that I am rating the book, not the content of the book. As someone on here said in a review of a different book, it is difficult to give a rating for a nonfiction book, since it is based on fact, and how do you rate fact? However, my rating is intended for the book's style and writing, not the content of the book.
Overall, I liked "A Sliver of Light." I most certainly would not do as well as the three protagonists did under the circumstances. Unbelievable stamina and ability to survive such treatment for such a long period of time. Sarah, Josh, and Shane have my highest respect!
Here are some of my thoughts (basically, this is me arguing with myself). It took me a while to get used to the writing style and the switching between the three voices. Every page or two I had to remind myself that the story was now told from somebody else's perspective. Given that, however, it was as well executed as can be. I also felt that some sections of the book could have been shortened, but these sections also served to show the prolonged suffering of the three.
Naturally, a book like this reminds readers how much wrong there is out there, some far away, but too much also close to home. There is much to do....
Overall, I liked "A Sliver of Light." I most certainly would not do as well as the three protagonists did under the circumstances. Unbelievable stamina and ability to survive such treatment for such a long period of time. Sarah, Josh, and Shane have my highest respect!
Here are some of my thoughts (basically, this is me arguing with myself). It took me a while to get used to the writing style and the switching between the three voices. Every page or two I had to remind myself that the story was now told from somebody else's perspective. Given that, however, it was as well executed as can be. I also felt that some sections of the book could have been shortened, but these sections also served to show the prolonged suffering of the three.
Naturally, a book like this reminds readers how much wrong there is out there, some far away, but too much also close to home. There is much to do....
May 4, 2014
Audiobook.
3.5 stars. Always interesting, but I've read better captivity-narrative books, even ones that take place in Iran, specifically. Plus, I couldn't get over how insufferable these three people were. They certainly did not deserve to be put in Evin prison in Tehran, and bless them for holding fast to their sometimes odious convictions throughout the ordeal, and I'm glad they're free, but. BUT. There is a massive BUT somewhere in all this that I cannot or will not put into words.
(I concede that some of the attitude I picked up from this book may have come from the narrators' voices rather than the prose itself.)
3.5 stars. Always interesting, but I've read better captivity-narrative books, even ones that take place in Iran, specifically. Plus, I couldn't get over how insufferable these three people were. They certainly did not deserve to be put in Evin prison in Tehran, and bless them for holding fast to their sometimes odious convictions throughout the ordeal, and I'm glad they're free, but. BUT. There is a massive BUT somewhere in all this that I cannot or will not put into words.
(I concede that some of the attitude I picked up from this book may have come from the narrators' voices rather than the prose itself.)
April 22, 2014
I thought this book was very well written. It held my interest, and I liked the way it was presented in a diary format, with each person getting a few pages to tell their perspective of events.
While I am not an expert on foreign policy or Leftist activist groups, it seemed strange that these “hikers”, who happened to be outspoken opponents of America’s foreign policy and of Israel, just happened to be hiking right on the border of Iran and got captured. At some point I would think they would have thought this may not be a good idea to be wandering around near a hostile country like Iran. Maybe they thought if they said they were sympathetic to the Iranian/Middle East hatred of the U.S. they would be viewed as friends. It made me think they went over there hoping to be captured so they could be part of a hostage trade between the US and Iran. Along those lines, they seemed to be upset that the US didn’t buy into a hostage swap to get them out. Depending on your trust of the CIA, I don’t see the value in trading these very low-level peacenik protesters for some of the international prisoners we have locked up.
The other thing I thought was interesting (almost funny) was how they were getting upset that the Obama administration didn’t appear to be doing anything to get them out. But these three are critical of most all things American. They remind me of skiers who dash down the part of the mountain that is off limits, then cry when they cause an avalanche and nobody comes to get them.
But, that being said, I did enjoy the book and was curious how it would end.
While I am not an expert on foreign policy or Leftist activist groups, it seemed strange that these “hikers”, who happened to be outspoken opponents of America’s foreign policy and of Israel, just happened to be hiking right on the border of Iran and got captured. At some point I would think they would have thought this may not be a good idea to be wandering around near a hostile country like Iran. Maybe they thought if they said they were sympathetic to the Iranian/Middle East hatred of the U.S. they would be viewed as friends. It made me think they went over there hoping to be captured so they could be part of a hostage trade between the US and Iran. Along those lines, they seemed to be upset that the US didn’t buy into a hostage swap to get them out. Depending on your trust of the CIA, I don’t see the value in trading these very low-level peacenik protesters for some of the international prisoners we have locked up.
The other thing I thought was interesting (almost funny) was how they were getting upset that the Obama administration didn’t appear to be doing anything to get them out. But these three are critical of most all things American. They remind me of skiers who dash down the part of the mountain that is off limits, then cry when they cause an avalanche and nobody comes to get them.
But, that being said, I did enjoy the book and was curious how it would end.
March 16, 2014
Wow, wow, wow. I thought this was amazingly well-written, deeply honest, and compelling. In order to write this book, the authors had to recall many beautiful, ugly or simply routine details of their lives in prison.
The authors had to be so strong and confident in their relationships to produce this book. They recalled feelings about their situations that I am sure would have been easier to pretend never happened. They trudged up memories that may have been better left in the hollow halls of prison. This painted a realistic picture of their lives that many people will relate to. These aspects of the book drew me in and kept me turning the pages in awe.
Meanwhile, they give historical details and a storyline of what was happening in the politics outside of their cells which provides a rich local and international context for their situation.
I knew most of this story, so there were only a few little surprises for me. And admittedly, I suppose I am biased since I know two of the authors and several other involved people. I SHOULD have expected such an eloquent and thoughtful novel to come from these three, but this is beyond what even I imagined.
GREAT JOB, GUYS!!
The authors had to be so strong and confident in their relationships to produce this book. They recalled feelings about their situations that I am sure would have been easier to pretend never happened. They trudged up memories that may have been better left in the hollow halls of prison. This painted a realistic picture of their lives that many people will relate to. These aspects of the book drew me in and kept me turning the pages in awe.
Meanwhile, they give historical details and a storyline of what was happening in the politics outside of their cells which provides a rich local and international context for their situation.
I knew most of this story, so there were only a few little surprises for me. And admittedly, I suppose I am biased since I know two of the authors and several other involved people. I SHOULD have expected such an eloquent and thoughtful novel to come from these three, but this is beyond what even I imagined.
GREAT JOB, GUYS!!
October 28, 2015
I literally cannot understand those who disliked this book. They cite the authors' naivete, their flawed choice of a hiking trail ... whatever. Did they actually read the book?
I was deeply moved by it. It provides a brave, eloquent and insightful look into the horrors of solitary confinement -- its effects on the psyche and on human interactions. I can do no better than to share a few of their insights into this barbaric form of torture, still an everyday practice in so many American prisons. A sampling:
"I hear a scream. It’s far away, maybe in the courtyard or the next row of cells. There’s something familiar, almost beautiful about it. The scream connects me to myself, roaring through my body and hollowing me out. Suddenly the door opens and a guard is in my cell. She looks at me with horror and through her eyes I see myself. The scream I heard wasn’t coming from down the hall; it wasn’t another prisoner in another cell. That horrible sound came from my own throat. It was me screaming."
And ...
"To write about solitary confinement is to provide the texture of experience, but how do I provide the texture of an experience whose essential quality is its texturelessness? Solitary confinement is not a head banging against the wall in terror or rage. Sometimes it is, but mostly it’s just the slow erasure of who you thought you were. You think you are still you, but you have no real way of knowing. How can you know if you have no one to reflect you back to yourself?"
And finally ...
"Time here becomes different from anything I’ve ever known. We need events—and events are almost always interactions—to give shape to time. Here, time stops being something that moves me and everything else constantly forward from the past to the present, from the known to the unknown. It stops being a stream and becomes a shallow, fetid pool. I sit in it and wallow. I can’t drain it and I can’t move forward."
I applaud the authors' courage in reliving the horrors that drove them to the brink of madness and finally delivered them to the frightening afterlife of PTSD when they were freed -- all in order to share their insights with readers. I'm very grateful to them.
I was deeply moved by it. It provides a brave, eloquent and insightful look into the horrors of solitary confinement -- its effects on the psyche and on human interactions. I can do no better than to share a few of their insights into this barbaric form of torture, still an everyday practice in so many American prisons. A sampling:
"I hear a scream. It’s far away, maybe in the courtyard or the next row of cells. There’s something familiar, almost beautiful about it. The scream connects me to myself, roaring through my body and hollowing me out. Suddenly the door opens and a guard is in my cell. She looks at me with horror and through her eyes I see myself. The scream I heard wasn’t coming from down the hall; it wasn’t another prisoner in another cell. That horrible sound came from my own throat. It was me screaming."
And ...
"To write about solitary confinement is to provide the texture of experience, but how do I provide the texture of an experience whose essential quality is its texturelessness? Solitary confinement is not a head banging against the wall in terror or rage. Sometimes it is, but mostly it’s just the slow erasure of who you thought you were. You think you are still you, but you have no real way of knowing. How can you know if you have no one to reflect you back to yourself?"
And finally ...
"Time here becomes different from anything I’ve ever known. We need events—and events are almost always interactions—to give shape to time. Here, time stops being something that moves me and everything else constantly forward from the past to the present, from the known to the unknown. It stops being a stream and becomes a shallow, fetid pool. I sit in it and wallow. I can’t drain it and I can’t move forward."
I applaud the authors' courage in reliving the horrors that drove them to the brink of madness and finally delivered them to the frightening afterlife of PTSD when they were freed -- all in order to share their insights with readers. I'm very grateful to them.
May 3, 2014
(disclaimer: I know Sarah and Shane from real life)
I followed the campaign to free Sarah, Shane, and Josh closely. It was amazing to read this book and hear, in their own words, what happened to them and how they were affected by their experiences in prison. They were lured over the border into Iran, imprisoned, not given a proper trial or means to contact their lawyer, refused mail that prison authorities didn't approve of, and they both suffered and witnessed numerous other awful experiences that will stay with them for life.
Unfortunately, many things that the three witnessed in prison in Iran also happen to prisoners in the US. Many are held in solitary confinement for far too long. Many experience judges who have already made up their minds about the outcomes of their trial. Many are isolated by language, belief system, etc. from the people around them as well as prison employees. Please see http://solitarywatch.com/ and http://www.beaconreader.com/projects/... for info about Sarah and Shane's current projects.
I followed the campaign to free Sarah, Shane, and Josh closely. It was amazing to read this book and hear, in their own words, what happened to them and how they were affected by their experiences in prison. They were lured over the border into Iran, imprisoned, not given a proper trial or means to contact their lawyer, refused mail that prison authorities didn't approve of, and they both suffered and witnessed numerous other awful experiences that will stay with them for life.
Unfortunately, many things that the three witnessed in prison in Iran also happen to prisoners in the US. Many are held in solitary confinement for far too long. Many experience judges who have already made up their minds about the outcomes of their trial. Many are isolated by language, belief system, etc. from the people around them as well as prison employees. Please see http://solitarywatch.com/ and http://www.beaconreader.com/projects/... for info about Sarah and Shane's current projects.
January 21, 2015
Before I wrote this review, I read some of the previous reviews.
Compare this account of captivity with that of John McCain's Faith of our Fathers. The experience and attitude of these three adventurers sounds like people who got locked up in a country club for two years. They stumbled into Iran (and they should have made sure they were never close) and then complained about the US government not coming to their rescue, a government they openly criticize and blame for a situation they created.
The words self-centered and hypocritical come to mind.
Compare this account of captivity with that of John McCain's Faith of our Fathers. The experience and attitude of these three adventurers sounds like people who got locked up in a country club for two years. They stumbled into Iran (and they should have made sure they were never close) and then complained about the US government not coming to their rescue, a government they openly criticize and blame for a situation they created.
The words self-centered and hypocritical come to mind.
December 1, 2014
A Sliver of Light is the story of the three young Americans captured by Iranian forces and held in captivity for two years.
The book begins with three friends (Sarah, Josh and Shane) that are hiking in Iraq for five hours and make their way to the Iran boarder; although the boarder is not marked, it is beyond irresponsible that they hike for such duration without maps knowing the two countries connect. They are not only surprised but angered when armed Iranians take them captive for crossing the border.
I was highly irritated with all three hostages as their sense of entitlement, self-importance, and ignorance that was palpable on every page of this book. Middle Eastern sympathizers, who share a strong loathing for American politics, were so hypocritical it was at times comical, as what they dislike most about Americans encompass their every fiber. Sarah rants throughout the book that American is not doing enough for their release, and critics Hillary Clinton’s views on Iranian politics, all while as she listens to the very people she empathizes with torture and beat other prisoners.
Thankfully, during their captivity they were not in any way harmed or abused. If anything they often sounded like spoiled campers away for the summer “demanding more books or face time with each other”. Inside their “cell”, they had unlimited access to food and drink a small refrigerator, books, a TV and DVD player, a toilet and sink. They were able to request a second dinner and special food most of the time. “Food Guy” comes to take special requests every few weeks and here is a direct quote of what was ordered at one time “ Apples, oranges, walnuts, four boxes of dates and chocolate, 20 packets of cookies, cabbage, and ketchup-and make sure you get enough, oh yea, and greens, peaches, milk , apricot and pomegranate juice…and don’t forget the coffee.” I am not kidding.
I disliked the attitude of Sarah the most. For all of her pontificated worldliness she was the most selfish, nearsighted and frankly pedestrian of them all. At one point she is whispering to a non-American female prisoner through the wall who tells her that she has just been beaten and tortured and cannot stand upright. She mentions that she saw Sarah’s mom on TV before being taken to prison and not once does Sarah show her a modicum of compassion or inquires about the prisoners background, or condition but rather says “how did my mom seem to you?”
My biggest complaint is the hikers repeatedly insist that Sarah spends her captivity in solitary confinement. Just because Sarah did not share a cell with another prisoner does not mean she was in solitary confinement! She could ring a bell and talk to the guards at any time, and saw her friends each and every day for 30 minutes, not to mention she had books and a television! This is not the definition of solitary confinement and is a great affront to those prisoners who have suffered this inhumane imprisonment.
I don’t doubt the pain of separation from their loved ones and the profound stress with not knowing ones release date, but to truly understand the plight of a political prisoner, solitary confinement and the hypocrisy of Islamic extremist I highly recommend “A House in the Sky” by Amanda Lindhout, you will not be disappointed.
The book begins with three friends (Sarah, Josh and Shane) that are hiking in Iraq for five hours and make their way to the Iran boarder; although the boarder is not marked, it is beyond irresponsible that they hike for such duration without maps knowing the two countries connect. They are not only surprised but angered when armed Iranians take them captive for crossing the border.
I was highly irritated with all three hostages as their sense of entitlement, self-importance, and ignorance that was palpable on every page of this book. Middle Eastern sympathizers, who share a strong loathing for American politics, were so hypocritical it was at times comical, as what they dislike most about Americans encompass their every fiber. Sarah rants throughout the book that American is not doing enough for their release, and critics Hillary Clinton’s views on Iranian politics, all while as she listens to the very people she empathizes with torture and beat other prisoners.
Thankfully, during their captivity they were not in any way harmed or abused. If anything they often sounded like spoiled campers away for the summer “demanding more books or face time with each other”. Inside their “cell”, they had unlimited access to food and drink a small refrigerator, books, a TV and DVD player, a toilet and sink. They were able to request a second dinner and special food most of the time. “Food Guy” comes to take special requests every few weeks and here is a direct quote of what was ordered at one time “ Apples, oranges, walnuts, four boxes of dates and chocolate, 20 packets of cookies, cabbage, and ketchup-and make sure you get enough, oh yea, and greens, peaches, milk , apricot and pomegranate juice…and don’t forget the coffee.” I am not kidding.
I disliked the attitude of Sarah the most. For all of her pontificated worldliness she was the most selfish, nearsighted and frankly pedestrian of them all. At one point she is whispering to a non-American female prisoner through the wall who tells her that she has just been beaten and tortured and cannot stand upright. She mentions that she saw Sarah’s mom on TV before being taken to prison and not once does Sarah show her a modicum of compassion or inquires about the prisoners background, or condition but rather says “how did my mom seem to you?”
My biggest complaint is the hikers repeatedly insist that Sarah spends her captivity in solitary confinement. Just because Sarah did not share a cell with another prisoner does not mean she was in solitary confinement! She could ring a bell and talk to the guards at any time, and saw her friends each and every day for 30 minutes, not to mention she had books and a television! This is not the definition of solitary confinement and is a great affront to those prisoners who have suffered this inhumane imprisonment.
I don’t doubt the pain of separation from their loved ones and the profound stress with not knowing ones release date, but to truly understand the plight of a political prisoner, solitary confinement and the hypocrisy of Islamic extremist I highly recommend “A House in the Sky” by Amanda Lindhout, you will not be disappointed.
September 11, 2014
I've read a number of negative reviews of this book which say many of the things that I felt (or did not feel) as I read this book. 1-I never came to care that much for Shane, Joshua and Sarah, I wanted to but it did not happen. And, I kinda felt bad for not feeling for them. 2-I've read many books people in captivity some through no fault of their own, some through stupidity some because they were wrong. The subject is typically engrossing, but not in this book. 3-I pretty much forced my self to finish the book.4-I was surprised by the total lack of photos in the book, it might have been more humanizing to have a few photos of places and people from the book. 5-I was excited to see this book at my library,having followed the story to an extent, but the book seemed to leave me a little flat.
March 20, 2019
I found myself rooting for the Iranian Prison Guards. Three privileged, liberal 30-something Americans take a hike in Iraq and mistake the Iranian border for the ticket gate of Disney's Epcot Center Theme Park. They are surprised and offended when their personal anti-American politics aren't persuasive with the Revolutionary Guard.
May 18, 2014
I feel the same now as I do after an appointment with my dentist; the experience was uncomfortable and annoying, but at least it's done.
I decided to finish the book because I felt it would be unfair of me to expect others to read a book I chose, if I don't read their picks.
I decided to finish the book because I felt it would be unfair of me to expect others to read a book I chose, if I don't read their picks.
November 16, 2024
One star, because I couldn't get through this book without being irritated with the whole thing. Of course, it is a horrible experience that they were captured and jailed for so long. But at some point, you must acknowledge that when you play with fire, you get burned. I recall this situation in the news when it happened, and the thought crossed our minds then: why in the world would you be anywhere near the Iranian border to begin with? And once they were captured, a 10 x 14 cell, three meals a day, a TV, and poetry books to read... Are you kidding me? Have you heard what they do to real prisoners in Evin? And I couldn't finish it because I lost my empathy.
December 4, 2022
This book gets mixed reviews. Some people don't like their politics or the hikers themselves, but I thought it was a fascinating and honest look at what it was like to be imprisoned in Iran. Sarah was in solitary confinement for a year, which is essentially torture, then was released. The two men were held for 2 years. At first they were overjoyed to be together, but eventually got on each other's nerves, etc. There were a lot of details, which I found fascinating. The food they ate and hoarded, etc. The guards and more. Also I thought it was a surprisingly well-written. I didn't expect that.
December 21, 2018
The first review I've done with an hour or so left in the book... This was so boring.
I read Anthony Ray Hinton's book too recently before this one for this to not seem like dogshit in comparison.
(The American criminal justice system is just as dehumanizing as Iran's. Sham trials, solitary, executions, we've got it all.)
Edit - Ooh k, the epilogue mentions all this. That's good, have an extra star.
I read Anthony Ray Hinton's book too recently before this one for this to not seem like dogshit in comparison.
(The American criminal justice system is just as dehumanizing as Iran's. Sham trials, solitary, executions, we've got it all.)
Edit - Ooh k, the epilogue mentions all this. That's good, have an extra star.
April 8, 2014
This book is written by the three American Hikers arrested by Iran in 2009 for crossing into Iran while hiking. Bauer and Shourd were living in Damascus attending university. Fattal was a journalist friend who came to visit. They decided to take a weekend trip to a popular vacation area for visitors to the Middle East, in Iraq’s Kurdish area which is untouched by the war. They make a point in the book of saying they did not knowingly cross the border of Iran, a soldier waved them to him and they walked over to see what he wanted and that was when they cross over. They were taken to Tehran’s Evin prison and were accused of illegal entry and espionage. The book gives an excellent account of their life in the Prison and of the interrogations they underwent. They were held in solitary confinement but treated better than the other prisoners. Eventually the Bauer and Fattal were placed together in a cell but Shourd remained in isolation for 13 months before she was released. Bauer ant Fattal remained in isolation in the prison for another year before they were released. They say the isolation was the most difficult part of the stay; it took away means of measuring their existence in relationship to time, events, or people and the self lost caused depression, paranoia, and anger. The anger about being a toy of international and internal politics comes across in the book very clearly. They also felt the United States did nothing to obtain their release. Instead they give the credit for their release to the Sultan of Oman who’s envoy did the negotiations as well as paid the million dollar fine and flew to Iran to bring them to Oman. They also give credit to the head of Iraq’s Kurdistan and Switzerland for their help in obtaining their release. The book is divided into segments with each writer telling their story. Over all the story is interesting about what they did to survive in the prison, and what their families did to obtain their release. If they did not have families fighting for them they would still be in prison. What kept going through my mind while reading the story was this could have happened to me or any tourist on vacation. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. The book was narrated by Michael Goldstein, Julia Whelan and Tristan Morris.
March 12, 2015
I was a bit leary about reading this book, because of the political bashing I read in books like this. You already know for example that there will be something about President Bush bashing him and his administration, and frankly this becomes tiresome.
All of that said, this was an interesting story, and I am glad that I read the book. The book takes you through the days/weeks/months of the imprisonment of Josh, Shane and Sarah. They tell their story, how they are feeling, what they are thinking, and they describe the people that they come in contact with including in Iran other prisoners, guards, interrogators, and in the U.S. President Obama, Hillary Clinton, etc. They talk about the complexity of their situation, which we as observers see in very simple terms - these young adventurous people from the U.S. are taken prisoner in Iran for no good reason, release them! The fact is that whenever you insert politics into anything the situation becomes complicated.
I was however, troubled by the epilogue of Sarah and Shane where they deemed it neccessary to do a bit of what I considered unnecesary bashing. Josh's epilougue was perhaps more appropriate such that it told the reader where he is now, explained what he is doing, etc.
My grandfather was a political prisoner of Stalin spending eight years in Gulag, and he never uttered one word about the experience, so I was very interested in the story of these individuals, how they survived in prison, and especially how they even got into the situation in the first place. It provided me this information.
That said, I am also the parent of a soldier in the United States Army who has deployed in both theaters of war, and I did not enjoy reading the some of the political views shared by a couple of of the authors.
If it wasn't for the epilogue, I would give this book three stars. I signed up to read their story, not be persuaded or offended by their political views.
All of that said, this was an interesting story, and I am glad that I read the book. The book takes you through the days/weeks/months of the imprisonment of Josh, Shane and Sarah. They tell their story, how they are feeling, what they are thinking, and they describe the people that they come in contact with including in Iran other prisoners, guards, interrogators, and in the U.S. President Obama, Hillary Clinton, etc. They talk about the complexity of their situation, which we as observers see in very simple terms - these young adventurous people from the U.S. are taken prisoner in Iran for no good reason, release them! The fact is that whenever you insert politics into anything the situation becomes complicated.
I was however, troubled by the epilogue of Sarah and Shane where they deemed it neccessary to do a bit of what I considered unnecesary bashing. Josh's epilougue was perhaps more appropriate such that it told the reader where he is now, explained what he is doing, etc.
My grandfather was a political prisoner of Stalin spending eight years in Gulag, and he never uttered one word about the experience, so I was very interested in the story of these individuals, how they survived in prison, and especially how they even got into the situation in the first place. It provided me this information.
That said, I am also the parent of a soldier in the United States Army who has deployed in both theaters of war, and I did not enjoy reading the some of the political views shared by a couple of of the authors.
If it wasn't for the epilogue, I would give this book three stars. I signed up to read their story, not be persuaded or offended by their political views.
September 6, 2014
I think I heard about this book on NPR - in any case it is a shared memoir of three friends who were prisoners in Iran for several years. They begin by hiking in Iraq and either accidentally or carelessly end up crossing the border into Iran where they are captured and thrown in prison.
The book alternates in each of their voices telling the story. You can feel their struggles and their joys, and how they are alternatively feeling hopeful and hopeless. They capture the soul-dullingly boredom of prison, the agony of solitary confinement, and the confusing relationships they had with the guards. While they weren't tortured (and in fact were given sufficient food, clothing, and medical care), they were manipulated, tricked, and often played against each other. At times they were allowed to share rooms or free time, but other times they were isolated. The relationships they had with each other were complex and fragile.
Not just a political statement (although it is), this book is about surviving with little to no information. It is about friendship and love, and about persevering through the unimaginable as a team.
The book alternates in each of their voices telling the story. You can feel their struggles and their joys, and how they are alternatively feeling hopeful and hopeless. They capture the soul-dullingly boredom of prison, the agony of solitary confinement, and the confusing relationships they had with the guards. While they weren't tortured (and in fact were given sufficient food, clothing, and medical care), they were manipulated, tricked, and often played against each other. At times they were allowed to share rooms or free time, but other times they were isolated. The relationships they had with each other were complex and fragile.
Not just a political statement (although it is), this book is about surviving with little to no information. It is about friendship and love, and about persevering through the unimaginable as a team.
September 9, 2014
First of all, this book is too long. You already know they were freed so quit dragging out the story. Secondly, these three hikers irritated the heck outta me. It wasn't that bad in the beginning. But once the chick got free you really start to see how entitled these folks are. The last half of the book is a lot of whining about how the US isn't doing enough to get the two men out of prison. I'm sorry but the US has a lot of problems with people living here - even innocent people being wrongly imprisoned. I'm not sure why the hikers felt like they get to jump to the front of the line just because they got lost and stumbled into Iran. They really make it seem like their whole situation happened because the US has poor relations with Iran and not because, ya know, they forgot to bring a map. Obviously politics came into play in their situation. But NONE of this would have happened if they had stayed away from the border. Just sayin'.
December 20, 2014
The story of three Americans who are lured into Iran and then held as hostages is an alarming account about the effect imprisonment, especially solitary confinement, has on human beings. Some other reviewers were appalled by the attitudes the hostages had on American policies in the Middle East. I was not irked too much their criticisms ( I did not entirely disagree with them but I was somewhat disappointed that they never, especially on their return home, wrote of the freedoms that we enjoy here in the US that have been continually denied to Iranians. Their complaints against the Iraqi government was minimal. Go figure.Their decision to live in the Middle East as well as travel through Iraq and go hiking on Iranian-Iraqi border -- is kind of dumbass. Just saying.
September 26, 2021
I remember hearing about this in the news, and I was interested to read their story. The first half the book moves very quickly. The second drags a bit. At the end of the book when they refuse to talk to the FBI to give information that might help them learn about the other American in Iranian custody who is now assumed dead, well, it makes me wish they'd just stayed in Iranian prison. I get that assisting the US government doesn't go along with your anti-government politics, but good grief. And, I still for the life of me can't figure out how these three who were super knowledgeable about all things Middle East happened to accidentally walk into Iran to start with. That seems a bit unbelievable.
July 1, 2014
While I empathize with what they went through, I couldn't help but think what were they thinking placing themselves in this situation in the first place? They were hiking near the border of Iran...a region of the world that is hugely unstable & has been for hundreds of years. Then once captured (I do believe that they were innocent) they are expecting to be treated with the jurisprudence one would expect in the U.S. I found them to display many of the characteristics of Americans that I do not like, self centered, whiny & entitled.
I am glad they are home, free, safe & sound but maybe they should think twice about hiking near the border of Iran....
I am glad they are home, free, safe & sound but maybe they should think twice about hiking near the border of Iran....
May 27, 2015
I liked it because it made me think beyond just what I hear in the news or what I read in the post. However, they all seemed not to support America, as their home country, and disliked the Iranian government the same...but found no solace in any privilege they received for being Americans. Overall, the whole thing was odd to me. I can not imagine the fear that they felt so it's hard for me to say this... They were kinda spoiled brats. I cringe to even write that because I can't imagine what they went through but comparatively they had it kinda easy.
The book itself was a good read. I was interested the whole time and I am glad I read it. I would recommend it.
The book itself was a good read. I was interested the whole time and I am glad I read it. I would recommend it.
November 22, 2013
A harrowing, compelling memoir by the three Americans hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan taken hostage when they unknowingly crossed into Iran and were captured by a border patrol. Accused of espionage, they were ultimately held captive for two years in infamous Evin Prison, where they pooled their strength and relied upon each other to help survive that terrible ordeal.
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