A Cave in the Clouds: A Young Woman's Escape from ISIS

by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed, Susan Elizabeth McClelland (Primary Contributor)

Badeeah Hassan was just 18 when she witnessed firsthand the horrors of the 2014 genocide of the Ezidi people by ISIS forces. Captured by ISIS, known locally as Daesh , Badeeah was among hundreds forced into a brutal human trafficking network made up of women and girls of Ezidi ethnicity, a much-persecuted minority culture of Iraq. Badeeah’s story takes her to Syria where she is sold to a high-ranking ISIS commander known as Al Amriki, the American , kept as a house slave, raped, and routinely assaulted. Only the presence of her young nephew Eivan and her friend Navine, also prisoners, keeps her from harming herself. In captivity, she draws on memories and stories from her childhood to maintain a small bit of control in an otherwise volatile situation. Ultimately, it is her profound sense of faith and brave resistance that lead her to escape with Eivan and reunite with family. Since her escape, Badeeah has brought her harrowing story of war and survival to the world’s stage, raising awareness about the little-known acts of genocide against her culture and the strength of a people unknown to many around the world. This captivating account of courage extends beyond the confines of her experience; Badeeah’s story is about the resilience of women, girls, and persecuted groups everywhere in the face of seemingly insurmountable oppression.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Audiobook, Middle East, Biography Memoir, War

248 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2019

About the author

Badeeah Hassan Ahmed was eighteen when ISIS invaded Kocho, her village in Northwestern Iraq. ISIS killed many of her loved ones and abducted women and girls to sell off in a ruthless human trafficking operation. Badeeah lied to ISIS, saying her three-year-old nephew Eivan was her own son. After two months in captivity, she and another woman named Navine were sold to al Amriki, the American, who was head of weapons for ISIS in Aleppo. Throughout her ordeal, Badeeah managed to keep Navine and Eivan’s spirits alive by telling folk stories and reminding them of their strong Yazidi spirituality, which seeks peace and enlightenment even in the darkest of times.

When Badeeah managed to escape ISIS with Eivan and Navine and it was discovered that her abductor was an American, Badeeah became a popular fixture with foreign media. Of the survivors of the ISIS attack, at first only Badeeah, who initially used a fake name, and her cousin Nadia Murad felt comfortable speaking to the press. Badeeah worked with the US State Department to identify her captor and spoke at United Nations conferences. While she lived in the refugee camp in Kurdistan designated for Kocho survivors, she volunteered with the WADI and Jinda foundations as well as Khalsa Aid, giving out food and supplies.

Today Badeeah studies languages and nursing in Germany. She lives with her nephew and his mother. Her goal for the future is to share with humanity the gentle, peaceful faith of her Yazidi culture and give back to her people.

Reviews

[Jessica Haider · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Alex Nonymous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of the audiobook for A Cave in the Clouds.

A Cave in the Clouds recounts a young girl's story of struggle, survival, and triumph after having been ripped from her family and kidnapped by ISIS. This memoir is unique in its emphasis on Badeeah's strength and strong spirit instead of laying into the grittier details of the atrocities she goes through and because of that, I think it would lend itself really well to becoming an educational tool for middle school or early high school readers.

Badeeah's story is incredible and it was a privilege to be able to listen to it.

[Jill Dobbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and engaging read about a young Ezidi girl who is kidnapped by ISIS and taken to Syria. While in Syria she is given as a wife to an important ISIS leader, who also happens to be an American. Along with protecting her young nephew, she uses her wits to escape the brutality they are both forced to endure.

The Ezidi people have had to endure kidnappings, horrible violence and genocide at the hands of Saddam Hussein and ISIS. Their culture, language, religious beliefs, and traditions are interesting and explained throughout the book. The Ezidi are a spiritual, story-telling and familial society and Badeeah passes on a number of their original foktales.

I normally do not read YA books, but this one caught my attention and I was pleasantly surprised. Badeeah is a brave and intelligent girl who faced a nightmare and survived.

Thank you Netgalley.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A horrifying look at one girl's experiences as a victim of ISIS. I learned a lot about Yazidi culture and the terrible things done to them by ISIS/Daesh. I'm slightly weirded out that the author chose to rearrange some events and combine some people - it makes the story ring less true, and I know that wasn't her intent.

[Kedar Vaidya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written account of the atrocities faced by women in war zones. Life for them is based on hope. Hope to be free from all the pain they suffer. Badeeah sheds some light on heinous crimes (esp to women) committed by ISIS in the name of religion. She gives hope and courage to the countless people trapped under these organizations. It pains to read what she has suffered from and knowing that there are hundreds/thousands or even more suffering the same or even worse.
In these difficult times, there are people like Nezar (the man who helped Badeeah and many others escape) who believes that "Life really begins when we start living for others" - he risked his life to smuggle and free people from ISIS. A good take away from the book. The more people that follow it, the better this world would be.

[Jan Peregrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

ISIS prisoner survivor Badeeah Hassan Ahmed was just eighteen when ISIS terrorists, known to her as Daesh, invaded her Kazidi town on the edge of Iraq, demanding that its “devil-worshiping” residents convert immediately to Islam. When they refused, but sacrificed all their jewelry and money, the men were led away to never be seen again, except for two men and an injured young man. What happened to the girls and women in this true account of author Badeeah Hassan Ahmed's life is much more complicated, though as harrowing, and the subject of the rest of Admed's 2020 book A Cave in the Clouds, co-written by award-winning journalist Susan Elizabeth McClelland..

Badeeah, her mother, and her little nephew (claimed as her son) are finally transported in the backs of crowded trucks to Aleppo, Syria. Her terror and despair grow with every mile taking her from home, but she tries to be strong for the little boy.. When they arrive at the warehouse-like building, she sees her mother for the last time and then only as a ghost speaking to her.

Making friends with a slightly older woman who had been imprisoned a couple weeks longer than Badeeah, she learns why she's there and how to make herself look unappealing to buyers looking for “wives.” Of course the virgins go first and she's pretending to be a mother, but her luck runs out.

Or does it? Her buyer is an al-amriki, an American of no name given besides the sheikh of Aleppo. He agrees to take her, her son, and “sister” friend who a friend of his will want.

Since Badeeah knows Arabic she can understands what al-amriki talks about with his gun-toting friends. He seems to be the gun dealer ISIS goes through there. Her job with her “sister” is to shop for food and prepare meals, as well as let him attack her in bed. That's all she says about the raping. It's a young adult novel that goes vague over graphic details, although her feelings and observations kept me disturbed enough. Sometimes her storytelling and memories of home and family life charmed me.

I can't figure out why ISIS considered the Kazidi people devil-worshipers. She explains what they have believed for many centuries and how they've been persecuted throughout, which has made them a strong people who desire balanced power relations between the sexes and that love will conquer the darkness of hate.

It's a gripping story, full of danger for Badeeah, her nephew/son and “sister” who desperately want to escape before they're separated or even killed. Or Badeeah may find a way to kill herself.

This is the first book I've read by a woman who escaped from ISIS, although I've read a fascinating book by an American foreign corespondent stationed in northwestern Africa where she was able to interview a number of young women who escaped terrorists like ISIS. I think it's called In Pursuit of Disobedient Women by Dionne Searcy..

Highly recommended!

[Sharon Borton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a well-written account of one girl’s survival story. It was hard to read at times. What kept me going as I read it was that she clung to the hope of being reunited with her family and seeing her home again. It was real, and when she felt like giving up she found a way to push through. It is stories like these - and people like Badeeah who stand up and resist - that are so important to human kind.

[Sarah Bierle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read look at what it takes to survive and learn to forgive.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. What Badeeah survived took my breath away and I am so glad she is willing to share her story. I had some trouble keeping up with all the names and foods and holidays at the start of the book but could not stop for air once her story took off.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Great for mature 7th grade and 8th and 9th graders. The subjects of rape and sexual assault are handled delicately so that the reader is forced to draw from their current knowledge to understand what is happening. For adults and older students though I think it reads a bit stilted due to the fact that timelines and people were compressed.
Altogether though, an eye-opening account of the atrocities committed by ISIS,

[Rome · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badeeah's story is one of survival, resilience, and humanity. Her life journey unfortunately involved paths of violence and a lack of human compassion that no person should have to face. However, this biography showed her courage to not only survive herself but her strength and compassion in helping her family and other victims with her. At 18 Badeeah was driven from her home during an ISIS raid on her Ezidi village in Iraq. She was separated from her family, some did not survive or were considered missing after her escape, except for her young nephew who she posed as his mother. They were sold into a human trafficking ring. This eventually brought them to Syria where she was sold as a wife and was both physically and sexually assaulted during her containment. Together with another woman, who was sold with them, they were able to escape and be reunited with some of their family members who also escaped. This was a very emotional book and a good awakening insight to the horrors that are happening around the world. This was a young adult biography so it did not get very graphic with details and was more of an overview of her journey. It also is not completely accurate and for the sake of the story has some elements simplified like geographical places or specific characters. Over all though I would recommend to anyone interested in topics involved in this book or anyone interested in biographies.

[Elizabeth Gaboriault · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book after reading "The Last Girl" by Nadia Murad. There were many similarities in their experiences which were horrific. "A Cave in the Clouds" is a middle-grade level book; "The Last Girl" is a high-school/adult-level book. I preferred Nadia Murad's book. This is not in any way a criticism of Badeeah's experience. I took exception to the political elements in her book that I felt were unnecessary for a middle-grade novel. Badeeah was captured by al-Amriki (the American.) This person is referred to as "al-Amriki" throughout the entire novel. However, al-Amriki tells her he converted to Islam and was a devout follower of Mohammed. That, by definition, means he is no longer an American, he is a Muslim who happens to be American-born and speaks English. He also expresses his deep hatred toward American Presidents, especially Barak Obama, because of their greed. This struck me as being very strange. Obama has been the most outspoken President in history who supported Islam, especially during this time in history. This made no sense to me whatsoever. Most middle-grade students would not think to question al-Amriki's claim. Students would be likely to associate al-Amriki with people (Americans) who hate Obama. This is political propaganda which is inappropriate. I have come to expect the underlying themes of anti-America, anti-male, anti-white male in a lot of middle-grade books. I was disappointed that this book fell in line with these themes. Also, if al-Amriki hated America so much, why would he allow himself to be referred to as al-Amriki by his subordinates? Apparently, he didn't have any other name throughout the entire book. That just seemed odd. While I am certain there were Americans who committed atrocities during this time, this was not about them, it was about Badeeah. Badeeah's story is important and should be told, but the political propaganda took away from HER story. I would not recommend this book to my children. I would highly recommend "The Last Girl" by Nadia Murad without the politics and propaganda. It is her story about survival, sacrifice, love, trust, and forgiveness. It is about the Yazidi people.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

*will be my suggestion for Goodreads 2021 memoir* Read this book!

What a brave and remarkable woman! Thank you for sharing your story.

Badeeah Hassan Ahmed was abducted and sold into slavery and marriage, forced into another religion and all the while she protected and saved her nephew. Badeeah and another woman she met in the slave compound were able to find a way to escape.

I had never realized that the Yazidi people existed; it was so interesting to discover their beliefs and lifestyle before it was ripped to shreds by ISIS.

At some point in listening I had hoped that there was a GoFundMe site or a way to donate funds to the Yazidi people. I was just so taken by her story; my heart goes out to her.

I was a little worried that it might be too graphic; many of the horrors and brutality that must have occurred were omitted ... although reading between the lines, you know the brutality was there.

Nazad helped to save Badeeah; Badeeah asked Nazad if he was safe doing this work. He looked away and Badeeah asked why. Should we stay or leave? He and some relatives choose to stay and help the Yazidi refugees leave. " The evil in this world can never be destroyed by the hatred that created. Every person is a sister or brother. When we really believe that, we are free." God bless you Nazad.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Bespeak Audio Editions) and the authors, Badeeah Hassan Ahmed and Susan Elizabeth McClelland for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Baraka Rahmani did a fantastic job narrating.

[Amber]

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book.)

A Cave in the Clouds is the true story of 18-year-old Badeeah Hassan’s kidnapping and torture by ISIS. In 2014, Daesh (a branch of ISIS) moved into Badeeah’s hometown in Iraq in an effort to commit genocide against the Ezidi people who lived there. Many women and children (including Badeeah and her young nephew) were kidnapped and forced into a human trafficking network. Along the way, Badeeah befriends another Ezidi woman, Navine, who would help her through many atrocities she’d face while kidnapped. Badeeah is eventually sold to a high-ranking ISIS commander - who was an American - where she was kept as his slave, beaten and raped repeatedly.

In order to survive the terrible conditions she is forced into, Badeeah often reflects upon her childhood memories and stories about perseverance, strength, faith, and love. Badeeah’s reflections about how her mother and father always taught her to believe that love could overpower evil were incredibly powerful and beautiful to read. I was also so intrigued while reading, as I had never really heard much about the genocide of the Ezidi people nor the history behind their religious beliefs.

This was a mesmerizing story about how love, courage, and resilience provided Badeeah with the strength to survive the horrors of her kidnapping, reunite with her family, and empower her to share this heartbreaking story with the world.

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cave in the Clouds
A Young Woman's Escape from ISIS
by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed
Annick Press Ltd.
Annick Press
Teens & YA
Pub Date 09 Apr 2019


I am reviewing a copy of A Cave in the Clouds through Annick Press and Netgalley:


A Cave in the Clouds is based on the true story of Badeeah Hassan Ahmed. At the young age of eighteen in 2014 she saw first hand the horrors of the genocide of the Ezidi People by Isis forces. Captured by Isis known as the Daesh in her local region she was among the hundreds of Ezidi women and girls forced into a brutal Sex trafflicking network. Badeeah was taken to Syria where she is sold to a high ranking Isis commander known as Al Amiki, the American, kept as a house slave, raped, and often beaten. It was only the presence of her young nephew Eivan and her friend Navine, who were also prisoners, that kept her from hurting herself. Whike she is being held captive , Badeaah draws on memories and stories from her childhood to maintain a small bit of control in a volatile situation. In the end , it is her profound sense of faith and brave resistance that lead her to escape with Eivan and reunite with family.


Badeeah has brought her harrowing story of wat and survival. Raising awareness to the little known acts of genocide against people.


I give A Cave in the Clouds five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[J Mccarragher · Rating 4 out of 5]

@kidlitexchange #partner “Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the
review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.”
A Cave in the Clouds by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed and Susan Elizabeth McCleland Wow! A gripping true story of one brave young lady, her escape from the grips of ISIS, and the atrocities still being committed against humanity - specifically against women and children. Badeeah, a young Ezidi woman, is tenacious in her will to survive and secure the safety of her nephew, Eivan, whom she disguises as her son in order to save them both. Caught in a raid and sex trafficking network, her deep-rooted faith, strong family traditions, and storytelling culture are her safety nets, keeping her from harming herself as she lives through the brutality of rape, repeated beatings, and slavery to an ISIS official, Al-Amriki, the American. Although the story is difficult to follow at times and the writing is somewhat disjointed, it clearly illustrates the genocide that continues in Iraq and the Middle East. Badeeah’s message that “love is how we defeat our enemies” is a testament to the strength of the Ezidi people and their quest to keep their culture alive. Thought heartbreaking, Badeeh’s story is one that needs to be heard as war rages on and people continue to live in fear.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook provided by NetGalley and Bespeak Audio Editions in exchange for an honest review.

This is not an easy book to listen to, and it wouldn't be an easy book to read either. But the reason why it's not easy is because I have lived a safe and sheltered life. It is easy to forget the harsh realities of the world when living in middle class suburbia in America as an educated white woman. But because of that, stories like Badeeah's are so important to listen to. American media loves to portray refugees as something to be feared, something that will put our society at risk. But in reality, the vast majority of refugees are just people who were trying to live their lives and got swept up in a war they wanted no part of.

I don't know much about the Yazidi people, but their 2014 genocide is one more in a long line of people killing others in the name of their faith. It's horrible and I wish it would stop. But I am grateful for young women like Badeeah who are brave enough to share their story with the rest of the world. I am still in shock over Badeeah's quick thinking to claim her nephew Eivan as her own in order to save him, most adults wouldn't have thought to do the same.

Baraka Rahmani does a great job with the audiobook as well and I think Badeeah's message is even more powerful when being able to listen to her story rather than just reading words on a page.

[Kate Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

@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.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could take back every harrowing thing that happened to Badeeah, so these words never existed, I would.

Evil in its worst form changed the life of so many Yadizi people over the past 7 years. In this book, I learned of the courage and strength of Badeeah as she saved the life of her nephew, Eivan, through untold horrors.

This is a MUST READ (or listen!). It’s easy to form a bubble around our lives when there is so much suffering and war in many parts of the world. For a 3 year old boy to treasure his ONE small 🚕 car when my children are swimming in their toys.

Thanks to Netgalley and Be Speak Audio for this audiobook! The narrator, Baraka Rhamani, did a fantastic job, which makes all the difference in an audiobook.

[Deborah Horton Core · Rating 5 out of 5]

" What we imagine, we create," she had told me. "We stop giving worth to beauty when we believe only the eyes have vision."

This is the story of Badeeah Hassan Ahmed, her capture, her life. It is a terrible story of human suffering. Of loss. Of hope. And, most of all, Survival. The language in the book is mild, but the depictions of violence are harsh and cannot be scrubbed away. This story is authentic in its telling, but graphically violent and hatefully disgusting. It is hard to recommend the reading of such a book, yet I do. Badeeah reminds us all that, while humanity has its depravity, it also has a virtue, a goodness that can sometimes slip through the smallest crack to save us.

Very much worth the read.

[Riyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A Cave in the Clouds”, a memoir by Badeeah Hassan Ahmed, is a joint winner for the Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children’s Book Centre 2019 award. This book is about Badeaah’s experience with the first-hand horrors of the 2014 genocide of the Yazidi people done by the Islamic State. The book takes place in Northern Iraq and Syria, Badeeah, her nephew Eivan, her friend Navine and others get kidnapped by the Islamic State or otherwise known as the Daesh locally in that area. What else will happen to Badeeah? Read to find out.

I loved this book, Badeeah has done a really good job of explaining what happened, explaining her thought processes and her feelings. Badeeah did such an amazing job using the words to describe the situations she was in and it made me feel extremely emotional. The absolute horrors of what she had to deal with while being kidnapped by the Daesh was shocking. She had to deal with tremendous abuse while being under the hands of the Daesh.

It was great being able to also learn about the Yazidi culture, language and religious beliefs and also learn about the traumatic trauma that they had to deal with in 2014 and years before as well. This book shows what it took to survive and the confidence needed to even speak out about this situation.

Overall this is an amazing five-star book that I recommend should be on everyone's must-read list, if you have read books about the residential schools in Canada, the Holocaust or other genocides around the world, I absolutely recommend you read this book as well. Badeeah Hassan Ahmed and Susan Elizabeth McClelland worked together and spoke out about this situation, without this book I wouldn’t even have known. Finally this book was an absolute thriller, should definitely be on your must-read.

[Chelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the (mostly-true) story of a girl whose village was taken captive by ISIS because of their faith. Mostly, I question some of the writing choices - namely that some events are shown in a different order than they actually happened. Some people are combined into one character, as well, although this is less of a concern to me, particularly because I already struggled with the many members of Badeeah's large family. This sometimes felt like a dramatic retelling of Badeeah's story, which is completely unnecessary, at least from a storytelling standpoint, not even considering it is supposed to be nonfiction.

Positives: I learned a lot about a faith culture (Yazidi) that I had never heard of, and the crisis in the Middle East was made authentically understandable for its horror.

[Naomi Shores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book through "Blind Date" with a book at my local library. I had no idea what book I was getting. A true story about women kidnapped and forced into sex/human trafficking. This is a book about courage and faith and fighting for what is right. Badeeah (a teenager) along with all the women in her village is kidnapped by Isis and then sold to the highest bidder. Badeeah along with her nephew Eivan and Navine (another woman who was kidnapped) learn to survive until they can escape from Al-Emriki, the man who bought them.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hard story to read. Badeeah had a harrowing experience with Isis that left her scarred and damaged, but also ultimately reaffirmed her faith and her belief in love over anything. The writing is a bit choppy and I don't understand why they felt the need to change so many details (all of which are then detailed in the epilogue, defeating the purpose), but overall this is a very personal and heartbreaking account or a war our world is still fighting.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book and story is riveting. What Badeeah (and the other refugees mentioned in this book) has gone through is astounding, and seeing her path was eye-opening to say the least. My concern was actually in the notes at the end of the book. Some people were combined for clarity, locations and details changed, and after reading the notes I wondered how much of the book was actually fact. I understand why some changes would have been made, but I'm uncertain of the extent.

[Jenny Ashby · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow start as the authors familiarize the reader with middle Eastern words. I nearly put the book down after a couple of chapters of long sentences explaining Badeeah's world. But once I made it past those few chapters, then her story was engrossing and terrifying. I really feel for Badeeah and other women abducted by ISIS not only for what was done to them, but also for the fear they feel about possibly losing their families and communities because of judgment and shame.

[Cassie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard to read, but also incredibly uplifting at the same time. I enjoyed all of the Ezidi background and culture that was shared. The kidnapping and enslavement of girls, women and children has not received enough airtime in America.
This book handles the atrocities very well and in a way that maintains the dignity of Badeeah. It doesn't downplay what happened to her, but it doesn't describe the abuse in graphic terms either, making it appropriate for high school students to read and learn about this current issue.

I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley; this is my honest review.

[Alison Peachey]

As someone who lived and worked among the Yezidis for a few years, I found this book very interesting, for obvious reasons. Being a YA book, the abuse is written about very discreetly. I would have preferred the story be written in order as it actually happened and not mixed up in the way it was - explained in a note in the book- but I understand that maybe this makes it easier reading for someone with no connection to the situation. I wish Badeeah all the best in her future.

[Staci Vought · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartbreaking account of human trafficking in the Middle East. The history of their people & what they endured was eye opening. From a writing standpoint, it was so fast and lacked details/a rich explanation of what it was like to live this life. The fear and family loyalty were very impactful. Compelling read overall.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This woman, and women like her, are amazing. Her ordeal was horrible and terrifying but she is working hard to rise above it. My prayers and hope for her is that she succeeds and is able to bring healing, love and life back to others who have suffered in a similar fashion. I was grateful that the book didn't go into graphic details about the abuse she suffered.