For the Love of a Child

I purchased a used copy of this book and was very surprised to see a "discarded" stamp on it. This is the continuing story of Betty Mahmoody and her daughter Mahtob. Both miraculously escaped the abuse, beatings, and imprisonment of Betty's husband from desolate Iran. It was (and still is) impossible for any women to leave Iran (or any Islamic State in the Middle East) with her child without her husband's explicit permission that is why Betty's story is so enthralling and riveting. When she returned to their home in MI she wrote her best-selling story, "Not Without My Daughter." "For The Love Of A Child" picks up where the whirlwind "Not Without My Daughter" left off. The book details how Betty and her daughter have adjusted in the recent years since being imprisoned by her husband. It also discusses family's reaction to them when they came home. The book also discusses several domestic/international cases that are just as sad, shocking, and interesting as Betty's case. I was especially interested in the story about Zana and Nadia Muhsen. Both young ladies grew up in England and were sold into slavery by their Yemeni father. There is a book about their ordeal which I look forward to reading, appropriately titled Sold: One Woman's True Account of Modern Slavery. Betty wrote the introduction to that tragic story. Never one to be a shrinking violet, Betty does not mince words or try to cover up anything. The book also discusses the Hague Convention and how and where mothers (and fathers) in similar circumstances can get help. (Although this information may be outdated in the year 2006...?) Betty Mahmoody is a pioneer for domestic/international/kidnapping rights.

If it's possible, I found this book even better than it's predecessor. Betty and Mahtob are now back in America, but Betty is still in fear that Mahtob will be abducted. After she wrote "Not Without My Daughter", she was inundated with requests for help by parents of abducted children. She then began to work with other parents, from many different nationalities and religions. This perhaps was the most surprising aspect of this book, that children are abducted and taken to countries by their parents -no matter what their religion and background. I found this heartbreaking, there are no simple solutions when people from different countries marry, and then one wants to go 'home' with their children, especially if the marriage has broken down. I found this book fascinating yet horrible, so many people experiencing immense pain, as a parent I empathised with many of the stories. Another interesting chapter is towards the end, "Moody responds". Here we find out what happened to Betty Mahmoody's husband. Just fantastic reading, this book is very highly recommended

*For the Love of a Child* picks up where *Not Without My Daughter* left off. We get to hear about Mahmoody's return to the U.S.A. and her joyous reunion with her family. But, it does not stop there. Mahmoody describes her efforts to increase public awareness of the issue of international parental child abduction. As she made her struggles known, she met many people with similar stories. *For the Love of a Child* includes the stories of five of those people. Particularly interesting is Mahmoody's account of the making of the film of *Not Without My Daughter*. And, we can be inspired by Mahtob's reaction to all her experiences. In her first book, Betty Mahmoody told us how her desire for her daughter's welfare motivated her to endure tremendous hardship. In *For the Love of a Child*, she shows how universal such desires are, and how they are driving both individuals and governments all over the world.