At the end of one of her regular visits with her mother in Iran, Haleh Esfandiari prepared to return to her suburban Maryland home on December 30, 2006. Instead of a routine taxi ride to the airport, she was the victim of a supposed robbery, losing her plane ticket, purse and both her Iranian and American passports to four perpetrators who forced the cab off the road. This event, which soon became suspiciously unlike any ‘typical’ robbery, marked the beginning of Esfandiari’s nearly nine month detainment in Iran, including a 105 day stay in solitary confinement at Evin Prison. My Prison, My Home: One Woman’s Story of Captivity in Iran is the compelling account of her experience.
In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that I am close friends with a colleague of Haleh Esfandiari’s in her position as the Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. When she was first detained, I watched as my dear friend struggled with his fear for her safety and tried to understand what kind of case was being made against her by the Iranian Intelligence Ministry. As Esfandiari describes her work, it’s difficult to imagine that her efforts could be construed as destructive.
“We organized seminars, lectures, and conferences and invited speakers and participants from the Middle East, including Iran. I was pleased to be fostering dialogue between Iranians and Americans.”
And yet, she stood accused of “endangering national security,” and held in prison without access to representation or connection to the outside world for over three months. While the story itself is strikingly shocking to a reader raised under the ideals of our American democracy, the power of this memoir lies in Esfandiari’s voice in the retelling of her experience, as well as in the perspective she shares of her home country’s state of affairs. Seamlessly, she weaves historical context into her own personal narrative, informing the reader of the varying socio-political climates of Iran over the last several decades. We see Iran through her eyes– the eyes of a citizen and the eyes of an emigrant, the eyes of one returning to a childhood home as an adult, the eyes of a countryman who longs for understanding between her former and current lands, and the eyes of one who feels betrayed and abused in the name of her homeland’s security.
Without delving into the political complexities of Esfandiari’s experiences, suffice it to say that hers is a commanding and harrowing story. Her straightforward tone never turns melodramatic, even though that would have been completely understandable, considering the circumstances. She doesn’t use this memoir as a bullhorn to lay out point by point all of the positive efforts she has undertaken in her professional life to build bridges between the Middle East and the West, even though that too would have been absolutely reasonable as well. Instead, she gives a detailed account of her experience during her detainment and works to provide a context for the reader on contemporary Iran. This was particularly notable for me specifically because it never sounded like a history lesson, and it was consistently accessible for those of us who are not as politically savvy or worldly as others may be.
Simply put, My Prison, My Home is a captivating book for its perspective on the political climate in contemporary Iran, but more importantly it’s a must-read memoir for its portrayal of strength, survival and love for country. I wholeheartedly endorse it on our list of 5 Star Reads.
I am happy to be able to offer a copy to one of you. Just leave a comment if you’d like to win, and we’ll announce the winner in next Wednesday’s giveaway post.
The winner of last week’s giveaway Delivering Hope is #1 Benita G.
The winner of Mothering Heights is #12 Marj M.
Dawn is excitedly awaiting an upcoming meeting with Haleh Esfandiari, and she will undoubtedly be describing the sure-to-be-amazing experience on her blog, my thoughts exactly.
Oh, please sign me up for this one! I have read about half of Reading Lolita in Tehran and just wish to know so much more about this part of the world that my husband grew up in! (An American in Saudi Arabia)
Wow, this sounds like a griping read, please include my entry in the drawing. Congratulations to last weeks winners!
Oh I want this one! I loved “Reading Lolita” and it helped me understand the whole context of the Islamic Revolution. This book looks like it goes even deeper. I can’t wait to read your interview with her either!
Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the giveaway!
This sounds like a fascinating book.
Sounds like a great read 🙂
This sounds like a very interesting, need to be aware of book. Thanks for the post.
Penny
If the book is a good as your review then it must be fabulous! Never heard of this one; thanks for the giveaway and the information.
This book sounds fabulous. I’m sure I will learn much by reading it. Thanks for the possibility.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Sounds like a great book…I’d love to win!
This is definitely going on my to-read list. I’d love to win a copy, but if not, I’ll see if my library carries it.
I would love to read this!
I’d love to have this book. So interesting!
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Thank you. I would love to win and read this book.
teakettle58atyahoodotcom
I would love this.
wmmahaney(at)att(dot)net
This sounds like an incredible read. Please sign me up for the giveaway!
I am interested in reading anything ‘memoir’ and would appreciate learning more about Iran.
I would love to read this book 🙂
Sounds fantastic! I’m going to have to find this one!
I definitely will want to read this one. Please include my name. Thanks
I passed over reading what you wrote twice and then decided to read it. Wow, I would be delighted to read this. I can not imagine being imprisoned 9 months……..for nothing. Bless her heart.
I would love to win, Thanks
This looks like an informative AND interesting read.
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
And we posted about this at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-prison-my-home.html
Please count me in!
[email protected]
This sounds like such a great read! Thanks for the chance.
Sounds like a great read!
This looks fascinating! I’d love to win!
BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com
I would so much love to win this book. Please enter my name in your draw. Thanks!!!!