Imagine this: You, your husband, Moody, and your daughter, Mahtob, are all going away to visit Moody's homeland of Tehran for two weeks. You are hesitant at first, but decide to go through with it for Mahtob's sake. When you arrive in Tehran, you are overwhelmed and surprised by Iranian way of life. As the two weeks come to an end, Moody tells you that you are not going back to America, seeing as how he has lost his job. When you confront him about this, he tells you that he is the man of the family and his decision is the final decision. Moody takes away your passport and sometimes locks you up in a room for days on end. You plan your escape but everytime there is a chance for you to able to flee, you are always told that you must leave Mahtob behind. Sounds horrific? This is what really happened to Betty Mahmoody in 1984. Although she is in a country where women have no rights whatsoever and Americans are hated, Betty never gives up hope that one day, she and Mahtob will be in America once again. This story was so captivating that I didn't want to put it down until I was through and when I was done, I still wanted more of it. It was also easy to follow and comprehend. I believe that this novel is a must-read for any woman looking for encouragement, motivation, or just a good book.

Betty is a woman of strength and her courageous struggle to flee her tormentor clearly emphasises this fact. The book is one of the most exhilirating books that one can read as it strongly highlights the unbroken human spirit as well as faith and devotion to Jesus Christ. I believe that the experience that Betty as an individual undergoes gives hope to even the most pathetic souls. The fact that she and her daughter are conquerers in their own right allows for us to look upon them with admiration and satisfaction that prayers are always answered.

This book tells about one woman's courage and strength. Those who panned this book should remember Betty Mahmoody agreed to go to Iran only because her husband "promised" her they would only stay two weeks. He announced just a few days before their scheduled departure that he lost his job and they would remain in Iran. He betrayed her in a very big way. Since, according to government rules, she could not divorce Moody without losing her daughter or if she left the country without Mahtob to visit her dying father, she would not be permited to return. Remember, Betty did not want to live according to their culture and she had that choice since these are modern times. As a result, Betty was going to leave the country anyway she could. There have been Iranian women who have left the country never wanting to return also. Yes, she is negative toward the country but she is not the only one who has escaped Iran or other such countries. Not Without My Daughter is one of the most compelling life experience stories I have ever read. I will read it again and again.

Not Without My Daughter is the true story/biography of Betty Mahmoody, who accompanies her husband on a supposed two-week vacation to his native homeland, Iran, along with their daughter. Betty is well aware of the fact that once in Iran, she has nearly no rights, contrary to that of an American woman. As a woman, and especially an American she is looked down upon by others. A

This book, while coming under heavy criticism for it's portrayal of the Iranian lifestyle and customs is still quite a good read. The book is somewhat suspenseful, always with plot twists and intricate detail. The detail is so intricate, in fact, that I read it over and over.

However, many events in the book are supposed to be exaagerated. I do not believe this, because the book is taking place during a time period in which Iran is embroiled in a bitter war with Iraq, which changes every single circumstance in the perspective of a reader.

Not Without My Daughter is almost like a survival story, because Betty makes choices and she vows to escape with her daughter several times in the story. The mother-daughter bond is a constant theme in this story as children belong to the father in Iran and no one can simply identify with Betty's maternal instinct.

Despite the fact that people think it is over-exxagerated, it really is not. However, times have changed, and the book can not be put in any time period and work with the reader. Reading this book will give you an insight into what it is like in third-world countries like Iran, coupled with a mother and child's desperate desire for freedom. A compelling, yet disturbing book, Not Without My Daughter is an interesting, motivational, and overall dramatic book for someone looking to be deeply sensitized in an adventure.

P.S. - The book is definetely more in-depth and more detailed than the made for TV movie, starring Sally Field, produced by Pathe Entertainment, and released in 1991.

This story is definitly true. Her husband's family even said so. This owman may be slightly prejudiced against Iranians now but so would say an Iranian who came to America and was bashed for being Iranian. Anyway this book was very interesting and very REAL.

Betty Mahmmoody has made powerful use of emotional trauma to write a book that is as chilling as it is thrilling, in Not Without My Daughter, an excellent nonfiction read. Her sequal For the Love of a Child is quite redundant and boring, but I admire Betty's objective in bringing awareness to other women who find themselves in a similar situation. Being a proud and informed ultra-orthodox Jewish woman living in Israel, I was dismayed at the disinformation in regard to Jewish law provided by Betty. She tells of a gentile Dutch woman who's secular Israeli-Jewish husband abducted their children and had them raised by Orthodox Jews! Jewish law clearly states that the religion of a child born out of a mixed marriage is determined by its mother.It follows that the Dutch children are definitely not Jewish. Judaism does not engage in missionary activity at all and it is almost impossible to believe that any religious Jew would show an interest in converting these children. (Unless somehow their origin was willfully kept unknown; highly unlikely.) It is my hope that this was an unintentional oversight on behalf of Betty and the publishers and that no deliberate slander against the Jewish religous community was intended. I would feel very honored if Betty herself responds to this!

Having read Not Without My Daughter years ago, I was filled with a sense of premonition before an attempted kidnapping of my children by their Iranian father, not once but twice. After the second attempt, For the Love of a Child was recommended to me. I appreciated the content, the stories, the differences being presented for various situations and it made me feel like I was not alone. Parents whose children have been abducted often don't know how to react to a horrible situation, and how to deal with emotions such as guilt and the sense of loss. There is a constant sense of not being sure if one is doing the right thing. This book is an eye-opener. For the Love of a Child, in particular, gives a number of scenarios where people can see that an abduction can take place any number of ways, and that abductions are not limited to countries in the Middle East. People must realize that abductions are real, and it is books such as this that put it out there as a reality. The emotions displayed in the book may be difficult for some people to take, and many people will think it is a bunch of BS. I am sorry for them. I hope more books will come out, not just to inform us about situations that happen, but also to give people some ideas on how to protect themselves. The bottom line is that WE as parents are responsible for our children's well-being, and being prepared by reading books such as this, and asking questions, will only help protect our children further. Gaining knowledge, and balancing it with common sense, is what books like this are all about. As for the children and what they feel, sure, they feel confused and disturbed about being taken away from a parent. The important thing to remember is that, along with the right the parents have to see their child(ren), one MUST consider the child(ren)'s well being. As adults, most of us have the ability to choose who we will be with and would not stay two seconds with someone we feel is mistreating us, but children need a parent who is strong to look out for them at all levels. If the child(ren)'s parent takes care to tell them that their other parent loves them, but may not be doing things in a safe manner and environment, then the child(ren) will grow up and better appreciate that which was done for them.

*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.

An absolutely worthless book. I shudder to think of the reaction of bigots who will fall for the propaganda in this book. The first movie with Sally Field was bad enough, maybe now they'll make a trashy mini-series. That's what garbage like this is suited for. Save your money.

Too bad this family has suffered. But I think the suffering came from all sides. There is revenge and control and threats. What about the threat of the wife to divorce the husband before she went to Iran? He was trying to protect his daughter. It is his daughter too. The wife had other failure in marriage too and didn't even have her kids from her other marriage. Maybe there is a good reason the husband wanted to get his daughter away from America and Betty. I think it is a bad thing for the girl Mahtob. She will probably not ever know the truth.

After reading Not without my daughter for Betty Mahmoudy, I was chocked ! because i discovered the real story of the pain of women, and because of her, i am now reading all stories about women who are living in pain. i find this book exellent and i encourage every woman to read it!