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Not Without My Daughter #2
For the Love of a Child
In this sequel to Not Without My Daughter, Betty Mahmoody describes her cultural readjustment to America, her constant fear of her husband's revenge, and her frustration with a legal system unable to offer her protection--but the story is not hers alone. Mahmoody describes her many encounters with others who have tried to escape similar situations, telling their dramatic stories with the sensitivity of one who knows only too well what they've been through and how far they still have to go. For The Love of a Child is a thrilling adventure with a vitally important message.
342 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Betty Mahmoody
14 books403 followersBetty Mahmoody (born June 9, 1945) is an American author and public speaker best known for her book, Not Without My Daughter, which was subsequently made into a film of the same name. She is the President and co-founder of One World: For Children, an organization that promotes understanding between cultures and strives to offer security and protection to children of bi-cultural marriages.
Her book, Not Without My Daughter, is an account of her experiences in 1984–86, when she left Alpena, Michigan to go to Iran with her husband and daughter for what she was promised would be a short visit. Once there, she and her daughter were held against their wills.
According to the book, she and her husband, Sayed Bozorg Mahmoody, and daughter, Mahtob, traveled to Iran in August 1984 for what her husband said would to be a two-week visit with his family in Tehran. Once the two weeks were over, however, he refused to allow his wife and child to leave. Mahmoody became trapped in a culture hostile to Americans, a family hostile to her, and an abusive husband. According to the book, Mahmoody's husband separated her from her daughter for weeks on end. He also beat her and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave.
She eventually fled with her daughter. The book details her 500-mile escape to Turkey and the help she received from many Iranians.
Betty Mahmoody compiled stories of other parents whose foreign spouses estranged them from their children in the book For the Love of a Child.
Her book, Not Without My Daughter, is an account of her experiences in 1984–86, when she left Alpena, Michigan to go to Iran with her husband and daughter for what she was promised would be a short visit. Once there, she and her daughter were held against their wills.
According to the book, she and her husband, Sayed Bozorg Mahmoody, and daughter, Mahtob, traveled to Iran in August 1984 for what her husband said would to be a two-week visit with his family in Tehran. Once the two weeks were over, however, he refused to allow his wife and child to leave. Mahmoody became trapped in a culture hostile to Americans, a family hostile to her, and an abusive husband. According to the book, Mahmoody's husband separated her from her daughter for weeks on end. He also beat her and threatened to kill her if she tried to leave.
She eventually fled with her daughter. The book details her 500-mile escape to Turkey and the help she received from many Iranians.
Betty Mahmoody compiled stories of other parents whose foreign spouses estranged them from their children in the book For the Love of a Child.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 29, 2016
"I envision a world where children's rights are protected and cultural differences are respected; of a world where no child need fear losing either a parent and where no parent will ever be left behind." – Betty Mahmoody
I had no idea Mahmoody had written a sequel to her bestseller Not Without My Daughter, one of my favorite 2014 reads. While writing my Amazon review for it, one of the most helpful reviews referenced this book, and I immediately ordered a second hand copy.
I know the easiest way to sum this book up is to call it a "sequel", but it's really more than that. It picks up right after Betty and Mahtob reach the American Embassy in Turkey, and the years following as Betty writes her book and her involvement with the film adaptation. I appreciated how honest she was about her family's adjustment to life back in the States, and her fears about a counterabduction from her ex-husband.
That being said, my favorite part of the book was her willingness to comfort and assist other parents whose children had been abducted and taken to various countries by an estranged spouse. She dedicates a large part of the book to relating the cases that most affected her; not all of them had happy endings.
Her humanitarian work and efforts to pass bills to protect children's rights in the United States are commendable, and I'd never have known about them had it not been for this book. Though dated, it made me wonder if international child abduction is still as big a problem as it was in the 80s and 90s.
This was a great read! Highly recommended. Also, feel free to check out my review of Not Without My Daughter. I think it's one of my most personal and favorite reviews. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I had no idea Mahmoody had written a sequel to her bestseller Not Without My Daughter, one of my favorite 2014 reads. While writing my Amazon review for it, one of the most helpful reviews referenced this book, and I immediately ordered a second hand copy.
I know the easiest way to sum this book up is to call it a "sequel", but it's really more than that. It picks up right after Betty and Mahtob reach the American Embassy in Turkey, and the years following as Betty writes her book and her involvement with the film adaptation. I appreciated how honest she was about her family's adjustment to life back in the States, and her fears about a counterabduction from her ex-husband.
That being said, my favorite part of the book was her willingness to comfort and assist other parents whose children had been abducted and taken to various countries by an estranged spouse. She dedicates a large part of the book to relating the cases that most affected her; not all of them had happy endings.
Her humanitarian work and efforts to pass bills to protect children's rights in the United States are commendable, and I'd never have known about them had it not been for this book. Though dated, it made me wonder if international child abduction is still as big a problem as it was in the 80s and 90s.
This was a great read! Highly recommended. Also, feel free to check out my review of Not Without My Daughter. I think it's one of my most personal and favorite reviews. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 29, 2020
***NO SPOILERS***
This is a gripping, little-known follow-up to Betty Mahmoody's superb Not Without My Daughter. For those wondering what happened to Mahmoody and her daughter following their harrowing escape, the answers are here. Mahmoody described in great detail how they had to drastically change virtually every aspect of their lives after returning to the United States to ensure their future safety. Perhaps only those in a witness protection program can truly relate.
For the Love of a Child isn't all about them, though. A sizable chunk of the book, possibly most of the book, is on the general topic of international child abduction. Such a transition sounds like it would be jarring and the topic itself dull, but not only is this not true, the story never loses its furious page-turning momentum. This is likely because Mahmoody put a human face on this highly disturbing, remarkably difficult-to-solve issue--one that's more common than many realize--by shining a spotlight on a few different families struggling daily with having had a child abducted across international lines. These are tales similar to her own in that they are spouse versus spouse, but the similarity stops there. Each story is unique, replete with fascinating details, and each has its own high drama that will shock at the same time that it shatters the heart.
This is a gripping, little-known follow-up to Betty Mahmoody's superb Not Without My Daughter. For those wondering what happened to Mahmoody and her daughter following their harrowing escape, the answers are here. Mahmoody described in great detail how they had to drastically change virtually every aspect of their lives after returning to the United States to ensure their future safety. Perhaps only those in a witness protection program can truly relate.
For the Love of a Child isn't all about them, though. A sizable chunk of the book, possibly most of the book, is on the general topic of international child abduction. Such a transition sounds like it would be jarring and the topic itself dull, but not only is this not true, the story never loses its furious page-turning momentum. This is likely because Mahmoody put a human face on this highly disturbing, remarkably difficult-to-solve issue--one that's more common than many realize--by shining a spotlight on a few different families struggling daily with having had a child abducted across international lines. These are tales similar to her own in that they are spouse versus spouse, but the similarity stops there. Each story is unique, replete with fascinating details, and each has its own high drama that will shock at the same time that it shatters the heart.
February 21, 2016
This is a page-turning sequel to “Not Without My Daughter” that had me fully absorbed.
The first part takes off where Betty and her daughter Mahtob return to the US after escaping an abusive husband in Iran. I appreciated this part since I was eager to know more after finishing “Not Without My Daughter” recently.
Betty became involved in assisting parents involved in the parental abduction nightmare. The remainder of the book gives a few truly heart-wrenching stories. This is the part that moved me immensely. While reading these stories however, I was curious to know more since some have no resolution and leave you hanging. I kept hoping for updates and wish that there was a revised edition since this was published in 1992.
The writing style is probably not the best. It didn’t bother me, since I wasn’t reading it for that. I seldom judge a book based on writing style alone anyway. For me, it’s far more about content, plot, and storyline.
I highly recommend this book if you’ve read “Not Without My Daughter” and would like to know more. Mahtob has recently published a book which I look forward to reading soon.
The first part takes off where Betty and her daughter Mahtob return to the US after escaping an abusive husband in Iran. I appreciated this part since I was eager to know more after finishing “Not Without My Daughter” recently.
Betty became involved in assisting parents involved in the parental abduction nightmare. The remainder of the book gives a few truly heart-wrenching stories. This is the part that moved me immensely. While reading these stories however, I was curious to know more since some have no resolution and leave you hanging. I kept hoping for updates and wish that there was a revised edition since this was published in 1992.
The writing style is probably not the best. It didn’t bother me, since I wasn’t reading it for that. I seldom judge a book based on writing style alone anyway. For me, it’s far more about content, plot, and storyline.
I highly recommend this book if you’ve read “Not Without My Daughter” and would like to know more. Mahtob has recently published a book which I look forward to reading soon.
June 5, 2009
This book was no where near as good as the first one but it's because it's with a different author I guess and the writing just wasn't great. Having said that, this book needs to be read. This book picks up where the last one left off. You find out what happened to Betty and Mahtob after they arrive in the US and their struggles to readapt. She becomes heavily involved in helping other parents whose children have been kidnapped and realizes that this is a global problem. You get to read about other parents situations and what they went through and also find out what has been done so far to help children and parents who have signed under the Hague Convention. This book was written in the early '90's so I'm sure even more has been done to help kids and parents around the world. I will no longer complain about needing a letter to take my girls into Canada!
December 1, 2013
Wonderful book!!
After reading Not Without My Daughter, I really wanted to learn more about Betty's return to the USA.
The first part of this book gives a detailed account of her return, the readaptation to a normal life (for her and Mahtob as well of course), then the writing of her book, the creation of her association, people she met and tried to help, etc. It is very interesting and gives a welcome conclusion to her terrible experiences told in her first book.
The second part focuses on three stories, three parents whose children had been kidnapped and taken abroad and who were helped by Betty's association. I found the 3 stories engrossing. Christy Khan has her 3 sons taken to Pakistan, Craig DeMarr his two daughters taken to West Germany and Mariann Saieed her son and her daughter taken to Iraq. Three different stories, three different parents and three different approaches. This second part of the book is very moving.
The writing is very direct and efficient. You don't read this for the prose but for the content, and the content won't leave you indifferent.
Highly recommended!!
After reading Not Without My Daughter, I really wanted to learn more about Betty's return to the USA.
The first part of this book gives a detailed account of her return, the readaptation to a normal life (for her and Mahtob as well of course), then the writing of her book, the creation of her association, people she met and tried to help, etc. It is very interesting and gives a welcome conclusion to her terrible experiences told in her first book.
The second part focuses on three stories, three parents whose children had been kidnapped and taken abroad and who were helped by Betty's association. I found the 3 stories engrossing. Christy Khan has her 3 sons taken to Pakistan, Craig DeMarr his two daughters taken to West Germany and Mariann Saieed her son and her daughter taken to Iraq. Three different stories, three different parents and three different approaches. This second part of the book is very moving.
The writing is very direct and efficient. You don't read this for the prose but for the content, and the content won't leave you indifferent.
Highly recommended!!
April 18, 2021
Kızım olmadan asla beni çok etkiledi. Bir annenin evladı için her şeyi göze aldığını ve Betty' nin Amerikaya kacis hikayesini ayrıntılarıyla anlatıyor. Ama kitap bu şekilde bitmeliydi bence. Cocuk sevgisi uğruna gereksizce uzatılmış fazlaca sıkıcı bir kitaptı. Kitap Betty, Mudi ve Mehtap' in hikayesinden çıkmış. Başka hayatları anlatıyor.
December 11, 2017
Gracias este libro aprendí que el secuestro internacional es más común de lo que uno desea imaginar.
July 28, 2020
Interessanter Nachfolger zu Nicht ohne meine Tochter. Mich hätte die persönliche Geschichte etwas mehr interessiert als die weiteren Schicksale, auch wenn diese natürlich auch schlimm waren/sind.
October 31, 2017
Tras No sin mi hija, best-seller internacional que ha llegado a más de quince millones de lectores en todo el mundo, Betty Mahmoody relata en el presente libro su regreso a Estados Unidos desde Turquía, las amenazas de muerte que la persiguen, su lucha en favor de las madres separadas de sus hijos a la fuerza como ella misma, la repercusión alcanzada por su libro y los casos más sobresalientes, análogos al suyo,de los que va teniendo conocimiento.
No sin mi hija 2: Por amor a una niña
No sin mi hija 2: Por amor a una niña
July 13, 2018
Les larmes lavent le chagrin, nettoient la peur.
January 24, 2017
I found ‘For the Love of a Child’ to be an eye opening and attention-grabbing read. I actually preferred this sequel to Betty Mahmoody’s autobiography, ‘Not Without My Daughter’. ‘For the Love of a Child’ delves into the lives of Betty and her daughter Mahtob after their return to America alongside delivering the accounts of other victims of child abduction.
At first I was worried the autobiography would be a ‘look at how successful we are’ take on Betty’s book and following movie release, and the book does open this way. However, I was pleasantly surprised to soon find Betty’s main goal was to advocate for left behind parents and the rights of abducted children. In this, the book succeeded. As I soon learnt, child abduction is scarily commonplace, transcending ethnicity, religion and gender. I was gripped by the accounts of fathers and mothers alike in challenging rigid court systems and risking all for their children in tense escape scenarios. The account of one group, the ‘Mothers of Algiers’, an informal collaboration of French mothers whose children had been abducted, is particularly noteworthy. The gritty determination of these mothers in how they built an International Convention bridging Western and Eastern societal structures is truly inspirational and gives weight to Betty’s father’s mantra: “Where there is a will, there is a way” – the premise of both novels.
At first I was worried the autobiography would be a ‘look at how successful we are’ take on Betty’s book and following movie release, and the book does open this way. However, I was pleasantly surprised to soon find Betty’s main goal was to advocate for left behind parents and the rights of abducted children. In this, the book succeeded. As I soon learnt, child abduction is scarily commonplace, transcending ethnicity, religion and gender. I was gripped by the accounts of fathers and mothers alike in challenging rigid court systems and risking all for their children in tense escape scenarios. The account of one group, the ‘Mothers of Algiers’, an informal collaboration of French mothers whose children had been abducted, is particularly noteworthy. The gritty determination of these mothers in how they built an International Convention bridging Western and Eastern societal structures is truly inspirational and gives weight to Betty’s father’s mantra: “Where there is a will, there is a way” – the premise of both novels.
November 29, 2009
I liked this book for the follow up information to "Not Without My Daughter" but it wasn't as great as the first book. Though it was interesting to hear how Betty Mahmoody and her daughter adjusted to life back in the U.S. after escaping Iran and hearing of the many similar stories. This book does do a good job showing that international child abductions is sadly more common then probably most people think.
August 13, 2016
This would be a good resource for someone researching child abduction, but it was a huge disappointment after reading Mahmoody's other book. It felt like this book was written to take advantage of a hot topic more than to provide useful information.
April 24, 2019
Liked it alot. Sequel to Not without my daughter.
July 26, 2011
Not written all that well, but wonderful content.
September 16, 2022
Ma arvasin, et selles raamatus on kirjas Betty ja Mahtobi elu pärast seda, kui nad koju pääsesid, aga nende elust oli siin õige vähe. Suurem osa raamatust kirjeldab erinevate inimeste elusaatusi ja võitlust oma laste pärast ja seda on ka muidugi huvitav lugeda. Mahmoody raamatute põhirõhk on kultuurierinevustel - sellest, millised ohud varitsevad nn läänelikku inimest, kes abiellub ja saab lapsed araablase või mõne muu islamiusulisega. Siin raamatus oli siiski ka üks selline lugu, kus kultuurierinevused suurt rolli ei mänginud, vaid probleemid tekkisid sellest, et ühe lapsevanema kodumaa oli Saksamaal ja teise USAs.
Kui esimene raamat oli sõna otseses mõttes põnevik, mida lugesin hinge kinni pidades, siis see on rahulikum variant ja üsna erinev esimesest. Siiski mõjub see raamat kui hoiatus - et peab olema väga ettevaatlik, kui teisest kultuurist inimesega leivad ühte kappi panna. Siin kirjeldatakse mitmeid koduvägivalla juhtumeid ja kuigi autor ise rõhutab, et ta mitte mingil juhul ei taha jätta muljet, et teise kultuuri abiellumine on ohtlik või et kõik Iraani mehed ongi vägivaldsed, siis tahes tahtmata just nii see raamat mõjub, et hakkadki uskuma, et moslemid on ohtlikud ja parem neist kaugele eemale hoida. Püüan siiski uskuda, et nii ei ole, sest siin kirjeldatud meeste äkiline muutumine on midagi, mis sarnaneb väga tavapärase koduvägivalla juhtumiga, kus mees alguses kannab kätel, on küll üleliia kontrolliv, aga seda võetakse pigem meelitusena. Aga ikkagi - naised, olge ettevaatlikud!
Kui esimene raamat oli sõna otseses mõttes põnevik, mida lugesin hinge kinni pidades, siis see on rahulikum variant ja üsna erinev esimesest. Siiski mõjub see raamat kui hoiatus - et peab olema väga ettevaatlik, kui teisest kultuurist inimesega leivad ühte kappi panna. Siin kirjeldatakse mitmeid koduvägivalla juhtumeid ja kuigi autor ise rõhutab, et ta mitte mingil juhul ei taha jätta muljet, et teise kultuuri abiellumine on ohtlik või et kõik Iraani mehed ongi vägivaldsed, siis tahes tahtmata just nii see raamat mõjub, et hakkadki uskuma, et moslemid on ohtlikud ja parem neist kaugele eemale hoida. Püüan siiski uskuda, et nii ei ole, sest siin kirjeldatud meeste äkiline muutumine on midagi, mis sarnaneb väga tavapärase koduvägivalla juhtumiga, kus mees alguses kannab kätel, on küll üleliia kontrolliv, aga seda võetakse pigem meelitusena. Aga ikkagi - naised, olge ettevaatlikud!
December 8, 2022
Not without my daughter is a page turning book you can’t put down, I was absorbed by it. Then when I grabbed this book I had a similar feeling but not as exciting as the first one. This book deeply engaged you with similar stories as the one Betty lived, though it also includes stories from non-Muslims that incur in abduction of children (as the parents). It will make your blood boil if anger when reading about those stories. I wish there was an updated edition of this book to know about what happened to those parents whom their children were abducted as well as where Betty is today. There is no trace of her or Mahtob in social media or google or of Betty’s foundation, it would be a pleasure to be able to contribute in any way to cause like Betty was leading.
June 11, 2021
In diesem Buch erzählt Betty Mahmoody so viele weitere, ebenso mitreissende Geschichten wie die Ihre. Geschichten von Eltern die nie aufgehört haben für ihre Kinder bzw. die Rechte von Kindern im Allgemeinen zu kämpfen.
Wem “Nicht ohne meine Tochter” ebenso nahe gegangen ist wie mir, wird vom Bettys zweitem Buch auf keinen Fall enttäuscht werden. Aber auch hier ist vermutlich eine Taschentuch-Warnung angebracht: die ein oder andere Träne könnte sich während dieser Lektüre durchaus ihren Weg in die Freiheit bahnen...
Wem “Nicht ohne meine Tochter” ebenso nahe gegangen ist wie mir, wird vom Bettys zweitem Buch auf keinen Fall enttäuscht werden. Aber auch hier ist vermutlich eine Taschentuch-Warnung angebracht: die ein oder andere Träne könnte sich während dieser Lektüre durchaus ihren Weg in die Freiheit bahnen...
June 25, 2022
En fortsättning av den första volymen som angrepp mig helt när jag läste den för ett par år sedan.
I boken förklarar Betty var som hände med de efter återkomst till USA och hur de använde deras livshistoria för att vara behjälpliga till andra som befann sig i likadana utsatta situationer.
Hon tar upp flera berättelser av föräldrar vars barn bortrövades i andra länder.
Slutligen efter att ha kämpat i flera år kom några av de samarbetsvilliga internationella myndigheterna ut med en plan efter att ha skrivit under Haagkonventionen.
I boken förklarar Betty var som hände med de efter återkomst till USA och hur de använde deras livshistoria för att vara behjälpliga till andra som befann sig i likadana utsatta situationer.
Hon tar upp flera berättelser av föräldrar vars barn bortrövades i andra länder.
Slutligen efter att ha kämpat i flera år kom några av de samarbetsvilliga internationella myndigheterna ut med en plan efter att ha skrivit under Haagkonventionen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2017
questo libro e il dopo "mai senza mia figlia" il best seller che messo lo spot su un problema universale quello del rapimento di bambini da parte di genitori di diversa nazionalità. un libro pieno di storie di bambini che hanno vissuti questo drama, e dove betty mahmoody ci racconta la sua vita dopo la fuga dal'iran, e sopra tutto da informazione su quello che e stato fatto al livello governativo riguardo questa questione. libro mlto toccante e pieno di emmozione.
October 14, 2021
Es una historia muy impactante la de Betty y Mahtob. Te da un respiro saber que su historia tuvo un final feliz. Además es interesante porque te narra 3 casos diferentes de padres separados de sus hijos. Personalmente, el ultimo caso me ha puesto triste porque no se sabe el final del todo.
December 31, 2022
Esta segunda parte no es lo que esperaba, sin embargo sigue siendo un tema muy interesante. Me sorprende mucho la cantidad de casos similares donde las víctimas son los niños cuyos padres son demasiado confiados. Dios quiera que estos niños vivan en paz.
December 29, 2017
Copii străini nu există. Istorii despre mame foarte puternice
August 11, 2018
Very good, entertaining & informative book.
March 14, 2019
Recomiendo leer el primero, es magnífico, este sirve para completar la historia, pero el primero se lo recomendaría a cualquiera.
September 1, 2020
This book was a continuation from the 1st book, however, it also told several other people's stories.
July 5, 2021
Unglaublich, dass es so viele Fälle gibt. Ich bewundere jeden, der es schafft, seine Kinder zu befreien.
September 11, 2021
Истинска трагедия за всички тези деца заложници на грешките на родители си
March 18, 2022
Impactante..
May 13, 2022
Le premier tome reste meilleur mais on veux quand meme savoir comment elles se sont rendues chez elles par la suite et comment ca se passe quand elles reviennent aux États-Unis
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews