Customer Reviews

American Hostage: A Memoir of a Journalist Kidnapped in Iraq and the Remarkable Battle to Win His Release

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AMERICAN HOSTAGE is a difficult book to classify. Though the cover calls it 'a memoir of a journalist kidnapped in Iraq and the remarkable battle to win his release', that is only the tip of the pyramid in this book that is not only beautifully written, but also weaves a story of intense intrigue, some fascinating inside information about the people of Iraq, the obstacles of living in a land at war, the tenderness not only between a fine journalist and his lover but also between the journalist and his translator/friend. There is more to learn from this highly entertaining book than could be expected.

Micah Garen, an American journalist covering the looting of the ancient ruins of Iraq with his partner/lover Marie-Helene Carleton, was kidnapped with his translator Amir on August 13th, 2004. Garen relates the issues leading up to the kidnapping, and the daily hardships and terrors while under guard with his good friend Amir, until their release August 22nd, 2004 - nine days and nights filled with despair, terror, suffering, political manipulation, yet with the indomitable human spirit that allowed them to survive. During the time Garen and Amir were in captivity, Carleton did amazingly courageous acts of spirit and fact from her home in New York to guarantee that the two men would survive and be released. That story is important enough and intensely interestingly enough to make the book work.

But the joy of reading AMERICAN HOSTAGE is in part due to the diary-like mode of writing: Garen makes entries like a diary listed by day and Carleton mirrors those entries with her won responses from New York. In addition to unfolding the terror of the kidnapping, Garen gives diversions of background of the life of a journalist, his important successes in reporting the looting of antiquities, the responses of the people on all sides of the festering carbuncle that is the situation in Iraq, allowing us full range of exposure to all sides of the matter. This is not only excellent journalism: this is information we rarely encounter in the media.

The clear writing style and the clever manner of relating this important event are accompanied by photographs of the 'cast' of characters - an aspect that for this reader lowers the quality of the overall impact. It is fine to see the handsome couple on the cover jacket, but reducing the images included in the text to snapshots of Sumerian bricks, 'hijab' garb, 'keffiyeh' and 'dishdasha' costume elements, the blindfold worn during captivity, palm frond spikes, etc. makes an otherwise intensely interesting novel-like memoir appear like a simple scrapbook. But that is a small complaint for a book as well written and as fascinating as this. Recommended for all those who want a better idea of how the situation in Iraq is progressing. Grady Harp, June 06

I won't give away the ending (hint: it's co-authored by captee Micah and freedom-fighter Marie-Helene), but will say that that American Hostage - which chronicles Micah Garen's capture and captivity last year in southern Iraq, and his fiancée Marie-Helene's New York City based efforts to free him - is an amazing tale well-told by a winning and resourceful pair.

Working utterly independently from one another (Micah was in a palm enclosure in southern Iraqi marshes and Marie-Helene in NYC), they still mirror one another's ethos and energy. As Micah practices yoga to steady nerves (and baffle his guards) and cagily grills another guard about local soccer to gage location, Marie Helene and friends establish a remarkable network of well-connected souls (politically and strategically) and set more wheels in motion via their grassroots efforts (and wall-mounted Sheik Sheet) than the FBI can fathom, or match.

There's an unbelievable lack of bravado or ego to both of their tellings.

And they describe Iraq - their time there, their friends and experiences - with such compassion and understanding, that the beleaguered country emerges almost as another character in the narrative. Their Iraqi translator, Nietzsche-enthusiast, friend and co-captive, Amir, is the wise, steady and winning third character. And dog Zeugma the fourth.

The couple come across as the pair most likely to succeed, and shine, and make friends in compromising and dismal of circumstances. You'd want them on your side, Amir along, and dog Zeugma at your feet.

Would recommend for all the narrative threads that weave through American Hostage:
The looting of Iraq's Sumerian heritage - the reason Micah (and Marie Helene) are in the country, reporting.
The nuanced portrait of America's role on the ground in Iraq.
The love story that manages to blossom in the unforgiving and unlikely terrain of Micah's captivity.
The complexity of politics and allegiances on the ground in modern-day Iraq - evidenced by the kidnapping itself and by the astoundingly complex network that Marie Helene establishes to secure Micah's release.

A story told by thoughtful and evocative narrators who just happen to be its stars.

In the past few years we've seen a horrific rise in the abduction of journalists as an effort to alter the course of political events. The media was once a venue through which we attempted to understand the true nature of overseas conflict. Today the camera is war's most compelling weapon; the hostage is the tool with which battles are fought, and a nation's eyes are coaxed back towards events we are otherwise unwilling to look upon.

The hostage narrative is a surprising and compelling new genre of war reportage--partly shaped by the mainstream media as events unfold, and later retold by the survivors, who give a voice to the people used as leverage in modern warfare. Garen and Carleton's narrative is essential for those who wish to understand the role of independent journalists in the volatile new Iraq and in the shock theater that has become contemporary mainstream media. Their book is a portrait of both the internal and external spheres of modern war. It deftly reveals the way an artist's medium can turn upon him, first as a threat to his very life, and later as a vehicle for reconciliation.

This memoir is unique and compelling because it operates on so many levels: on one level, it's the story of two journalists who fight for a cause they believe in as well as their own lives. On another level, it's also the story of the multi-layered society and culture that's being shaped in war-torn Iraq.

The Iraqis described in the book are both committed to preserving their culture (translator and historian Amir Doshi) and destroying it (the looters of antiquities). They are pro-American (the kidnapper who asked Micah to sponsor his visa) and anti-American (the thugs who yelled 'Foreigner' and snatched him from the market at gunpoint)

Whether you are interested in a varied perspective on the current state of Iraq or are curious about the challenges faced by freelance journalists in high-conflict zones, this book illustrates a side of the war that rarely makes it to the nightly news.

Back in 2004, the sight of innocent civilians, including journalists, kidnapped in Iraq became all too common. We saw the horrifying pictures of helpless individuals surrounded by brutal men too cowardly to even show their faces, heard the kidnappers' ridiculous demands, prayed for the victims and their families, and felt a deep sense of outrage and anger at the barbarism of the terrorists. Our hearts went out to those involved, yet the personal reality of such a nightmare situation never really touched us - certainly not in the way it did the victims and their families back home. I pictured grieving families coming together to wait out the ordeal, unable to do anything but hope and pray. The family and friends - and colleagues - of Micah Garen, however, were anything but paralyzed, and that is what makes his story so fascinating. Alongside Garen's experience in captivity, we also have a rundown of the tireless, far-reaching efforts of a small army of supporters, led by his fiance Marie-Helene Carleton.

Both Garen and Carleton had gone to Iraq to shoot a documentary about the widespread looting taking place there, at some of the most significant archaeological sites in the world. Both authors share their experiences in this regard, and it is an important subject - important enough for both of them to risk their lives to document it - but I really don't have enough space to discuss it here. Carleton returned home, but Garen chose to stay two more weeks in order to film the new city guards that were set to begin protecting the site at Umma. Their months-long stay overlapped with the transfer of power to Iraqi authority in mid-2004, which turned out to be a most dangerous time, as fighting broke out between Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and coalition forces. On August 13, Garen and Amir Doshi, his friend and translator, traveled to Nasiriyah, where they were kidnapped from the market place and taken to the office of al-Sadr. From there, they were taken to a remote location in the marshes, their new home a small enclosure surrounded by a wall of date palm fronds jammed down into the earth. This certainly didn't fit my mental image of a hostage cell, but it gave them only the smallest glimmer of hope that they might be able to escape. Garen takes us through the daily routine that soon developed, the conversations he and Amir had with different guards (with different ones seemingly having different agendas), and brings home both the emotional and physical toll their captivity took on both men. All of the doubts, fears, internal debates, and fleeting senses of hopefulness are vividly detailed, giving one at least a sense of what Garen's ordeal must have been like.

Marie-Helene Carleton's story is, in some ways, more gripping and emotional than Garen's. While he at least had a minute-to-minute sense of what was going on, his family and friends started out with nothing more than the nightmarish report of his kidnapping. They had no idea if he was alive or dead, where he might be, or who might be holding him - and the question of the kidnappers' identity was of the utmost importance. It could be a group connected to al-Sadr, looters with a grudge against Garen's journalistic work in Iraq, common criminals, or al Qaeda. If Garen ended up in Zarqawi's hands, there was almost no chance of his coming home alive. Upon learning the horrifying news, Carleton immediately began working for his release. Along with the obligatory calls to government officials, she began reaching out to her own network of contacts both inside and outside of Iraq itself. Within hours, a small army of family and friends were hard at work, contacting anyone who might be able to help and fending off media inquiries left and right. Since they did not know who had taken Garen, they held off going to the media - under some scenarios, a personal plea from the family could be of great help, but in others it could contribute to Garen's death. Their fellow journalists, however, came to their aid in spades, with everyone contacting anyone they thought could help. Their greatest hope was that they could somehow get al-Sadr to release a statement calling for the hostages' release, but al-Sadr was pinned down at the shrine of Imam Ali in Najaf at that time. The story of all of this behind-the-scenes work is fascinating and rather amazing, and there's even a twist at the end.

There are additional aspects to this story that I haven't even mentioned. The different goals of the men who held Garen and Doshi in captivity is perhaps the most striking - and revealing as to the nature of this turbulent time in Iraqi history. These men could be cruel, but they were a far cry from the brutal savages I would have assumed them to be. I should also note that there's really no political subtext to be found in this story, nor are there any claims of heroism. Garen, Carleton, and their loved ones truly come across as wonderful human beings, and the story is told in such a way that you feel as if you are witnessing all of these events and emotions first-hand. This is an informative, well-written, emotionally compelling read - and, best of all, it has a happy ending.

I really loved reading this from start to finish. It is a moving story of journalist and filmmaker Micah Garen who was in Iraq filming a documentary. While finishing up, he was kidnapped by militants in Southern Iraq.
This is a well written, interesting and powerful book that reveals the details of his work, kidnapping and release. At times, you will definately need some tissues, but overall, you will come away with having read a fascinating (scary at times) book. This is something that should be read by everyone.

Journalists Micah Garen and Marie-Helene Carleton have a missionary zeal for the preservation of archaeological treasures in Iraq. Not waiting for somebody to do something about the wholesale destruction of antiquities, Garen and Carleton went to Iraq on their own money and started working with Iraqi museum and culture people, trying to curb the looting and severe damage being done to the world famous sites. Armed with maps and cameras, the two journalists found allies in American and Italian troops who were also interested in saving the archaeological treasures, the roots of our history.
Working in the country for many months, making a documentary film, Garen was kidnapped while shooting the weapons market. It was an opportunistic kidnapping, August 13, 2004, the day before he was to return to New York, where Carleton had returned two weeks earlier.
The book suddenly becomes the anatomy of a diplomatic rescue across warring cultures. Carleton, her graduate school colleagues from Johns Hopkins, her sister, Garen's sister, and other freinds and family members immediately went into 24-hour a day action, establishing a calling center and orchestrating a network of contacts world wide for the incredibly delicate discussions and negotiations. They took to the telephones with an impressive dedication, working with Iraqi translators and Journalists Without Borders. Computers were everywhere and emails full of quests for help. Quickly, contacts were made, illustrating the few degrees of separation from people in need to ones with significant help. Everyone knew someone as the network grew.
The creative, smart,and energetic rescue effort stopped breathing when the New York group witnessed the death threat video on t.v. The unified shriek of family and friends in pain is palpable as Carleton gives us the pulse of this heart-stopping turn of events.
Running concurrently in alternating chapters, Garen thinks out loud, taking the reader through jump-cuts of analysis and anticipation of survival minute to minute. He lets us feel cold night air while sleepless on the ground. We track his thought process and feel his angst. He plotted his escape while he tried to make the kidnappers understand that he was not the enemy.
Small moments of irony were not lost on Garen, especially when one captor asked him to sing after he had been singing lamentations from the Quran. "I don't care if it rains or freezes, Long as I got my plastic Jesus, Sittin' on the dashboard of my car..." from Paul Newman in Cool
Hand Luke was Garen's contribution. The campiness was startling.
The passages cross back and forth from Garen to Carleton in simultaneous stories. The chapters are heart stopping even though we know he is released. Carleton's procedures for freeing Garen and Garen's philosophy of surviving the captivity form important lessons in this book.
The instinct that led the two journalists to Iraq to save the antiquities and archaeological sites is exactly the same instinct that drove his survival and her rescue.
The book is about action and having the guts to follow what you believe. Garen and Carleton are highly romantic characters who dare to live heroic lives. They are low key, quietly intellectual people who understand what it means to believe in something and to act on it.
This is a story of passion about culture and a belief in the innate goodness in a world torn by savage political ideologies. It is a lesson in the value of truth.

This is a very readable account of the 9-day ordeal suffered by Micah Garen in 2004-- a freelance journalist kidnapped apparently randomly by armed thugs in southern Iraq -- and the successful effort organized by his female partner in NY to pressure Iraqi clerics and others to secure his release. The near-tragic irony is that Micah was in Iraq for totally apolitical reasons, on a mission to publicize the looting of the country's historic treasures. So dedicated was Micah to his cause that even in captivity, his feelngs were of "distress at the thought that our kidnapping had affected the important work of protecting the archaeological sites." No less dedicated was his co-author and betrothed, and fortunately this couple of sterling character and courage were quickly inundated with assistance from a massive network of colleagues and friends -- whose efforts (wonderfully chronicled by Marie-Helene) led with amazing speed to pressuring his captors to set him free. The format of interweaving their respective experiences hour-by-hour creates wonderful drama and also brings the reader the backstory of how the two free-lancers found their way to Iraq.

Most books about the Iraq war are more general in nature, without that personal touch throughout the story. "American Hostage" is not one such book -- instead, Micah Garen and Marie-Helene Carleton tell the world their own personal story, in the middle of Iraq's chaos.

The two were filming a documentary in Iraq, but Micah decided to stay behind and do a few more weeks of camerawork, while Marie-Helene flew ahead to New York. Her last words before leaving were "I love you." That was a good thing, because while trying to photograph a man in a market, Micah is attacked by a mob for being a foreigner.

In the days that follow, Micah and his local guide Amir are kept prisoners, while Marie-Helene anxiously awaits her boyfriend's arrival -- until the morning when Micah's mom calls her, saying that he has gone missing. With little information to go on, Marie-Helene goes on a quest to get her lover back -- even as a radical group threatens to kill him.

The Iraq war has been a political powderkeg ever since it began, but "American Hostage" is one of the rare stories that doesn't really belong to either side of the debate. It's a more intimate story, by people who only wanted to film a documentary.

And as a whole, it's a compelling love story. Not hearts-and-flowers love, but a willingness to go anywhere and do anything to save the person you care for. The story is told from both viewpoints -- Micah's and Marie-Helene's -- both of which are sort of like fleshed-out diary entries, with details of what they saw and felt.

Through their eyes, we get to see the horrible, despairing condition of a prisoner, as well as the desperation of the prisoner's loved ones as they mount a campaign to get him back. Micah is a better writer, getting across his feelings as he wobbles between hope and fear, but Marie-Helene's story is almost as compelling.

Adding to the story is a collection of photographs, including poignant looks at looted museums, frightening rallies, and a look at the "shrines" the families erected as they hoped for Micah's safe release. Finally, there are pics of the families rejoicing as they are reunited with Micah.

A tense, frightening story, "American Hostage" is a true look at modern Iraq in wartime, and a love story with a happy ending. Compelling.

The authors had come to Iraq to help prevent the looting of archeological sites. Their motivation was to help preserve artifacts of an ancient culture. It is ironic then that Micah Garen and his Iraqi translator and guide, Amir Doshi, were kidnapped and put under a death sentence by Iraqi militants.

There are two memoirs here, told in alternating chapters, first from Garen, who recounts the terrifying experience of being kidnapped; and then from his fiancee, Marie-Helene Carleton, who had returned to the States before the kidnapping, on the rescue efforts from New York. The chapters alternate until the story is finished.

The story is neither a tragedy nor a comedy, although it could have been either. The authors concentrate on the personal details of their experiences, the helplessness, the fear, the anxiety near the edge of sanity. I was struck with how personal the war became to Marie-Helene Carleton once her beloved Micah had been kidnapped. Too bad it isn't that personal to all of us. Is that what it takes to understand what it means to invade another country? All too often the war is merely a show on television until someone we love is in danger, and then the sheer inhumanity and madness of war become real.

I was also struck by the virtual helplessness of the US government. Obviously the US cannot negotiate with kidnappers. To do so would only invite more kidnappings. Furthermore, from the point of view of Carleton, who was co-ordinating the rescue efforts from New York, even involving the US government, and especially the military, was not an option, at least not openly, since such involvement might further endanger Garen. Prior to the kidnapping the two authors preferred to be recognized in Iraq as French rather than American, since the French had fewer enemies in Iraq.

The book is a little too long. The detail from New York, while fascinating in some respects is utterly ordinary in others, and could easily have been contained. On the other hand, the detail of Garen's day-to-day life as a captive could have been given even more light, except of course he was not able to take notes or to record his experiences. He had to recall after the fact all the details. Since Garen was constantly under the threat of death (a brutal video beheading seemed entirely possible), it is surprising that he was able to recall as much as he did.

Also both Garen and Carleton are very young. Their sense of what happened to them is without the sort of distillment that will emerge later, or that would come from people more seasoned. In this regard, I was struck by the restrained heroics and quiet wisdom of Amir Doshi who helped to keep Garen sane, and who actually endured a more brutal ordeal, physically speaking. There was a certain timelessness in the way Amir bore the suffering and the terror that would not be possible for someone younger and less experienced in the world. Additionally, Doshi's character, that of an optimistic, educated and secular Iraqi, served as a shining example of how to behave with grace under pressure.

This is not to denigrate Garen or Carleton. Carleton in particular was heroic in her fanatical and laborious efforts to save her fiancé, while Garen managed to survive, with dignity and his own style of grace, an ordeal that few of us would even want to contemplate.

Finally I would like to add my own note of irony. If there is a producer somewhere who would like to make this story into a movie, I really do suggest comedy, a romantic comedy in which the kidnappers are bumbling peasants, the politicians helpless bureaucrats, the Islamic clerics filled with the power of their eminence, and the two young people desperately in love, but kept apart by confused armies blowing each other up for no apparent reason. Romantic comedies traditionally end in marriage, and we have on page 259 a very sweet proposal.

By the way, it is remarkable that Garen and Carleton do not in the slightest betray even an inkling of political or religious bias in the book. I couldn't tell from reading this book who they voted for in the last presidential election or whether they think invading Iraq was a good idea or not--well, the destruction of war would not appeal to them, that's for sure. And, true a Halliburton subsidiary is noted as contaminating an archeological site (p. 107); but on the other hand, White House neocon, Paul Wolfowitz, is asked to help in the rescue effort.

There are some germane and illustrative black and white photos in the middle of the book, and there is a glossary and a helpful map in this attractively edited and clearly-written memoir.