For the Love of a Child [Paperback]

Betty Mahmoody (Author), Arnold D. Dunchock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1993

In 1987, Betty Mahmoody captured the world's attention with the book and movie Not Without My Daughter (starring Sally Field), which told a horrifying tale of international abduction. In this moving sequel, she describes her fear of her husband's revenge and her frustration with the legal system. Martin's.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Mahmoody's sequel to her bestselling Not Without My Daughter , a Literary Guild/Doubleday Book Club selection in cloth, details her efforts, in the aftermath of her dramatic rescue of her child, to become an advocate for other parents whose children have been stolen.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Those who empathized with Mahmoody's thrilling account of her harrowing escape from Iran, where her marriage deprived her of the protection of U.S. law ( Not Without My Daughter , LJ 11/1/87), will want to read this sequel. After returning to the United States, Mahmoody found that her experience was far from unique--that a multitude of foreign spouses have spirited away their children and virtually held them prisoner. Her new book is a compilation of such cases. Most are not as lucky as Mahmoody, and she devotes much time informing people about international parental abductions and the lack of laws to cover them. Although some international conventions have been signed, they lack adequate means of enforcement, and the right of children to remain in the place they call home is not always respected. Congress has yet to act at all. An excellent purchase for public libraries. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/92.
- Louise Leonard, Univ. of Florida Libs., Gainesville
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Mass Market Paper (October 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312950810
• ISBN-13: 978-0312950811
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #345,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect sequel to *Not Without My Daughter*., August 25, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: For the Love of a Child (Paperback)

*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.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent follow-up to "Not Without My Daughter", April 26, 2006

By 

Janna Jansen (Waiheke Island, New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For the Love of a Child (Paperback)

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

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some may be afraid to read this..., June 16, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: For the Love of a Child (Paperback)

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.