Not Without My Daughter [Hardcover]

Betty Mahmoody (Author), William Hoffer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1987

'You are here for the rest of your life. Do you understand? You are not leaving Iran. You are here until you die.' Betty Mahmoody and her husband, Dr Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody ('Moody'), came to Iran from the USA to meet Moody's family. With them was their four-year-old daughter, Mahtob. Appalled by the squalor of their living conditions, horrified by what she saw of a country where women are merely chattels and Westerners are despised, Betty soon became desperate to return to the States. But Moody, and his often vicious family, had other plans. Mother and daughter became prisoners of an alien culture, hostages of an increasingly tyrannical and violent man. Betty began to try to arrange an escape. Evading Moody's sinister spy network, she secretly met sympathisers opposed to Khomeini's savage regime. But every scheme that was suggested to her meant leaving Mahtob behind for ever...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Betty Lover met the perfect "dark stranger" in a Michigan hospital. Her Iranian therapist, Dr. Sayyed Bozorg Mahmoody, became her husband and the father of their daughter, Mahtob. Despite the vicissitudes of the Iran-U.S. hostage crisis, Betty and he flourished until their summer "vacation" in Iran in 1984. The next year and a half were a nightmare. Betty and Mahtob, held hostage by Mahmoody and his family, were subjected to Islamic fundamentalism, Persian nationalistic fanaticism, and a life of squalor. This compelling tale of their terror and escape from Iran is recommended for most libraries. Literary Guild alternate. David P. Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz .
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Spellbinding!"--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Readers will cheer...good adventure with a happy ending."--Washington Post Book World

"Intense...compelling reading."--Detroit Free Press

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 420 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (October 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312010737
• ISBN-13: 978-0312010737
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (274 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #636,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FOR THOSE WHO THINK THAT BETTY WAS LYING......., January 12, 2006

By 

ritz (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Not Without My Daughter (Mass Market Paperback)

I would advise you all to read her follow-up book to "Not WIthout My Daughter" called "For the Love of a Child". Betty WAS NOT LYING in any part of her book. She has proof of all her experiences and the way she escaped, namely, her stamped passport in Ankara, Turkey. Her ex-husband Moody, recently published his own side of the story is his book "Lost WIthout My Daughter" where he says Betty lied about everything, but he offers no concrete proof of this. Betty has her bus tickets, passport stamps and valid witnesses to the proof of her escape from Moody's wicked claws. More proof? Mahtob, her daughter, who is now an adult has repeatedly refused to acknowledge her father because her trust was betrayed as a child. Surely, as a grown woman, Mahtob is able to make her own decisions and her decisions stand as proof of what both she and her mother went through to get away from this madman (who has lied repeatedly). Also, this book (and the movie) was not meant as an affront to the Iranian culture. Quite the contrary, Betty goes out of her way in the book to relate the fact that it was the kind and compassionate Iranians who helped her escape from Moody's clutches. She received NO HELP from the U.S. state departments. People should remember that this is an honest depiction from HER standpoint and what SHE WENT through. She is only speaking for herself and no one else. As for Moody, well, he is obviously a bitter old man now. Perhaps he does feel loss and anguish for Mahtob, but he did bring the situation upon himself. If Mahtob refuses to have anything to do with him, it is her decision and who can blame her? It is time for people to realize that Betty's book was factual and not exaggerated in any way.

78 of 90 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars **AN EXCELLENT BOOK**, July 8, 2000

By 

JGC - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Not Without My Daughter (Mass Market Paperback)

NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER is one of the very best books that I have ever read. My only regret is that I can't give this book more than 5 stars. Betty Mahmoody is very courageous for telling her story.

This is a story about an American housewife who goes to Iran with her husband and daughter. Her husband decides to keep her in his homeland against her will. She is a virtual prisoner at the mercy of her corrupt husband. Her basic human rights were violated, rights that any ordinary person takes for granted. She finally finds help to get back home but the journey isn't easy.

This book gives a really positive message which is that there is good in people all around the world. There were many Iranians who were willing to help her no matter what the consequences were.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in equality and human rights. Also, on the same topic I recommend any books by Jean Sasson.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it boils down to one thing, March 12, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Not Without My Daughter (Mass Market Paperback)

I loved this book. I have read through it a bunch of times and I always find it just as compelling. In a later review, I will get into that one more. In the meantime, I want to comment on the criticisms I see over and over. You accuse her of being biased. Let's consider some facts. Betty Mahmoody went to Iran with her daughter. That is a fact. Her husband would not let her leave. That is a fact. She was held against her will. Yes, I know she could have theoretically forced a divorce which would have gotten her deported but her daughter would have been stuck there. She was not allowed to leave freely and on her own terms simply because she was a woman. That is a fact that is written into the country's law. Criticize her if you feel you must. But just remember that she was held against her will just beacause of her gender. There is no justification for that. Please, tell me. What defense could her husband possibly have?