Reviews

Endlich frei by Mahtob Mahmoody

thebookishlibrarian's review against another edition

Betty Mahmoody wrote about the incredible story of how she and her daughter Mahtob were held captive in Iran by her husband and escaped in Not Without My Daughter. My Name Is Mahtob is the story of life after the unimaginable ordeal. The author explains how she lived in constant fear of being re-abducted, her panic attacks and nightmares, and her triumph over it all.

andiapfel's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

goldenreading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

mschrock8's review against another edition

2.0

I read Betty's book. And, I read Moody's book. Now this.

eakearns76's review against another edition

5.0

Amazing

I have watched 'Not Without My Daughter' many times. I have always wondered what happened after the escape. I'm so glad I found this book. I enjoyed reading about Mahtob and hearing in her words what happened. She has grown up to be an amazing and brave woman. Oh, and we just happen to share the same birthday!!!

friedeggyolive's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

2.5

This book could have been 100 pages shorter - it was interesting to get Mahtob's perspective and see her process of forgiving and coming to terms with what her dad did to her, but I could have done without all the descriptions of life at school with her friends and other details that didn't add to the story and just felt mundane. This felt much longer than it was. 
I also wondered if Mahtob and Betty weren't a bit enmeshed and overly paranoid (Mahtob's half-brother hearing a gunshot near his home is confirmation that her dad in Iran is trying to send them a message?) but one can hardly blame them for that given what they went through.

goldengirl13's review against another edition

5.0

Excellent book!

I remember watching the movie Not Without My Daughter when I was younger, so I was intrigued when I stumbled across this book, as I had wondered what life was like after they escaped Iran. It definitely did not disappoint. Mahtob’s story is amazing and so interesting. I could not put this books down once I picked it up, as it was so well written that I was drawn in to her story. She tells her story with a grace and peace that amazes me, especially when talking about her time in Iran and her father. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has heard of her story or is interested in learning more about it.

athenany's review against another edition

3.0

Mahtob Mahmoody has an incredible life story and the beginning of the book is by far the most interesting part, that which overlaps with "Not Without My Daughter." Unfortunately the rest of the book is not particularly compelling. I'm very glad to know she has found peace but a follow-up article would have been sufficient, in my opinion. The first part of the book is a page turner, but for obvious reasons it is not as clear and in-depth as her mother's books.

eemleestenschrijft's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.0

micasreads's review against another edition

3.0

Mahtob Mahmoody is known as a primary character in the book and the movie "Not Without My Daughter." Through that novel, we read about what happened in Iran through her mother's eyes, but in this book, we hear Mahtob's story and how she lived her life under constant concern that her father would find her. She expresses that through religion she was able to find forgiveness for her father.

 

Seeing what happened in Iran through Mahtob's eyes was extremely interesting. People tend to forget that children are sponges and absorb everything around them. Her story validates everything previously printed. Reading how what she experienced in Iran caused her to live her life always looking over her shoulder was heartbreaking. She has grown into an intelligent, sensitive woman who only wants to live her life. I found the book too religious-heavy for my liking and she could have used more editing as there were times the reading became sluggish. If you ever wondered what happened after Betty and Mahtob returned to America, this book is for you.