If I’ve learned anything, it’s this: a mother’s screams over the bo of her murdered child sound the same, no matter if she is black, brown, or white; Muslim, Jewish, or Christian; Shia or Sunni. We will all be buried in the same ground.
Summary - In this compelling and evocative memoir, we accompany Mekhennet as she journeys behind the lines of jihad, starting in the German neighborhoods where the 9/11 plotters were radicalized and the Iraqi neighborhoods where Sunnis and Shia turned against one another, and culminating on the Turkish/Syrian border region where ISIS is a daily presence.
Her chilling run-ins with various intelligence services make the book read like a thriller and I had to remind myself often that this is real life and she repeatedly puts herself in harms way to get the stories that the world needs. Her journalism is an example of what I wish all journalists/news outlets followed – she objectively tells both sides of the issue. Reading this book opened my eyes about how the United States is perceived and explains the hatred towards us that many possess.
If you’ve ever wanted to better understand the War on Iraq or go behind the lines of jihad, I HIGHLY recommend his book.
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Toni Rocchetti is a copy editor helping authors strengthen their narratives, deepen character arcs, and find the story that is already in the draft. She reads 80+ books a year across literary fiction, memoir, and nonfiction — and writes about what she is learning along the way. Work with Toni →
