by Shane Bauer
First published 2014
Shane Bauer and his two companions find themselves detained by Iranian authorities, beginning years of confinement that will test every aspect of their endurance. Cut off from the outside world, the three Americans must navigate the psychological warfare of their captors while maintaining hope for release. Bauer chronicles the daily reality of prison life, from the cramped cells to the interrogation sessions that probe for confessions they cannot give. The men develop strategies to preserve their sanity and solidarity as months stretch into years. Their families wage campaigns for freedom while diplomatic channels move at glacial pace. The prisoners face moments when despair threatens to overwhelm them, yet they find ways to resist their captors' attempts to break their spirits. This account reveals how ordinary people summon extraordinary resilience when stripped of liberty and thrust into an international incident beyond their control.
Genres: international-relations, biography-memoir, true-crime, political-thriller
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, survival
Setting: Iran
Period: 21st-century
ebook · Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt