In 1987, the American Betty Mahmoody wrote the book Not Without My Daughter, a true account of how she and her daughter, Mahtob, escaped from Betty’s abusive husband, Sayed, who was holding them hostage in his home country of Iran. Through the help of many Iranians, Betty and Mahtob were able to flee Sayed’s abuse and return to America. The book became an international bestseller, and in 1991, it was adapted into a film starring Sally Field.

Nowadays, Mahtob is in her thirties and works as an advocate of public awareness for health and welfare initiatives. And Mahtob has now written the book My Name is Mahtob, which revisits Mahtob and Betty’s tedious time in Iran and chronicles Mahtob’s life and experiences afterwards.

I have often thought about the Mahmoodys throughout the years and wondered what Mahtob’s life was like, so it was great to read this book written by Mahtob herself. Mahtob is an excellent story-teller, and she crafts her stories in a captivating manner. The book also sheds light on the important issue of domestic violence and its impact on children. In the epilogue, Mahtob says that writing this book has freed her from the memory of the pain and anguish of the past that she has had to carry with her. And likewise, when other survivors of trauma read this book, Mahtob’s powerful story will help to ease their burdens.

You can pre-order My Name is Mahtob here on Amazon.