I, Who Did Not Die

Description

An epic story of war, redemption and hope, My Enemy, My Brother tells the incredible story of two men - one from Iraq, the other from Iran - who were destined to be enemies, but instead found in each other mercy and kindness. Nearly 20 years later - after surviving war, torture, being held as POW and heartbreaking loss - the two men found themselves sitting beside each other. As the two men told one another the story of how they'd come to Vancouver and found their way to the waiting room where they sat, they realised their paths had crossed before.

Zahed Haftlang was just thirteen when he joined Iran's Basij paramilitary, where he spent six years fighting in the war. After capture by the Iraqi army, he spent nearly two and half years as a POW. He eventually became a merchant sailor and traveled worldwide. He is now raising two children with his wife in North Vancouver, British Columbia, where he owns an auto repair shop. Najah Aboud was brought up in a middle-class Iraqi family and was conscripted at eighteen, serving eight years in the army. Afterwards, he managed a falafel restaurant for two years, but at age twenty-eight was called back when the Iran-Iraq War broke out in 1980. After two years of fighting, he was captured and spent the next seventeen years suffering in Iranian prisons as a POW. When he was finally released in 1999, he emigrated to Canada, where his brother lives. He owns a moving company in Vancouver. Meredith May spent sixteen years as a feature writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, where her 2004 narrative series on a war-wounded Iraqi boy won the PEN USA Literary Award for Journalism and was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize.

"Their tale is quite remarkable . . . a fascinating-and ultimately uplifting-exploration of cultures unknown to many." -Kirkus Reviews "To understand the rage in the Middle East, history should be told by individuals who lived it. I, Who Did Not Die is gut-wrenching, essential, shocking, and beautifully told. It is a rare examination of the absurdity of a war fought by children and young men who were victims of the brutal dictators they were forced to serve. This powerful tale of two men whose lives collide on the battlefield shows that acts of mercy are the ultimate triumph of compassion over hate. Absolutely required reading!" -Afschineh Latifi, author of Even After All This Time "This is a miracle tale-a vivid and wrenching story told by two soldiers who opposed each other on the battlefield, but through grace, courage, and an astonishing twist of fate, ultimately manage to save each other." -Sara Corbett, author of A House In The Sky "The words come alive like a movie, like being transported inside The Bridge on the River Kwai, Battle for Haditha, or Three Kings. Everyone, regardless of skin color, ethnicity, or religion, should read this book to vaccinate themselves against human ignorance, religious intolerance and political manipulation." -Pierre Razoux, author of The Iran-Iraq War