Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi Woman's Journey from the Heart of War to the Heartland of America

by Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak

Book Overview

For her entire life, Rafraf, a devout Muslim, had been told that Americans were the enemy. Her understanding of the world, of her place in it, and of the United States had been steeped in the culture... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1439159106
• ISBN13: 9781439159101
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Howard Books
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Amazing Page Turner with Action, Hope, and Love

This was an incredible book with unexpected turns on every page. I couldn't put it down. If it weren't for a busy week last week I would have finished it in a day! I highly recommend this (sometimes too) real picture of an iraqi's perspective on America and the things that we as Americans could never understand! I'm thankful and enlightened after reading this story. It left me wanting more! I HIGHLY recommend this book!

A page turner you cannot put down!

If I did not have children I would have read this book in one sitting! This book is a serious page turner that you will not want to put down. The reader gets a first person narrative of life as a reporter embedded in the Iraq war, a behind the scenes look at the NBC Bureau in Iraq, life in Iraq while US bombs are raining overhead, and an incredible journey of a young woman leaving everything she's known to seek refuge with an American family in the US. From the first sentence you are pulled into the story and you do not want to put it down. Anyone looking for a captivating, emotional, and fast paced read will find it in this book. Highly recommend!!

Completely Captivated From Start To Finish

Saved By Her Enemy completely had me hooked from the beginning. It was captivating, funny, uplifting, and really made me feel like I was there experiencing the story along with Don and RafRaf. I was engrossed from start to finish and finished the book with a new perspective and understanding of life in Iraq and what it really means to be free. Saved By Her Enemy begins with Don and RafRaf together in a car as they flee a school bombing in Iraq. The book then jumps back to tell the backstories of both Don as an NBC News Correspondent and RafRaf as a young woman growing up in Iraq. Later in the book the two meet when RafRaf is hired by NBC as a translator. Even though I knew the ending before I read the book, I was completely on the edge of my seat as Don and RafRaf were doing everything they could to get her out of Iraq and out of the imminent danger she was in. It's not every day that you get to see what life is like in either of these areas (as a journalist or as an Iraqi) and the perspective that Saved By Her Enemy offered was just incredible. Saved By Her Enemy is definitely a must-read book that I would highly recommend to anyone.

An Amazing and Uplifting Journey!

If you have been a viewer of network news over the past decade, you are more than likely familiar with the reporting of Don Teague ([...]). He is currently a correspondent for CBS News, and appears regularly on the `CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,' `The Early Show,' and `Sunday Morning'; prior to that network, he was employed by NBC, and appeared regularly on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams (and Mr. Williams' predecessor, Tom Brokaw), the Today Show, and NBC's cable news network, MSNBC. Don Teague is the coauthor, with Rafraf Barrak, of the new release, `Saved by Her Enemy: An Iraqi's Woman's Journey From the Heart of War to the Heartland of America.' This interesting book tells the amazing story of Ms. Barrak, who was born in Baghdad, Iraq. She was the fifth child in a family that would grow to ten children. Rafraf's interesting first name was bestowed upon her by her father. He found the word in the Koran; she would be named after one of Allah's promises - the paradise to come. She was a student at Baghdad University until the time that the university had to be shut down (due to the war), then was employed by NBC as a translator. Mr. Teague worked with her when he was assigned as a war correspondent there in 2004. Ms. Barrak was raised as a Muslim, although she did have a rebellious streak (don't we all?!). Rafraf and Don developed a strong bond after they survived a bomb attack at a school in Baghdad on February 16, 2004. One of the bombs detonated; the one nearest them had a faulty detonator - sparing their lives. Mr. Teague interprets the events of that day this way: "I supposed it could have been luck, but to me the incident at the school had God's fingerprints all over it. I believe he can and does intervene in human events. I don't pretend to understand his timing or his ways, but I believe God allows some things for a purpose. But what purpose? I thought to myself." (p. 174) As time went on, and Mr. Teague returned to the United States, the Iraqis who worked in concert with Americans were in danger on a more and more regular basis; it was a matter of vengeance to the insurgents. Don promised Rafraf that he would do what he could do to help Rafraf gain entry into the United States. She ultimately did arrive in the United States, and was welcomed into the Teague home as a member of their family by Don and his wife Kiki and their daughters, Rachael and Madison. They truly exemplified the love of Christ to this young Muslim woman who had been indoctrinated by the Iraqi culture to think of Americans as being evil and vengeful toward her people. I found this book to be very well-written; it had a conversation tone to it. The parts which were written by Mr. Teague were in the first person; the sections written about Ms. Barrak were written in the third person. I came away from this book admiring both of these people. Don and his family lived out their faith, and Rafraf displayed an intelligence and confi

Outstanding and Compelling Book! A Must Read!

I was fortunate enough to read a pre-released copy of this book. Authors Don Teague and Rafraf Barrak write a compelling and moving story that transcends all cultural and political boundaries. This book is important and timely to the world in which we are now living. The book made me cry and also laugh out loud as I was reminded that no matter who we are or where we are, we are called to love. Janee Tomlinson