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Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran Hardcover – Bargain Price, March 30, 2010

by Roxana Saberi (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 298 ratings
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On the morning of January 31, 2009, Roxana Saberi, a brilliant and fearless Iranian-American journalist working in Iran, was dragged from her home by four men and secretly arrested. The intelligence agents who captured her accused her of espionage - a charge she denied. For eleven days, Saberi was cut off from the outside world, forbidden even a phone call. For weeks, neither her family, friends, nor colleagues had any knowledge of her whereabouts. After a sham trial that made headlines around the world, the 32-year-old reporter was sentenced to eight years in Iran's notorious Evin prison. But following broad-based international pressure, she was released on appeal on May 11, 2009. Now, Saberi breaks her silence to share the full story of her ordeal. In this compelling and inspirational true story, she writes movingly of her imprisonment, her trial, her ultimate release, and the faith that helped her through it. Her recollections are interwoven with stories of her fellow prisoners - many of whom were women, student and labor activists, researchers, and academics - many of whom were jailed for their pursuit of human rights, including freedom of speech and religious belief. "Between Two Worlds" is also a deeply revealing account of this complex nation and the six years Saberi lived there. A citizen of both the United States and Iran, Saberi sheds new light on the Iranian regime's inner political workings and the restrictions to basic freedoms that have intensified since President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's victory in 2005. The recent uprisings in Iran - and the astonishing outbreak of support for Iranian citizens from across the globe - mark a critical turning point as the nation hangs on the precipice between democracy and dictatorship. From her nuanced perspective, Saberi offers a rich, dramatic, and illuminating portrait of the country as it undergoes a striking transformation.
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  1. Print length
    336 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harper
  4. Publication date
    March 30, 2010
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.09 x 9 inches
  6. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“A spot-on chronicle of the paranoia and utter buffoonery of the Iranian government and its apparatchiks. . . . Saberi spent five months in Evin Prison fighting for her life. She would say that she fought for her soul as well. Her redemption is this compassionate and courageous memoir.” (Susanne Pari, The San Francisco Chronicle )

“Between Two Worlds is an extraordinary story of how an innocent young woman got caught up in the current of political events and met individuals whose stories vividly depict human rights violations in Iran.” (Shirin Ebadi, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize )

“Saberi tells the chilling story of her 100 harrowing days in Evin Prison with finely etched detail and heroic candor in an unforgettable chronicle of an all-too-common assault against universal human rights, justice, and truth.” (Booklist (starred review) )

“A compelling and painful story about a young woman tangled in a legal system that was deciding her fate in an almost labyrinthic and surrealistic way.” (Guillermo Arriaga, author, director, and screenwriter )

“Saberi’s moving descriptions of prison scenes and judicial settings offer one of the best accounts of what takes place in the darkest corners of the Islamic Republic. Authoritarian regimes have yet to learn not to imprison, on spurious charges, talented authors and journalists, contributing to the enrichment of prison literature.” (Reza Afshari, author of Human Rights in Iran: The Abuse of Cultural Relativism )

“Saberi shows us she is neither a delicate beauty queen nor a fearless reporter. And this is why her story is so powerful. . . . Through this complex self-portrait, she hopes more of the world will demand an end to the human rights catastrophe in Iran.” (Eileen Flynn, The Austin American-Statesman )

“With no factional axe to grind, Saberi’s English-language memoir provides a candid, timely look at the injustices suffered by prisoners of conscience within Evin’s walls. … Ultimately, Saberi’s memoir brings us up-to-date on the state of Iran’s prisons, and the picture is grim.” (Elham Gheytanchi, Ms. magazine (blog)> )

“Eminent reading. . . . Between Two Worlds is about courage in the face of adversity, about overcoming fear in the pursuit of truth and faith in God in the most trying circumstances. These virtues stood her through the prison ordeal and now in telling her story.” (Time Out Doha )

“An incredibly riveting account of every journalist’s worst nightmare come true in Iran. In poignantly telling her own story, Roxana Saberi takes us inside the world of Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, introducing us to a remarkable cast of women who have been otherwise forgotten.” (Karim Sadjadpour, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace )

“The author vividly conveys the fear, confusion and uncertainty experienced by an innocent person trapped in a repressive system where human rights norms have no meaning. Despite her ordeal, she draws strength and inspiration from other women prisoners of conscience detained with her in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison.” (Elise Auerbach, Iran specialist for Amnesty International USA )

“To read Roxana’s re-telling of her ordeal is to take a rare and eye-opening walk through Iran’s horrible human rights record. … A powerful testament to the fortitude of human soul and its ability to survive the most daunting of situations.” (Hadi Ghaemi, Director of International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran )

“A story of redemption and grace. . . . Saberi’s principled stand and her willingness to speak out about her ordeal has made her an ambassador for press freedom and human rights. . . . This compelling and moving account is a tale of resistance.” (Joel Simon, Executive Director of Committee to Protect Journalists )

“A compelling and moving personal story about triumph over adversity and a unique portrayal of Iran’s judicial system, life in Evin, the system’s callousness, and the daily injustices. Her measured assessment of the Iranian experience is a further tribute to her profound understanding of the country and its people.” (Feature Story News )

“The most compelling passages are about a form of religious experience - the struggle of this young American-Iranian as she moves from false ‘confessions’ calculated to secure freedom to fierce truth-telling that grants her an inner liberation so powerful that even death is no longer frightening. (Roger Cohen, The New York Times )

“Saberi recounts the stories of her fellow prisoners, human rights workers and others, many of whom were arrested for their religious or political beliefs. . . .She was saved by international attention to her case and makes a plea for increased international vigilance. (Salter Reynolds, The Los Angeles Times )

“The author writes eloquently of both the brutality and beauty - in bonding with her cellmates, and even connecting with her guards - she experienced in Evin. And most importantly, in telling her own story, Saberi has raised critical awareness of so many other political prisoners who remain silenced in captivity.” (Heather Horiuchi, Nichi Bei Weekly )

“I highly recommend Between Two Worlds, no matter how much or little you know of the situation in Iran. Seasoned activists will see. . . why they do what they do; the casual reader will glean a sense of what the citizens of Iran face daily.” (United4Iran.com blog )

About the Author

Roxana Saberi was born in Belleville, New Jersey, and raised in Fargo, North Dakota. She has bachelor's degrees in communications and French from Concordia College in Minnesota, as well as master's degrees in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University and in international relations from the University of Cambridge. She has reported for ABC Radio, the BBC, Feature Story News, Fox News, NPR, and PRI. Saberi lived in Iran from February 2003 to May 2009 and currently resides in the United States.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B004E3XI76
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper; 1st edition (March 30, 2010)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.09 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 298 ratings

About the author

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Roxana Saberi

Roxana Saberi

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Roxana Saberi is an author and journalist. She is currently based in New York City and reports for Al Jazeera America.

She moved to Iran in 2003 to work as the Iran correspondent for the U.S.-based Feature Story News. She filed reports for organizations such as NPR, BBC, ABC Radio and Fox News and was working on a book about Iran when she was arrested on January 31, 2009. Saberi was later sentenced to eight years in prison on a trumped-up charge of espionage. In May 2009, an Iranian court overturned the sentence, and she was released.

After returning to the United States, Saberi wrote Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran, which was published by HarperCollins and has been translated into several languages. She also worked as a freelance journalist, with articles published in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN.com, The Daily Beast, and Chicago Tribune. She has been interviewed by organizations such as FOX News, ABC, NBC, CBS, BBC, CNN, PRI, NPR, and C-SPAN, as well as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Saberi has spoken across the United States and has traveled to Europe, South America, and the Middle East to speak with the public, media, and government officials about Iran, human rights, and overcoming adversity.

She has received the Medill Medal of Courage, the Ilaria Alpi Freedom of the Press Award, the NCAA Award of Valor, a Project for Middle East Democracy Award, an East-West Freedom Award from the Levantine Cultural Center, and the Concordia College Sent Forth Award. She was named one of Jaycees’ 2011 Ten Outstanding Young Americans and was honored by the Japanese American Citizens League as an “Outstanding Woman.” In September 2011, she was chosen as a “commended” artist for the Freedom to Create Main Prize.

Saberi grew up in Fargo, North Dakota, the daughter of Reza Saberi, who was born in Iran, and Akiko Saberi, who is from Japan. She was chosen Miss North Dakota in 1997 and was among the top ten finalists in Miss America 1998. She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with degrees in communications and French.

Saberi holds her first master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and her second master’s degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
298 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ray Doherty
5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely Worth Reading
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2012
Verified Purchase
Roxana Saberi's account of her wrongful imprisonment in Iran is a compelling and engaging story. Roxana suffered the indignities of a false arrest for espionage, but she had the courage to resist her accusers and engage in a hunger strike. Ultimately, her courage and fortitude prevailed and she was eventually released from Evin prison in Tehran.

It's apparent that Roxana Saberi was being used as a pawn in a much larger game: the competition between the hard-liners in Iran and the neo-conservative hawks in the United States. Given the U.S. Government's record of interference in Iran, including the 1953 CIA coup against the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossedegh, our support of Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war leading to the deaths of 240,000 Iranians, in some sense I do understand Iran's paranoia concerning free-lance American journalists residing in Iran. Nonetheless, there was no excuse for holding an innocent young American captive for many months, even as the Iranian government appeared to recognize that Roxana was no spy after all.

Having visited Iran recently, I found this book to be a fascinating and well-written account of a innocent person being caught up in events few could have foreseen. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in the dynamic events of modern day Iran.
3 people found this helpful
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Idarah
4.0 out of 5 stars Cultural Page-Turner!
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
"'Roxana,’ Bahman said gravely but quietly, ‘I know what this regime is like. If you fight it, you can’t win. These people are dangerous and have no pity for people like you. If you don’t do what they say, they will keep you in prison for years, and who knows what will happen to you then. If they want, they could hurt or even kill you.’"

I remember picking this book off the non-fiction new release shelf of my public library in 2010 and thinking about how brave I was. I’d just started reading non-fiction, and I hadn’t even made it to memoirs. I’d mainly dabbled in true crime narratives, which was as close to keeping with my weekly diet of forensic and coroner programs. Saberi’s beautiful face called to me. I’ve always had an interest in Middle Eastern culture, especially that of Iran and its ancient roots going back to Cyrus. Unfortunately, I didn’t get past page 90 before I had to return the book and later forgot about her–that is until two years ago when I found a copy of her book in new condition. Score! Now I've finally finished it!

Saberi, of both Japanese and Iranian heritage, accepts a job as a journalist in Tehran for an American reporting group. Raised in Fargo, North Dakota, Roxana jumps at the opportunity to learn more about her Iranian roots and culture. Knowing minimal Farsi and next to nothing about the culture/regime, she is soon adopted into the city, and falls in love with its people, by extension her people. While there, she decides to write a book about Iran that will give outsiders a true view of life there from various points of view. She interviews hundreds of individuals from all parts of the country, and from all walks of life. After six years and with her book nearly complete, Roxana is set to return home to the United States, work on getting her book published, and decide what direction her life will next take. What she isn’t prepared for is sudden detainment, interrogation, and imprisonment at Evin prison under trumped-up charges of espionage just months before her departure.

One of my favorite summer reads last year was Maziar Bahari’s Then They Came for Me, about his imprisonment at Evin prison following his journalistic reporting about the 2009 campaign elections. This one was equally wonderful in that it was told from a female journalist’s perspective. Unlike Bahari, Saberi was not kept in solitary confinement for her whole stay, and as a result, her accounts about the various female cellmates warmed and broke my heart. All of these women were courageous, and I found this book to be uplifting. I experienced similar feelings to Saberi upon her release by proxy, having met each of these women.

"My tears were of both joy and sorrow: joy at my freedom but sorrow for the prisoners of conscience I was leaving behind, who were being punished simply because of their peaceful pursuit of basic human rights or for their beliefs."
2 people found this helpful
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CactusWolf
5.0 out of 5 stars A Triumph of Spirit and a Journey of Redemption
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
For over three months in 2009, I watched closely the detention and subsequent release of American journalist Roxana Saberi from Iran's hellish Evin prison. Less than a year after her release, she penned her experience in a book that was not only a great tale of survival, hope and courage, but also a true testament to the unrelenting human spirit and experience... In doing so, going far beyond a cultural description of Iran and the political nuances often lost in translation when re-conveyed in the west. Saberi writes the book with the expertise of a skilled writer and not that of a journalist, which is often the missing factor in books written by trained journalist. I attribute this accomplishment to her having had a profoundly genuine experience as a human being, fully going through the stages of fear, enlightenment, courage and ultimate redemption in the form of bravely recanting her false confession and standing up to her tormentors. The details of this book, such as being threatened with life in prison or "worse" (I can only speculate) and her eventual release, contain the full arch of a hero's journey, showing clearly that Saberi is a nothing short of a courageous warrior for humanitarian causes, namely the plight of the Iranian people living under an oppressive regime that's hiding behind a pretentious cloak of religiousness and justice. As an American humanitarian of Japanese/Iranian decent, Roxana Saberi is well suited to shed light on the complex day to day lives of Iranians, her own nightmarish incarceration in Evin prison and the paranoid Iranian regime feeding on its own fabricated fears. All the while, her sense of humor shines light on the situation whenever possible and her insight enlightens all those willing to listen with an open heart and mind. While Roxana's work and courage is admirable in countless ways, her true contribution to humanity -in my opinion- is the inspiration of others who love, cherish and respect freedom, not to mention the proliferation of hope and courage in the face of adversity. One encouraging example of this, the best that I can imagine, comes from 12-year-old Dylan of San Francisco, CA who said: "I just read your book, Between Two Worlds, and I would like to let you know that you have inspired me and when I grow up, I would like to be a journalist. Thank you so much for writing this amazing book! I hope you understand the impact you have made on the world because of your book and your actions." I could not have said it better myself, as Saberi has inspired even me into writing my own story of witnessing a revolution, living through the 20th century's 3rd bloodiest war and my ultimate survival and liberation.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Farhan Yazdani
5.0 out of 5 stars the makings of the Iranian regime
Reviewed in France on June 1, 2010
Verified Purchase
Outstanding story of a lover of Persian culture courageously facing a regime founded and maintained with manipulation, lies and terror, and the courageous stand of peace loving citizens. Written with good taste and humility this book gives a precious insight to all those who wish to understand the makings of the present situation in Iran.
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