Rating: 
Summary: one sided but good.
Review: the mother had gone through a great pain to save her daughter. she decided not to leave iran without her daughter and she suceeded in passing through great test of not leaving her daughter behind. the mother's emotion was greatly potrayed and i read the book twice. all said but i think the iranians were unfairly described....
Rating: 
Summary: the book was very uplifting,Betty is a very breve hero
Review: I can not say how much the book and the movie ment to me.Betty is a very loving and couragous mother to Mahtob.When I was reading the book I felt what Betty felt. Betty is a hero in my book because of the way she never gave up. I would reckamend this book to all ages.It is very hard to put down!
Rating: 
Summary: This is NOT Islam.
Review: I'd like to say that viewers who had no idea about Islam prior to watching the movie, must have been really shocked and appalled. I'd like to point out that as a Muslim, and having studied the Koran, there are a lot of misconceptions about how Muslims live in a Muslim country.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting novel
Review: NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER was an interesting book.... once they escaped which took quite a while. To start with, Betty Mahmoody wasn't a writer, so I'm not blaming her for the book not being a fabolous work of literature. At some parts I couldn't put the novel down with the excitment and at some points I was so disgusted and bored I felt like throwing the thing out the window. She shouldn't have described everyday in such great detail, considering each day was so much the same. I found it interesting, however, when Betty and Mahtob escaped, and I also admired Betty for not leaving her little girl behind no matter how bad everything got.
Rating:
Summary: Look At It From This Point Of View...
Review: For all of you people who are criticizing Betty Mahmoody's book, look at it like this. She had nothing against Iranians until she travelled there and was forced to stay by her husband and a government that's laws are grossly unfair if you research them. Moody's family was almost exactly the same as him as well so how do you think Iran is potrayed to her? She even admits that she found not all Iranians are like Moody, but having spent extensive time in Iran, I know a lot of people are. The Khomeini government only favoured male Moslems. Ms. Mahmoody was a bit exaggerated in her description of Iran, but she was going though a major culture shock. It is amazing she escaped. I am half-Iranian, and I am fully aware of the culture and government and the major prolems they both have. The government just changes the culture whenever they want. I'm sure Betty Mahmoddy would have loved the original Iran, or Persia.
Rating:
Summary: Different Interpretations
Review: There are two different ways a person can respond to this book. I enjoyed reading it and would reccommend it to my female friends. If an Iranian read it or someone who is married to an Iranian, he or she would most likely take offense to the content. I have never been subject to such harse behavior and have only one opinion of the way Moody treated Betty: unjustly. She was an American and married an Iranian. It should be her choice as to whether or not she is an Iranian citizen. It is true that the American culture and Iran culture clash, but a society cannot change a citizenship because of marriage. Iran is living in the 12th century. The people are held back by their government. I had never read a book that made me feel so much. How can another person say that Betty Mahmoody's experiences were wrongly expressed? All people are different and one persons view is just as important as anothers, but maybe not as accurrate. I challenge those of you who put down Ms. Mahmoody to go through what she went through. Would you be strong enough to make it out alive?
Rating: 
Summary: Why doesn't the author call this book I hate Foreigners?
Review: Never before have I read a book that has intentionally tried so hard to offend an entire race of people. I am an American and I was embarrassed by this book. Could it be that hatred of such kind could be expressed and glorified in the 1990s? Goodness! The 21st century is just two years away! This is the story of "I had a bad marriage, I hate the ex-husband, his race, nationality, and all our problems were his country's fault." It also is a story of "there is only one culture in this world that children should be raised in, Hollywood culture, and God forbid, my American-Iranian children might learn another language." I just wish she could accept the other half of her children's heritage. She chose to marry an Iranian, but hates them with such passion. Ms. Mahmoodi, you hate half of your own children's being. You are no American hero, and your book, film, and interviews will someday be used as an example of bigotry. I guess as long as the media is feeding on Iraniansbeing terrorists, you'll make a buck or two. But ultimately, as our history has proved, all labels turn out to be judged wrong by history. Jews are not K___, Blacks are not N____, and the Japanese are not N___, and your children do not have Terrorist blood in them. You just had a bad marriage. How well did you embrace your husband's culture? The only person your hatred hurts is your children and you.
Rating:
Summary: Top ten list who should read this book!
Review: 10-If you are a racist in denial but can't find books to suit your taste without going to KKK library.
9-If you hate Moslems,Arabs,persians or anything Middle Eastern for that matter and looking for a book to confirm that you were right all along.
8-If you care nothing about accuracy and truth and only want to reaffirm your racist views on how primitive and backward Iranians are.
7-If you hated Iranians for their political views and desperately wanted to hate their culture as well.
6-If you don't want to read anything contrary to your mental image of Iranians men being nothing but a bunch terrorists,fundamental,backward,wife beating barbarians,and Iranian weman as their slaves.
5-If you think salad dressing is a sign of civilization.
4-If you think child abandonment in the west is a sign of being civilized but loving your child in Iran shows the barbaric nature of those people.
3-If you think there is no reason to question Mrs. Mahmoodi's story because after all we are talking about Iranians here!!(I wonder why she doesn't change her last name?maybe nobody would recognize her without it,after all that's what made her a millionaire!).
2-If you are looking for a book to tell you in simple terms who the bad people are without needlessly forcing you to think.
1-If you still think Iranians are Arabs even after reading the book,this book was meant for you.
Rating:
Summary: Racism at its worst
Review: Betty Mahmoody is a clever woman. She plays on the prejudices of her intended Western reader and uses her own situation as a metaphor for the backwardness of the Iranian people. Let us not question the veracity of her story, however let us remember that America in particular and the West in general does not have the best record when it comes to domestic violence. Statisitcs in America show that one in four girls are raped by someone in the position of trust before the age of consent. Does this mean that the ethos of the American culture is the acceptance and ecouragement of incest and paedophilia? A recent report in the Australian state of NSW revealed widespread practice of paedophilia in Australia. Family violence is also at alarming proportions in Australia. A visit to the local hospital would reveal the proponderance of inhumanity towards women in Australia. I know because I have treated many such victims. Yet no one would question the fact that both American and Australian cultures abhor the above. In the Iranian culture physical punishment of females even female children is considered cowardly. A distinction has to be made between Islamic law and the culture of Iran, something that is apparent to all who are familiar with Iranian culture. As there is a distinction to be made between a good Christian lifestyle and the average Amercian's life. Persian culture does not, in anyway, condone cruelty towards women and children. How do I know this? because I married a Persian woman and fell in love with the culture and the people of Iran. The Iranian woman is independent and demands respect. After all are there not more women in the Iranian parliament than in the US? Iran has an female vice-president, how many female vice-presidents has America had? Before giving rave revues to this racist book, think of what effect this book has had. It contributes to the wall of mistrust between Iran and the West. It is also responsible for the persecution of Iranian exiles and migrants. Forget not what happened when people became complacent about bigotry in the 1930s.
Rating:
Summary: I loved it! Could not put it down!
Review: This book really hit home for me, being with a man from Iraq. Being a mother, myself, I could actually feel what she felt. I thought she did a great job relaying the way the Iranians live, work, eat... The book was so much better than the movie. I just sat, reading, for 4 hrs until I finished it. When I finished, I rented the movie. I wish I could meet the author & sit down & have lunch with her! At times, while reading, I wanted to just cry with her... All I can say is.. "WOW". To imagine that kind of horror of having your baby taken away from you. That kind of pain...
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