2.5-stars.
So hard give a lower rating on such an interesting topic. The story was amazing, but just basing this on how it was written/presented.
What Shahbaz Taseer has been through and come out of is absolutely amazing and this story is riveting. I have to say that the first part 20% and the last 20% were a 5-star read. The 60% in the middle were between 2-3 stars. I felt like the lead up to the kidnapping and the final action during his last year (let's say) I couldn't stop. It really hooked me. After reading the lead up to the kidnapping I was fully invested in Shahbaz and his family and what was happening. After the kidnapping I was expecting a lot of detail, and there was, but I felt like it was skimmed through and I never got a chance to really feel it. Every time there was a little bit given, it felt like it quickly moved on. Even the relationships, both good and bad, were a little confusing because they were talked about but it felt passive. I am sure going through and revisiting that time is hard, but in the end Shahbaz mentions he wanted to talk about his experience and share when he got home, but I didn't feel that. I felt like his whole experience while being captured was a teaser and I feel we could have gotten more. Would definitely still recommend as a read.

Great narration by Adam Karim.

Thank you NetGalley.

This is a story of incredible faith, courage, and hope.
Shahbaz Taseer was living a privileged life in Lahore when Uzbek militants kidnapped him as he was driving to work. Little did he know, he would spend the next 4 1/2 years with his captors, eventually being moved into the family house of his cruelest abductor. I admit the torture scenes in this book were hard to read but knowing that Taseer escapes at some point kept me reading.
This incredible true story of hope and resilience made me appreciate Taseer's will to survive despite such brutal conditions. I also appreciate that it gave me a non-western perspective on the infighting among the IMU, the Taliban, and ISIS.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me an ALC of this book in return for an honest review.
Shahbaz Taseer is not made from wood that burns easily.