A Sliver of Light: Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran

The in-depth, personal account of the time spent in captivity by our three Americans provided more than just a timeline of events. It enlightened us, the readers, on the daily struggles of those held in solitary confinement, and the relationships that were forged with Iranians that worked in the prison. I followed the news on our authors throughout their ordeal, and cheered and cried at their release. I cried and cheered again while reading this book.The message of this book is not to be forgotten. We must work to free those wrongfully imprisoned, eliminate solitary confinement, and put an end to holding prisoners anywhere without charges or scheduled release dates. People should not be used as political pawns, and we must all remember that the citizens of a country do not always agree with the political opinions of their leaders.

This book is one of several I have taken the time to read that highlight the Iranian prison life of Americans caught up in global tit-for-tat. Three hikers simply in the wrong place doing what comes natural to them (hiking) and the next thing they know; Iranian prison is a stark reality. The layout makes this book a fast read and a very informative piece on “some very bad” actors of a regime ignorant of international norms. The whole “good cop, bad cop” in the prison guard scenes is frustrating and funny at the same time. Don’t be mistaken however, this is a tragic look of barbaric imprisonment. Well worth your time.

When I heard Shane, Sarah and Josh speak at a recent public event in Washington, I wished that I had already read their book. Now, in retrospect, I am glad that I saw and heard them first. I was already intimately familiar with the details of their case from newspaper accounts but their first-hand remarks over the period of 90 minutes added greatly and humanized them. And what they said that night helped me enormously as I read this riveting story. What makes the book especially remarkable is that it is not not "just" a chronological description of their experiences. It is an in-depth examination of the impact their detention was having on them as human beings -- their determination to resist, their sense of solidarity, the strength they found in the simplest objects, their relationship to God, both the cruelty of their captors and their occasional humanity and so much more. Thanks to the "search" function on my iPad, I have looked for the word "freedom" in their text. It would be worth it to return and reading only those sentences where that word appears and to think about what freedom means.

This is a fascinating book and I found it hard to put down once I'd started. At first I found the POV switch between the three "hikers" challenging but the skillful editing soon made it easier and I came to really value understanding all their perspectives. The authors were candid about their emotional reactions and experiences and this gives the reader true insight into their lives in prison. Beyond the compelling story, this book is an eye-opener on the negative impacts of solitary confinement and a lovely testament to the resiliency of relationships under pressure.

I really appreciated that this book was written in first person and was an actual account rather than a fictionalized one. I had heard the author interviewed on NPR and ordered the book immediately. A military friend of ours was killed in a wreck in Tehran so I had a little connection to Iran. Also, the book was so descriptive that I felt I could actually see what was happening to these prisoners.

I have often wondered how I would keep my sanity if imprisoned, especially if I were in solitary confinement. This is the story of three people who stayed strong and sane through their love and loyalty to each other, their amazing creativity in devising entertainment, their passion for learning, their spirituality, determination, and courage. The book is very well written, captivating, a good read.

While they were naive to be hiking so close to the Iranian border, no one deserves the unjust treatment they received during their arrest and prolonged imprisonment in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. I am thankful for the release of these brave souls Sarah, Shane and Joshua and their dedication to justice.

This wonderfully written account filled in all of the blanks of the story left by the media. I was concerned that the dark aspects of their experience would be hard to read. But the writers skillfully presented their experience without using their hardships as the primary focus. I gained more of an understanding of how prisoners and hostages are being used today in the diplomatic poker game in the Middle East.

The fact that this could happen to anyone makes it all the more poignant.The book is well written and very easy to understand each distinctive personality from the get go, they don't shy away from the grimmer moments and at the same time manage to keep an honest but non-devisive view of the country as a whole which is admirable after what they have been through.There are times of extreme stoicism as well as moments of great difficulty. It has opened up my eyes to the middle east in a way that I've never seen on TV. It is definitely a story worth reading and is thought provoking too.

Fine