Between Two Worlds by Sainab Salbi and Laurie Becklund

Zainab Salbi grew up in Iraq. Her father was a pilot for Saddam Hussein. As Saddam became more powerful, Zainab's family became more distraught, afraid and anxious. They had position, material wealth and were part of Saddam's group of friends, but they hated him for his excesses and egomania. Zainab tells her story as she grew up while Amo (as they called Saddam) became a monster, raping and pillaging, destroying their beloved Iraq. Her family and friends lived in fear of this evil capricious man, all the while having to pretend to enjoy the parties and outings and his "friendship."

Eventually, she leaves Iraq and enters into an arranged marriage which brings a different kind of misery. She eventually remarries and founds Women for Women International, an organization which helps women victims of wars, especially those who have been raped. She wrote this book, both to tell what kind of man Saddam really was but also because it was necessary for her personal growth and it helped neutralize some of the posttraumatic stress she experienced. She made a choice to focus her anger and pain in ways that help other traumatized women...women who endure atrocities that are seldom acknowledged. Over and over in her book, Zainab is outraged at the lack of support for these abused, damaged women who are as much casualties of war as the soldiers who are wounded. After hearing about "rape camps" in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, she travels there to hear the stories of these women, and she and her husband Amjad found Women for Women in Bosnia which evolves into Women for Women International.

This is another story like Greg Mortensen's, illustrating the Power of One. One person's idea expands exponentially and thousands of lives are improved.

The website is: www.womenforwomen.org.