JANUARY 2019 - AudioFile
Jason Rezaian gives voice to his harrowing story of arrest and imprisonment in Iran. He is steady and unflinching as he describes the first moments of being accused of spying for the U.S. while serving as the WASHINGTON POST’s bureau chief in Tehran. This is a detailed account of one Iranian-American's love affair with the land of his heritage and how it goes horribly wrong due to the suspicions of its government. Rezaian recounts the many interrogations he was subject to, alternating between his own perspective and that of the security forces in believable exchanges. Fans of current events and global politics will find this a riveting listen. We are with Rezaian every minute of his perilous journey. M.R. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
A deeply personal account of one journalist’s determination to find and report the truth, his fervent commitment to a free press, and his even more profound love for the family from whom he was separated.” — John F. Kerry, 68th Secretary of State
“An important story. Harrowing, and suspenseful, yes—but it’s also a deep dive into a complex and egregiously misunderstood country with two very different faces. There is no better time to know more about Iran—and Jason Rezaian has seen both of those faces.” — Anthony Bourdain
“Reading this book opened my eyes to how unfairly he had been treated by the Iranian government and how love, humor and resilience got him through. This book is a reminder of the people who sacrifice their freedoms and their lives to bring us the truth.” — Maz Jobrani
“Jason Rezaian is an American hero. For lots of reasons. For always using his work to speak truth to power. For speaking truth to power even when it compromises his safety and well being. And for going through everything he has gone through and still being able to unspool his tale in such a way that you feel like you just sat next to the most interesting guy in the bar. Prisoner is a primer on Iran, American politics, journalism, and hope, when we as a country need all those things in maximum doses.” — W. Kamau Bell
"Rezaian’s conversational prose makes this a fast and intense narrative." — Publishers Weekly
"...As powerful and memorable a memoir as you’ll read this year." — Crimereads.com
"...More than just a memoir that reads like a thriller. It's also an intimate family history, an anguished love letter to an ancient and broken homeland, and a spirited defense of journalism and truth at a time when both are under attack almost everywhere." — New York Times Book Review
"It is Rezaian’s descriptions of the way the Iranian regime operates at the working level — its twisted logic and paranoia — that make the book so worthwhile." — Washington Post
"Prisoner is Rezaian's story of his arrest, imprisonment, trial and eventual release after 15 months. It's also a revealing account of his childhood, family and marriage. Perhaps mirroring how he was left to his thoughts in prison, the narrative is digressive, jumping back and forth to different periods of his life. And it works...Rezaian is unsparingly intimate throughout."
— NPR.org
