A Brave Face
Two Cultures, Two Families, and the Iraqi Girl Who Bound Them Together
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
The inspirational story of an American woman who moved mountains to secure medical treatments—and eventually a home—for a young Iraqi girl severely burned in a roadside terror attack. This is a story of the astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.
On a typical Sunday morning in 2006, Barbara Marlowe saw a photo that changed her life: a photo of four-year-old Teeba Furat Fadhil, whose face, head, and hands had been severely burned during a roadside bombing in the Diyala Province of Iraq. Teeba’s eyes captivated Barbara, and she yearned to help this child who had already endured more pain and suffering than anyone should bear.
Because surgeons were fleeing the war-torn country, Teeba would be unable to receive much-needed treatments if she stayed in Iraq. With powerful faith and determination, Barbara overcame obstacle after obstacle to bring Teeba from Iraq to the United States for medical treatments.
A Brave Face explores the connection forged between Barbara and Teeba’s Iraqi mother Dunia over the past decade—a deep bond between two mothers that has flourished despite the distance, the strife of war, and the horrors of Al-Qaeda and ISIS. With chapters written by Teeba, now a young woman, and Dunia, the three women recount the story of courage and sacrifice that bound them together.
A Brave Face contains the messages that:
Tremendous trust can cross borders and war zonesTragedies can turn into miraclesLove can be found in the most unexpected of places
In the end, this is a story of hope. A story of building bridges. A story of the always astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This affecting memoir details the journey of an Iraqi girl coming to America after being injured during the Iraq War. In 2003, Teeba Furat, not quite two years old, suffered third-degree burns on her face, head, and hands from an IED explosion. Seeing her photo in the newspaper, Barbara Marlowe reached out to offer help finding her a wig. Soon, she was offering her home to Teeba, who came to live in Ohio, where she underwent surgeries to regenerate her skin. Marlowe and her husband marshalled a tremendous amount of their own financial resources to get Teeba medical care, schooling, and naturalized immigration status. Over 12 years, Teeba's family in Iraq and the Marlowe family establish a bond. Their respective faiths Muslim and Christian reinforce that bond and serve as a point of similarity, not difference, and comes to strengthen their relationship. Interspersed throughout are Teeba's reflections on her life: "Most American kids play hide-and-seek as a pastime, but when I was little, I played it as an escape from life-threatening situations." Teeba's suffering becomes a blessing for her parents: "All your memories with me, Teeba, were a lot of problems. But your memories with Mama Barbara are full of fun and good things," her biological mother, Dunia, writes. While Teeba's story has tragic beginnings, it is a potent example how of faith can bring healing and peace in the aftermath of devastation.
