Hostage
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4.8 • 114 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A TIME Must-Read Book of 2025
In a raw and unflinching memoir, Eli Sharabi, a survivor of 491 days in Hamas captivity, recounts the harrowing ordeal of his abduction from Kibbutz Be’eri on October 7th, 2023, the loss of his wife and daughters, and his unyielding resolve to survive.
“I refuse to let myself drown in pain. I am surviving. I am a hostage. In the heart of Gaza. A stranger in a strange land. In the home of a Hamas-supporting family. And I'm getting out of here. I have to. I’m getting out of here. I’m coming home.”—Eli Sharabi
On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri, shattering the peaceful life Eli Sharabi had built with his British wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel. Dragged barefoot out his front door while his family watched in horror, Sharabi was plunged deep into the suffocating darkness of Gaza’s tunnels. As war raged above him, he endured a grueling 491 days in captivity, all the while holding onto the hope that he would one day be reunited with his loved ones.
Eli Sharabi’s story is one of hunger and heartache, of physical pain, longing, loneliness and a helplessness that threatens to destroy the soul. But it is also a story of strength, of resilience, and of the human spirit’s refusal to surrender. It is about the camaraderie forged in captivity, the quiet power of faith, and one man’s unrelenting decision to choose life, time and time again.
In the first memoir by a released Israeli hostage, and the fastest-selling book in Israel’s history, Sharabi offers a searing firsthand account of survival under unimaginable conditions—starvation, isolation, physical beatings, and psychological abuse at the hands of his captors.
Compared to Elie Wiesel’s Night and Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken, Hostage is a profound witness to history, so it shall be neither forgotten nor erased.
Customer Reviews
Thank you Eli
Eli-
I write this to you directly - thank you for your strength and for helping all those who shared your experiences as a hostage - especially Alon.
I met one of Alon’s cousins on a Hostage Family Forum- international Zoom meeting where they showed us a virtual tour of hostage square in Israel and then told us about their kidnapped loved one.
I learned about Alon and his love of music and his gentle soul.
I heard you speak about your relationship with him while in captivity and how much you helped him and how hard it was to leave him alone in the tunnel you shared.
I have thought about him endlessly until he was finally just released.
You saved his life and his sanity as well as your own - I am so touched by how brave and strong you are -
In the face of losing your wife-daughters- and brother - and so many other friends from Beeri-
You refuse to let Hamas win and destroy your soul
You are such an inspiration to me and to all who will read your book-
Thank you for documenting this all and for helping us see how you survived this nightmare
I send you my deepest wishes for peace and joy and life and love as you move forward having survived being held hostage for so long. In the darkness.
You found light.
May you continue to bring light wherever there is darkness and pain.
Am Yisrael Chai,
ilana S (in San Francisco) where you always have a place to stay if you visit
Thank you for sharing your story.
To Eli: I could not imagine living through this. You had such incredible resolve to survive and carry that burden for a few others as well during captivity. And then to come home to your wife and daughters in the ground. You are a hero and I hope the world remembers your story as a reminder of what true courage is.
Incredible
Eli’s wisdom throughout his experience touched my soul.