A Sliver of Light: Three Americans Imprisoned in Iran - Tapa dura

"the narrative captures the claustrophobic atmosphere of daily life in prison, a life made even worse by their imperfect grasp of Persian. It's a testament to the willpower and discipline of the three captives that they maintained their values and sense of justice through their long ordeal." - "Publishers Weekly"

"The three American hikers imprisoned in Iran in 2009 alternate relaying their versions of their scary, uncertain ordeal....An unsugared account that demonstrates the admirable, unbreakable bond of friends, parents and countrymen." - "Kirkus Reviews"

"Riveting and necessary and illuminating in countless unexpected ways. The hikers have pulled off the almost impossible task of making from their hellish experience something of beauty and grace." Dave Eggers

""A Sliver of Light" weaves a spellbinding tale of hard-won survival at the intersection of courage and love the love of friends struggling to support one another in wretched circumstances, the unyielding bedrock of mothers' love for their long-lost children, and the fiercely tested love of three people for the family of humankind. It is a triumph of writing born of a triumph of being." Andrew Solomon, author of "Far from the Tree" and "The Noonday Demon""

In summer 2009, Shane Bauer, Joshua Fattal, and Sarah Shourd were hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan when they unknowingly crossed into Iran and were captured by a border patrol. Accused of espionage, the three Americans ultimately found themselves in Tehran’s infamous Evin Prison, where they discovered that pooling their strength of will and relying on each other were the only ways they could survive.

In this poignant memoir, “the hikers” finally tell their side of the story. They recount the deception that lured them into Iran in the first place and describe the psychological torment of interrogation and solitary confinement. We follow them as they make surprising alliances with their fellow prisoners and even some of their captors, while their own bonds with each other are tested and deepened. Told through a bold and innovative interweaving of the authors’ three voices, here is a rare glimpse inside Iran and a timeless portrayal of hardship and hope.