A masterpiece of survival and human endeavour. * Clifford Thurlow, author of How to Rob the Bank of England * An unflinching account of life in war-torn Kabul, and the Islamic fundamentalism that becomes so attractive in the vacuum left by an absence of hope. When young men have nothing to live for, they may find a cause to die for. * Chris Aslan, author of Unravelling the Silk Road * A gripping journey of resilience and redemption, shedding light on the devastating impact of extremism and the power of education to reclaim humanity. * Hamed Amiri, author of The Boy with Two Hearts * A sobering, brilliantly told story ... a soaring testimony about how the life planned for you does not necessarily have to be the one you accept. * Irish Daily Mail * His eye-opening observations about the lure of jihadism and unflinching descriptions of his own experiences of radicalisation make compelling reading. * The Observer * Must be the strongest opening sentence of any memoir of the 21st century, and the following 300 pages do not disappoint ... Astonishing ... the magnificent and deeply personal story of one man's ongoing struggle to find meaning in suffering, against all odds -- Frances Wilson * The Telegraph * Maiwand Banayee survived the worst of the worst and found a new sense of self, as well as a fluency in English that has allowed him to write compellingly, and in shocking detail, about his formative experiences. I imagine that the patients who drop into his back-pain clinic see a gentle, successful medical professional. Thanks to his book, we see rather more * Lyse Doucet, author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul *
