Badeeah Hassan Ahmed was 18 when her village was invaded, and she was abducted by ISIS. Throughout her ordeal, Badeeah managed to keep her and her nephew as well as another abducted woman’s spirits alive by telling folk stories and reminding each other of their strong Yazidi spirituality. She managed to escape, and today studies language and nursing in Germany. Her goal for the future is to share with humanity the gentle, peaceful faith of her Ezidi culture, and give back to her people.
A Cave in the Clouds Table on Contents
Foreword vii
A Note from the Authors ix
Maps xi
Chapter One: The Purpose of Life 3
Chapter Two: Spoils of War 15
Chapter Three: The Stranger 26
Chapter Four: Invasion 41
Chapter Five: Sabaya 51
Chapter Six: Prisoner 62
Chapter Seven: Adrift 70
Chapter Eight: On the Other Side 79
Chapter Nine: In Between Heaven and Earth 87
Chapter Ten: Awakening 99
Chapter Eleven: Immortal 108
Chapter Twelve: The Dark Room 113
Chapter Thirteen: The American 119
Chapter Fourteen: A Cave in the Clouds 130
Chapter Fifteen: Jinn 136
Chapter Sixteen: Death 149
Chapter Seventeen: Houses 156
Chapter Eighteen: Reunion 164
Chapter Nineteen: Escape 170
Chapter Twenty: Return to Iraq 180
Chapter Twenty-One: We’re Not Afraid of Darkness 194
Chapter Twenty-Two: Return to Love 206
Chapter Twenty-Three: Giving 212
Chapter Twenty-Four: Freedom 216
Epilogue 229
Acknowledgments 231
