The Fox Hunt audiobook

There's a lot to love in this book, and many reasons to recommend it (especially to American/Western readers). The first half is a fascinating, first-hand account of growing up in a conservative, closed Muslim country (Yemen). Al-Samawi writes honestly and graciously about his experiences, giving deference to the good things from his upbringing and critiquing the problematic parts. I found myself totally enthralled by the cultural differences between my childhood and his - the extreme deference to family (especially the father), the ways honor and shame impacted decisions, the submission to arranged marriage, and the combination of religious-cultural-national identity (OK, that last one actually may not be so different from my own conservative-Christian-ultra-patriotic background...). My empathy for those raised in similar circumstances has been radically impacted by this book.The second half reads like a gripping political-espionage thriller (honestly, it's not that far off). There were many parts in which I had to remind myself that this was a true story, the events are so dramatic. I found myself emotionally involved in Mohammed's experience in a way that only the best type of memoir can evoke. It's also a "perspective check," as I was reminded that I've never once had to consider the possibility of escaping a war-torn city, with my own survival at stake.Finally, there is a wonderful inter-faith layer to the story. The way Mohammed's own biases were deconstructed through interpersonal trust and relationship is so interesting, challenging, and encouraging to read about. His own curiosity, honesty and vulnerability are inspiring, and his ability to question his own perspective and be stretched makes this an important story for our time.I highly recommend this to anyone, but especially those who don't have any personal relationships with Muslims, or those passionate about inter-faith dialogue. I'm so thankful for Mohammed's story, and for his courage in putting it out into the world.

3.5 stars.Nice message here about tolerance and that people are people are people regardless of their religious beliefs and their geographic location.I think the book was highly edited for an English speaking audience. The author's English is excellent but from the email excerpts provided within the book I don't see how he's fully responsible for the final product. (The Americanized writing was well above my ability but that bar is relatively low.) I didn't have any trouble with that but it stood out to me throughout.The stories feel honest and the author comes across as very likable. There are a fair amount of details relating to the author's attempt to leave Yemen during the civil war, not too many details, enough to give a robustness to the urgency of the situation. The exfiltration chapters got a little metaphor heavy but not enough to become a bad distraction.

An important read for today's conflict in Yemen. 4 stars because the harrowing story is, I feel, just the beginning for this author's contribution to his country. I reviewed an early copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour - please find my full review available APRIL 17, 2018 at http://www.literaryquicksand.com/2018...

This was such a riveting read! I have to admit that I knew absolutely nothing about Yemen before starting this book, and I don't know much more now. No blame to the author there; he cannot be expected to fill in so much ignorance with a single book. The religious war that is devastating the country has a very personal consequence for Al Samawi - as a peace activist with a particular interest in building bridges between people of different faiths, he's pretty much directly in the firing line of all the parties currently at war in his country. His family, though loving, is less than sympathetic and he can't really confide in them anyway, as doing so would only put them at more risk as the conflict escalates. Disabled, cut off from everyone he knows and sheltering in the port city of Aden, pretty much the only resource he has is the internet. He uses it to ask for help... and then something amazing happens, something that helps to consolidate a belief in the human potential for goodness. A handful of strangers come together and, in a desperate last-minute bit of networking and politicking, involving two countries and numerous officials, they manage to smuggle Al Samawi out of Yemen.It's all horribly exciting. I say "horribly" because, even though I knew going in that he'd get out safely (the fact that he survived to write the book being something of a spoiler in that regard) the sequence of events is so fragile, and so terrifying, so dangerous and apparently hopeless, that it's genuinely nail-biting to read.

Outstanding!!!This memoir is being turned into a movie and I can't wait to see it play out on the big screen.Death to AmericaDeath to JewsDeath to IsraelThese are some of the phrases Mohammed was used to hearing as he grew up in Yemen. But a series of events changed his perspective.And his life was saved by some wonderful young 20-something-year-old Jewish Americans in a harrowing tale that will keep you turning pages.A book like this reinforces what we all know—hatred has no place in this world. Christians, Jews, and Muslims can find mutual respect and live in peace. If only...Mohammed dares to dream of a better world. He and his Jewish and Christian and fellow Muslim friends dare to make it happen.Highly recommend!

Engrossing memoir that shines a spotlight on the war in Yemen as well as what people can accomplish when they bridge their differences and come together in pursuit of a goal, however unlikely it may be. The first half at times had my attention wandering, the second had me glued to the page.

What an incredible story of a courageous man! Through his own story Mohammad gives a peek into life in Yemen before and after the start of the civil war.

This book really helped me understand the Palestinian/Israeli conflict as well as the Yemeni civil war, both of which I embarrassingly knew little about. Mohammed's first hand account of his very dangerous involvement in peacekeeping and escape out of Yemen helps put a perspective on what individuals with less stable or oppressive societies have to endure. This book was a complete eye opener. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the Middle-East , why refugees seek asylum, or just want to read a suspenseful thriller of sorts.

This is a fabulous memoir. The author was raised in an educated, affluent family in Yemen. Despite this he was raised from an early age to hate Jews and to distrust all non Muslims. At 23 he accidentally read the old testament. This brought him to reassess his views and then to work with interfaith groups. When he brought the message to Yemen his life became endangered. Fortunately the interfaith friends he made came to his rescue. You can hear him interviewed below and it's delightful.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBcZI...

I read this in less than 24 hours. A screenwriter couldn't have woven a more edge-of-your-seat thriller - and this actually happened. I was lucky enough to meet Mohammed soon after he made it to the US, but had no idea of the extent of what went on to make his escape possible. I finished the book with a richer picture of Yemen and the Middle East in general, but more importantly, with a profound sense of what extraordinary things can happen when people take a chance on someone.

If I didn’t know this to be a true story, I would have thought it was a great novel by Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum, Daniel Silva and other suspense writers I enjoy. The fact that this Mohammed al Samawi’s actual story makes it amazing. This should be a must read book for anyone interested in building cross cultural understanding. Mohammed’s story puts real people to the headlines of a story about which many Americans, I’d wager, know only the basic facts, if that.

One of my favourite biographies of the year! Mohammed Al Samawi has written a thrilling novel, intertwined perfectly with context about the Yemeni civil war. His life experiences honestly reads like a fiction story. Highly recommend ✨✨

"The Fox Hunt" is the story of Mohammed who dreams of making his home country of Yemen a better place where more young people can succeed and be safe. Yemen is embroiled in a brutal civil war where the lines between the various sides and outside influence from brutal terrorist groups are blurred. Mohammed finds himself in a situation where he needs to desperately get out of the country where there seems to be no clear exit. He will largely have to rely on fate and the kindness of almost strangers to help him get out alive.This is a truly amazing story that often reads more like a thriller than a true story. Al Samawi spins a great yarn about what his country is facing and what he is facing as an individual. He is one of the lucky ones. There are so many others in his country that have been felled by the violence and never had the chance to even begin to think about escaping the violence. One thing that I kept thinking about throughout the book is how many other Mohammeds are there out there? Individuals with immense promise to make an impact that because of their circumstances are never given the chance to succeed. It's staggering to think about that!Even for an avid newshound like me, there is still so much that I don't know and am not tracking. The Yemen civil war is one of those subjects that I don't fully understand. This book dives into a little of the history to show how the country got to where it is and made it a lot clearer for me. It's a very sad situation that doesn't seem to be getting a lot of airtime in light of other things going on in other countries in the region. This is the perfect book to give you more background on the situation on Yemen as well as a harrowing escape story that ends with a lot of promise!