Do You like book An Evil Cradling (1993)?
I'm not a reader of non-fiction generally, but this book was a revelation ... I picked it up in a charity shop and within seconds of opening it was completely absorbed and could not have left without it. It is a haunting tale of isolation, psychological torture - as well as physical - and the unimaginable internal struggle with the total loss of freedom. The revelation of the book is that at no point whatsoever in this harrowing story does Keenan sound mawkish, self-pitying or bitter ... it is warm, uplifting, funny and an unforgettable journey down into the deepest parts of the human psyche. Keenan describes his situation almost as if in a novel, and the images he creates in the mind will take a long time to fade, if ever.
—Anna Kennedy
This is a powerfully written narrative that relates to each of us. Brian Keenan shares with us his story of being held hostage in Lebanon. He's moved to several different prisons and endures psychological and physical torture by his captors. He shows us what inhumane treatment is and confides in us his fears. His friendship with John McCarthy gives him the chance to bond and discover what he needs to do to survive. The result is a raw, honest and lucid account of the four and a half years he lived as a prisoner.
—Jennifer
I've owned this book for 20 years or more now and finally felt ready to open it and read. Just remarkable -- a work to remind us how expansive is the human mind, proving that cultural (and religious) education is directly connected to the development of the heart, in the sense that, early on in life, we have the opportunity to either help open that heart through compassion and universal inclusion, or slam it shut by demanding blind obedience to dogma, along with all the heart-mind's potential for good and beauty. A real life tragicomedy. And just exquisitely composed, in every sense of that word -- a soaring, utterly compelling symphony created from Keenan's cries of pain and philosophical musings, mixed with the laughter of his resilience, the tender banter exchanged with his fellow captive, John McCarthy, and the music that is silence. It's as if when you read, a light shines out, and you, in your turn, by reading, shine a light back into the soul of the writer, hence into the world -- reading as an act of solidarity and hope. Essential reading, truly, and not in any sense outdated.
—Nicola Waldron
