A Rope and a Prayer: A Kidnapping from Two Sides

by Rohde, David

• ISBN13: 9780670022236
• ISBN10: 0670022233
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-11-30
• Publisher: Viking Pr

Summary

The compelling and insightful account of a New York Timesreporter's abduction by the Taliban, and his wife's struggle to free him. Invited to an interview by a Taliban commander, New York Timesreporter David Rohde and two Afghan colleagues were kidnapped in November 2008 and spirited to the tribal areas of Pakistan. For the next seven months, they lived in an alternate reality, ruled by jihadists, in which paranoia, conspiracy theories, and shifting alliances abounded. Held in bustling towns, they found that Pakistan's powerful military turned a blind eye to a sprawling Taliban ministate that trained suicide bombers, plotted terrorist attacks, and helped shelter Osama bin Laden. In New York, David's wife of two months, Kristen Mulvihill, his family, and The New York Timesstruggled to navigate the labyrinth of issues that confront the relatives of hostages. Their methodical, Western approach made little impact on the complex mix of cruelty, irrationality, and criminality that characterizes the militant Islam espoused by David's captors. In the end, a stolen piece of rope and a prayer ended the captivity. The experience tested and strengthened Mulvihill and Rohde's relationship and exposed the failures of American effort in the region. The tale of those seven months is at once a love story and a reflection of the great cultural divide-and challenge-of our time.

Author Biography

David Rohde, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes in journalism, is a reporter for The New York Times and the author of Endgame: The Betrayal and Fall of Srebrenica.
Kristen Mulvihill has been a fashion and photography editor at various women's magazines, including Self and Cosmopolitan. The live in New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Principal Characters, Organizations, and Places-Afghanistan and Pakistan	p. xiii
Principal Characters and Organizations-New York	p. xv
Authors' Note	p. xvi
Chronology	p. xviii
Map	p. xix
A Blood Message To Obama	p. 1
ôFun Fearless Femaleö	p. 21
Millions	p. 31
Crash Course	p. 55
The Emirate	p. 71
The Taliban Call Collect	p. 81
All Three of Us	p. 86
Human Resources	p. 97
Speak Good Words to An Enemy	p. 106
Video Games	p. 118
Futility	p. 127
Multitasking	p. 133
The Taliban Trust The Red Cross	p. 140
Love Letters	p. 148
Words and Pictures	p. 157
A French Street Gang	p. 171
Are You There?	p. 179
My Funny Valentine	p. 185
Golden Chance	p. 186
Midnight	p. 189
Gift From God	p. 190
Peace Be Upon You	p. 194
An Alternate Universe	p. 203
A Goat Will Never Be a Cow	p. 215
Birthday Wishes	p. 219
Greeting Cards for The Mujahideen	p. 230
A Stone Will Not Become Soft	p. 238
The Girl With The Sad Story	p. 250
Lies	p. 274
Home Movies	p. 274
Pashtunwali	p. 287
Answered Prayers	p. 300
The Glorious Islam	p. 303
Gratitude	p. 307
Intelligence	p. 309
Feed The Beast	p. 312
Return	p. 314
Reunion	p. 320
Epilogue	p. 323
Notes	p. 339
Bibliography	p. 347
Index	p. 353
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