Shadow on the Mountain

January 1, 2020

Jeffrey opens his story with a portrait of his childhood in a poor, rural village in northern Iraq, near the Sinjar Mountains. His school years were disrupted when the U.S. Army invaded Iraq; they recruited him as a Yazidi interpreter. Often in combat and wounded several times, Jeffrey learned military skills and built warm relationships with his American team, who he called on after Yazidis were targeted during the Sinjar massacre in 2014. After fleeing to the harsh terrain of Mount Shingal, Jeffrey reestablished contact with American forces and assisted their efforts against ISIS expansion. Later, he aided Yazidis escaping to Europe and helped them resettle in Germany. He explains how his translation skills have made him a resource for journalists and aid agencies telling the story of the Yazidi genocide, and rallying support for the shattered community. He also makes a moving connection between the personal tragedies of his fiancé and family and the horrors of genocide. VERDICT Jeffrey contrasts the warmth of his childhood with the brutality of war and of the genocide that shattered the Yazidi community. Though his prose is complex at times, his story of tragedy and resistance is an important one.--Elizabeth Hayford, formerly with Associated Coll. of the Midwest, Evanston, IL

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 1, 2020
The Yazidi, an ancient religious community living near Mount Shingal in Iraq, consider themselves to be the children of Adam; pacifists by nature, they kept mostly to themselves. When ISIS conquered Mosul and the surrounding areas in 2014, the Yazidi fell victim to the most depraved and brutal pogrom in their history. The Islamic State slaughtered thousands and enslaved countless more as sex slaves, while survivors fled to their sacred mountain and were trapped there with no food or water. Jeffrey, a decorated Yazidi combat interpreter with the U.S. Army in Iraq, was one of those who lived. His story, powerfully told with coauthor Holstein, is an incredible saga of selfless and courageous service to his people and his adopted American brothers as he provided invaluable intelligence and coordination?often personally leading missions behind enemy lines?to help rescue Yazidis from the mountain and the clutches of ISIS. The details that Jeffrey shares about this genocide will bring the toughest reader to tears, and he also illuminates the little-known history and culture of his people. An invaluable look into a still-unfolding tragedy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)