Stolen Family by Johanne Durocher

Title- Stolen Family
Author- Johanne Durocher
Publisher- Dundurn Press
Rating- 3.5/5
Will be out on- 29/09/23

Summary- In 2001, Nathalie Morin, a seventeen-year-old woman, met Saaed, a Saudi man who claimed to be studying in Canada. They started a relationship, and eventually, Nathalie became pregnant. Over time it was found out that Saaed was illegally staying in Canada, and thus he was deported to his home country. After her son, Samir, was born, Nathalie left for Saudi Arabia, confident that she could return to Canada whenever she pleased. After reaching there, she learnt that Saudi Law considered them married, so to leave the country with her son Nathalie would need Saaed's permission, which he was not ready to grant. Since then, she has been in an abusive relationship with Saaed and living in extreme poverty. Her mother, Johanne, started her fight in the year 2005 to repatriate her along with her four children to Canada. In this book, Johanne tells us about her struggle.

Review- Throughout the book, one thing is consistent, and that is the author's immense love for her daughter. Even after fighting for almost two decades with the Canadian and the Saudi government, she has not given up. Due to this, she had to suffer physically and mentally. It also impacted her personally and professionally, but she did not accept defeat. I was also shocked to learn about the indifferent way in which the Canadian government handled the case which ruined so many people's lives. Before reading this book, I always thought that citizens of developed countries like Canada enjoyed better services from their governments than us. I was also surprised to learn about the extreme patriarchy in Saudi Arabia. Even in this twenty-first century, women are considered minors. They are denied their fundamental rights, and for every other thing, they require their spouse's permission.
                  It was pretty distressing to read about Nathalie, who endured so much at such a young age when people are supposed to enjoy their life. Even after knocking on so many doors, she and her mother could not find a way out because of a faulty system. Though Nathalie has been living a tough life for many years, she has one thing she should be proud of, and that is her mother. It was bone-chilling to learn about Saaed and that such a monstrous person could be anywhere among us, disguised as a normal human being.
                     Sometimes, due to so many people associated with the case, I found it a little challenging to keep track of the names and how they were related to the case, but I am also well aware that to be true to the story, it was required to mention them. Also, the writing style seemed flat, without which my reading experience would have been more enjoyable.
                       I liked the book and could almost experience the joy or disappointment along with the author while she was fighting for her daughter. Readers who are interested in memoirs must check this one.