Diane Foley’s son, Jim, was a freelance journalist who was beheaded in August 2014 by an Islamic terrorist group after being held hostage and tortured for two years. American Mother is Diane and Jim’s story before, during and after Jim’s murder.

Wow! In the hand of the gifted author, Colum McCann, American Mother is a harrowing, horrifying read without ever sensationalizing or trivializing. It is a memoir dealing with grief, but it also exposes our country’s flaws when it comes to dealing with hostages while illustrating the power of faith and a mother’s love. Emotionally, American Mother is a difficult read, but I’m very glad I could get through it.