Karachi, Dacca…and Back is the story of one woman’s survival amid harrowing experiences of domestic violence and isolation, and the people who helped her along the way in her search “to reclaim her children.” Isabel’s narrative takes readers back to the late 1950s in New York when in her early 20s she marries an American pilot. Isabel’s life takes a drastic turn when her alcoholic husband not only finds work in the Middle East, but also subsequently takes off with their two small children to an undisclosed location back in the U.S., leaving Isabel stranded in Pakistan with little funds and no Green Card.

Costa Rican-born author and expressionist artist Isabel Camacho Diamond captures the enduring tenacity of the human spirit under immensely arduous circumstances in her eye-opening memoir. Quite the storyteller, Isabel pens a candid description of trials and tribulations that teach her important life lessons. Isabel is constantly weaving in her thoughts while incorporating factual information within a variety of scenes—many of which are horrific—and a slew of dialogue. Over the next several pages, readers observe Isabel’s maturation process as she shifts from naiveté to self-assuredness, and finally coming to terms with the fact that walking down those rugged roads actually strengthens her character.

“I was so naive I did not yet realize that my worst enemy was my husband.”

Isabel’s narrative is a constant chronological flow of one traumatic situation to the next. Readers are certain to be stirred up with the abuses that Isabel not only endures, but also puts up with to protect her children. Yet amid unconscionable settings, Isabel takes the edge off her tension-laced plot by including a host of miraculous stories of those generous and kindhearted people who play key roles in providing light at the end of her seemingly dark tunnel. But that is not all. Among those figures are a handful of suitors who allowed Isabel to experience moments of genuine love and tenderness–aspects missing in her marriage.

Closing on a positive note, Karachi, Dacca…and Back is not intended for the close-minded. Nonetheless, Isabel offers readers a compelling reminder to press on fearlessly no matter how bleak things may appear.

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