Book Review: Farida Khalaf's The Girl Who Beat ISIS

The true account of capture, torture and subsequent escape from the clutches of the barbaric terrorist organisation, it’s little surprise that this is a grim and harrowing read.
It’s not just a tale of tragedy and horror though; the 19-year-old Yazidi protagonist is stubborn, brave, and – for the most part, at least – full of hope.
Whether the reader will share that optimism is questionable. Whenever religion plays such a dominant role in a story, it seems to overshadow the basic humanity of those involved: there’s a ‘brainwashed’ ISIS doctor, for example, whose brief appearance lives long in the memory. What’s more, the all-too-familiar news reports mean that we’re under no illusion that the title is a conclusive declaration that a war has been won, but rather that Farida Khalaf won her small but significant battle. Its happy ending notwithstanding, it’s difficult to focus on positivity – but then, perhaps that’s why this remains a vital read.