American Mother

By: Colum McCann, Diane Foley

Narrated by: Jamie Lee Curtis, Colum McCann

In late 2021, Diane Foley sat at a table across from her son's killer, Alexanda Kotey, a member of the ISIS group known as "The Beatles" who plead guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son seven years before. Kotey was about to go serve life imprisonment and this was Diane’s chance to talk to the man who had been involved with brutally taking her son's last breath. What would she say to his killer? What would he reveal to her? Might she even be able to summon forgiveness for him?

So begins American Mother—which comes across alternately like a thriller, a biography, a mystery, a memoir, and a literary examination of grace.

Diane looks back on the early days when Jim was a child and his journey to journalism, and the killing fields of the world where he reports with indefatigable determination and insight on the plight of those caught up in the agonies of war. She guides us through her family history and the difficulties they faced when Jim was captured. And she also charts the tenacity it takes to turn her grief into grace as she seeks to give voice to those who are still being kidnapped and wrongfully detained around the world.

Few journeys are more worthy than this and, in this astonishing book, we are all invited to celebrate the lives of those who are never, in the end, gone.

©2024 Etruscan Press (P)2024 Etruscan Press

Deeply moving

Deeply moving story from a mother’s perspective. Thank you Diane Foley for sharing such a personal experience. Your strength, faith and steadfastness is admirable. Moved me to tears.

Such a sad story

Heartbreaking story of how James Foley died as a result of poor US policy and how his mother fights to change this for others.

Lessons in courage and forgiveness

A beautiful book about a heroic, courageous journalist and his brave, generous and compassionate mother. What extraordinary role models.