What people are saying:
“I am overwhelmed by your ability to dive right into different cultures as you do. I doubt I would have had the courage to do half of what you describe.”—Bob Lundy, author
“I became so engrossed I could not put it down. You write with such pathos and emotion, that I grew angry; I laughed, I hoped and I dreaded with you each step of the way.”—Joseph Crews, editor
“Wow, what a tale! It is a story of ultimate innocence, abandonment, and courage to overcome the worse possible adversities. I worked with women who had been abused and abandoned as Isabel had been. She captures their feeling of absolute hopelessness. When I would ask these women why they stayed under such circumstances, they would say things like I didn’t know what else to do, I couldn’t support the children alone, or worse felt they probably deserve their misery. Isabel experienced all these feelings, but overcame them for the sake of her children. Most women wouldn’t have quite as many male admirers to help as she, but none the less when you don’t have a choice you do what you need to do. This is a story any woman who is being abused should read. Yes, there is another life!” —Jane Yanagi, Review posted to Amazon
“Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I had the pleasure of meeting Isabel at a recent concert in Redlands. She looked serene and upbeat, with no trace of bitterness from all that she has endured. Her story is a testament to the power of one’s belief in themselves, self-love, and self-respect. When she was beaten down, often even physically, she picked herself up and started all over again. A true inspiration!”—dogyeargirl, Review posted to Amazon
“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.”…..
“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….. 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.” —Five Stars, San Diego Book Review
The author brings a unique voice to an emotionally engaging story that at times is intense, sad, frightening, hopeful and humorous. I became deeply invested in Isabel’s adventures and plights, and couldn’t put the book down. Highly recommended to all readers, a unique, enjoyable experience.”—Mark, Review posted to Amazon
“I quickly became fascinated with the boldness and courage of this young lady of Costa Rican heritage, married to an American pilot who seems to believe he can take their two children and abuse or abandon her as he wishes. They move to Abadan where he works for Iran Air. Then he is fired and manages to leave her alone in Frankfort. She learns of his new employer, Pakistan International Air, and finds him and the children in Karachi. They live in Dacca in late 1958, and then move back to Karachi where he again takes the children and abandons her. The Spanish band leader at the Metropole Hotel introduces her to Jean Claude Donzé and for the next year or so they follow his work in Beirut, Tehran, Geneva and Barcelona from a home base at the Beach Luxury Hotel, Karachi. Jean Claude finally finds where her children are located and she proceeds through another battle in her attempt to regain them. The author states that her original passports aided in maintaining the accuracy of this memoir, with so many events. It is credibly written with pathos and emotion in her straight forward manner.”—Delos, Review posted to Flipkart