Review: A riveting saga of love and abuse
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 2, 2014
Ms. Azizi weaves a multilayered story of judicial abuse, vengeful rage and obsessive love in this well-written memoir. As a British citizen visiting Isreal, she met a Jewish man, a friend of a former husband, also an Isrealean. He was separated from his wife who refused to grant a divorce and vowed vengeance of every imaginable source. Apparently the divorce process there is complex. The system required him to post extravagant bonds and pay child support in advance. The writer went into debt for him, even borrowing from family. Israel issued a No Exit Order against him, meaning he could not leave the country to live in the UK where Azizi had helped him to establish a thriving business. She futilely battled the system on his behalf while he disintegrated mentally. They married on the same day the divorce was granted. Still unable to exit, the new husband stayed behind while Ms. Azizi tended to business matters  and advocated his cause. He drained her financially while shacking up with a new lover not terribly long after the marriage. Azizi could not let go and initially blamed the judicial system for her husband's decline. He told her his family, primarily his mother, would not permit him to leave the country. The story is complicated and the writing meticulous. Azizi excessively documented facts, adding great authenticity. Her dedication to a man who betrayed her is remarkable. She seems to fault the courts far more than Azizi who comes across as a self-absorbed, petty man greatly diminished by the exwife, the judicial system and his own family. Yet he appears to land on his feet while Azizi's health is broken. She, however, is a survivor with the inner resources to prevail. A truly remarkable book.