Author Barbara Marlowe poses for a photo with adopted daughter Teeba, who came to the U.S. from Iraq at age 4 after being injured in a roadside bombing. (Dover Public Library)
DOVER - The Dover Public Library will be welcoming author and Northeast Ohio native Barbara Marlowe on Thursday, January 23rd, to share the inspirational story as told in her book "A Brave Face: Two Cultures, Two Families, and the Iraqi Girl Who Bound Them Together."
"A Brave Face" is the true story of a woman who moved mountains to provide medical care for an Iraqi girl badly burned during a roadside attack. Her determination to fight for her future daughter highlights the way love can reach across both cultures and continents. Assistant Librarian Sherrel Rieger says the tale is one that impacts readers on many levels.
"It encourages us to learn about and have a better understanding of people in other cultures. It embodies that belief that when we reach out to others in need, our lives are enriched beyond measure."
The free program begins at 6:30 pm in the library's Community Room with a book signing to follow. For more information or to register, call 330-343-6123 or visit DoverLibrary.org.
About the book:
Barbara Marlowe was in her fifties when she saw the photo that changed her life. It was a photo of 4-year-old Teeba Furat Fadhil, whose face, head, and hands had been severely burned during a roadside bombing in the Diyala Province of Iraq when she was just 19 months old. It was Teeba's eyes that captivated Barbara. They were wide, dark, and soulful. They seemed to cry out with a message across continents: Help me.
The story of Barbara responding to that call is as inspiring as it is improbable. With a powerful faith and determination, Barbara overcame obstacle after obstacle to bring Teeba to the United States for medical treatments—and to ultimately offer a home.
"A Brave Face" includes material written by Teeba and her Iraqi mother, Dunia, at key moments in their stories. The book also explores the connection forged between Barbara and Dunia over the past decade—a connection that has survived the strife of war and the horrors of Al-Qaeda and ISIS. In the end, this story highlights the power of love to reach across both cultures and continents.