The Blindfold

From the author of The Blazing World, “a work of dizzying intensity…eloquent and vivid” (Don DeLillo), about a young Midwestern woman who finds herself entangled in intense circumstances—physical, cerebral, and existential—when she moves to New York City. Iris Vegan, a young, impoverished graduate student from the Midwest, finds herself entangled with four powerful but threatening characters as she tries to adjust to life in New York City. Mr. Morning, an inscrutable urban recluse, employs Iris to tape-record verbal descriptions of objects that belonged to a murder victim. George, a photographer, takes an eerie portrait of Iris, which then acquires a strong life of its own, appearing and disappearing without warning around the city. After a series of blinding migraines, Iris ends up in a hospital room with Mrs. O., a woman who has lost her mind and memory to a stroke, but who nevertheless retains both the strength and energy to torment her fellow patient. And finally, there is Professor Rose, Iris’s teacher and eventually her lover. While working with him on the translation of a German novella called The Brutal Boy, she discovers in its protagonist, Klaus, a vehicle for her own transformation and ventures out into the city again—this time dressed as a man.

An award-winning journalist’s extraordinary account of being kidnapped and tortured in Syria by al Qaeda for two years—a revelatory memoir about war, human nature, and endurance that’s “the best of the genre, profound, poetic, and sorrowful” (The Atlantic). In 2012, American journalist Theo Padnos, fluent in Arabic, Russian, German, and French, traveled to a Turkish border town to write and report on the Syrian civil war. One afternoon in October, while walking through an olive grove, he met three young Syrians—who turned out to be al Qaeda operatives—and they captured him and kept him prisoner for nearly two years. On his first day, in the first of many prisons, Padnos was given a blindfold—a grime-stained scrap of fabric—that was his only possession throughout his horrific ordeal. Now, Padnos recounts his time in captivity in Syria, where he was frequently tortured at the hands of the al Qaeda affiliate, Jebhat al Nusra. We learn not only about Padnos’s harrowing experience, but we also get a firsthand account of life in a Syrian village, the nature of Islamic prisons, how captors interrogate someone suspected of being CIA, the ways that Islamic fighters shift identities and drift back and forth through the veil of Western civilization, and much more. No other journalist has lived among terrorists for as long as Theo has—and survived. As a resident of thirteen separate prisons in every part of rebel-occupied Syria, Theo witnessed a society adrift amid a steady stream of bombings, executions, torture, prayer, fasting, and exhibitions, all staged by the terrorists. Living within this tide of violence changed not only his personal identity but also profoundly altered his understanding of how to live. Offering fascinating, unprecedented insight into the state of Syria today, Blindfold is “a triumph of the human spirit” (The New York Times Book Review)—combining the emotional power of a captive’s memoir with a journalist’s account of a culture and a nation in conflict that is as urgent and important as ever.

This searing memoir of an American nun who was abducted and tortured in Guatemala--and continues to search for healing and justice--shows that the human spirit is a force stronger than violence and fear.

‘The only thing that matters in life is your own opinion about yourself”’.-Osho The outer world is a reflection of our inner world. We attract what we are. We all know this, but we do not make a conscious effort towards implementing it in our lives. Are you one of those people who feel they are not being valued? Do you often say ‘I am not being loved?’ Do you often get trapped in unhealthy thinking? In this engaging and thought-provoking self-help guide, we will explore the concept of the blindfold and how it impacts our perceptions, beliefs and decision-making processes. We will learn how common myths and misconceptions can blind us from seeing the truth and also discover strategies for identifying and overcoming them. The Blindfold offers practical tools and techniques for removing the blindfold and realizing our true selves. Whether we are struggling with negative self-talk, limiting beliefs or unhelpful thought patterns, this book will provide us with the tools we need to break free and live a more genuine and fulfilling life. With a casual, direct tone and engaging anecdotes and examples, this is the perfect guide for anyone looking to unlock their full potential and live their best life. Whether we are new to personal growth or a self-help enthusiast, The Blindfold is a must-read book that will inspire and empower us to take action and start living the life we deserve.

A raucous comedy about a paranoid loser who maybe wasn't paranoid enough... In the sixties, Jeffrey Parker briefly attended an antiwar rally. He wasn't all that interested--he just listened to a few speeches, and went home...and nothing was ever the same. In this wildly comic novel, Parker's brief dalliance is the beginning of the end. He never lands a decent job. Women never stick around. He has terrible stretches of bad luck, and is the unwilling victim of just plain bizarre occurances: once, he comes home to find that the final page in every one of his books has been removed. Then Parker discovers that he's been the target of a government plot--like the FBI's real-life COINTELPRO--and the obsession of a rogue FBI agent who just won't give up. This outrageously imaginative debut is reminiscent of John Kennedy Toole's explosive, out-of-nowhere farce A Confederacy of Dunces. Part thriller, part national tragedy, and all hysterical comedy, it is devilishly entertaining even as it forces Parker and readers to uncover the truth not only about their country, but about themselves.

In the 1960s, Jeffrey Parker briefly attended an anti-war rally. He wasn't all that interested - just listened to a few speeches and went home, but nothing was ever the same again. In this wildly comic novel, Parker's brief dalliance is the beginning of the end. He never lands a decent job. Women never stick around. He has terrible stretches of bad luck and is the unwitting victim of plain bizarre occurrences. Then Parker discovers that he's been the target of a government plot and the obsession of a rogue FBI agent who just won't give up.

An Eye-Opening Blindfold! Let's tip-toe with Tom, as he sneaks past Lady Luck. He holds a map, ready to discover the higher yet deeper level called Faith. It is here where one remarkable blindfold unlocks Tom's other "senses." Will Tom leave Lady Luck for Faith? And will anyone else? Find out why patience and patients sound the same only at his "old place." Test your faith inside a biblically attractive journey with mystery, morals, symbolism, discussion questions, a hyperlinked bible index, and even a bonus family skit version! It's an eye-opening blindfold! All 3 Versions Included: *Story Version *WordPlay® Version *Family Skit Discover the Mystery of Faith & A Fun Bible Memory! As you tip-toe with Tom, you're getting closer to a fun bible memory! With the WordPlay® Version of this new parable (included), this new story riddle is actually animated by a variety of Bible verses working together, sharing the short story scene! From the same bible memorization technique of its original 5-Star WordPlay® book series, it's "wordplay" in more ways than one. Symbolism of Today! With this Christian riddle, you can biblically twist-and-learn as your own detective to bible verses about everyday topics affecting all good-fight Christians today! Discover the gift of faith and reunite with the promises of The Bible! The symbolism will give readers and their bible study groups a better glimpse of the complexities awaiting Christianity itself. And you'll understand the stronger source of strength. A Sunday School Movie + Bible Quiz starring YOU! Much like dinner-and-a-movie, this Christian riddle is like movie-and-a-dinner: a new Christian mystery which later becomes a devotional to feast on with family and friends! Enjoy bible study options with the following (ALL included inside): *Story Symbolism *Fun Facts *Discussion Questions *Instant Replay Bible Study: where story scenes replay themselves through the same bible verses animating this New Christian Mystery (in the WordPlay® Version) for fun bible verse learning and memory. *Bible Study - Scripture Index *Free Gift (on our Christian Parables Website) Or You Can Become the Story! With the Family Skit Version (included), you can rehearse the script right from your Kindle! Invite your friends, your church, and your bible study group for a playful play full of inspiration. And energize the bible study in others as the Cast, Narrator, or Biblical Talk Show Host. It's bible study with a twist! So journey this Christian Adventure, it's an eye-opening blindfold!

2015 Goodreads Choice Award Semifinalist for Best Debut