Believing that the stories of ordinary people caught in war must be heard, the author took time off work between 2004 and 2008 to travel to, meet with, and listen to each person whose story is shared here.
Iraq: stories gathered in January 2004 as the public was learning of conditions at Abu Ghraib Prison and just as the insurgency was taking hold in that country.
Israel and West Bank: stories gathered in December 2005 and includes description of December 5 bombing at the entrance to Sharon Mall in Netanya. Six people, including the bomber, were killed and 66 were wounded.
Lebanon: stories gathered in Beirut, south Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley, 2006-2007 a few months after the end of the Thirty-three Day War and during the Tent City protests in downtown Beirut.
Syria: stories predominantly of Iraqi refugees displaced from their homes and making ends meet in Damascus, 2007.
Afghanistan: the perspective of Afghans who immigrated to the U.S. during the 1980s as well as stories from Kabul and Peshawar, Pakistan, 2008.
US: stories by families affected by 9/11, "military moms," active-duty troops, and wounded veterans gathered from 2004 through 2008. During this period the author also volunteered as a counselor on the G.I. Rights Hotline.
