"There are few, if any, journalists I admire as much as Voeten. His narrow escape from the rebels in Sierra Leone is one of the most harrowing tales I've heard in a long time. He writes with compassion and understated dignity about a complicated civil war that has taken thousands of lives and nearly cost him his own."—Sebastian Junger
"Teun Voeten has rendered a powerful portrait of the people of Sierra Leone—their extraordinary strength and forgiveness—that leaves the reader both amazed and hopeful at the resiliency of the human spirit."—Scott Anderson, war correspondent and author of The Man Who Tried to Save the World
"Fluent, reflective, often funny, and always humane, Teun Voeten has given us close-up insights into a horrible war through the prism of his own terrifying experiences."—Andrew Cockburn, National Geographic writer and author of Out of the Ashes: The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein
"Exhilarating . . . his audience will feel the same tension Voeten experienced when he was hiding away from rebels bent on killing all foreigners in their path. A heroic portrayal of an overlooked, blood-soaked corner of the world."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Voeten is confronted with the gigantic contradictions of Western indifference and compassion and of atrocities beyond imagination and a compelling hope, as well as a love toward strangers that helps save his life . . . The author witnesses the horrendous acts of the rebels and their leaders, now protected by the UN forces as official leaders in the negotiated peace settlements. He has written an exciting adventure that educates the West to one of the many wars about which we cannot afford to be indifferent."—Vernon Ford, Booklist
