Birds of the Mountains: a Novel Struggle for Free Kurdistan

Set amidst the turbulent political backdrop of Saddam Hussein's oppressive regime, Desert Storm, and the Iraq War, Birds of the Mountains is a powerful tale of love, loss, resilience, and a determination to succeed against the odds.As a teenager, Karwan has experienced nothing but hardship. His people have no country of their own, his grandparents murdered, his girlfriend deported, and his father conscripted to fight in Kuwait. When the Kurdish Uprising forces his family to flee, tragedy strikes again and Karwan is left facing a devastating injury.However, with the aid of US forces following their success in Desert Storm, Karwan and his family are able to return to their shattered home, where for the first time, hope begins to bloom. Karwan is reunited with Banaz, the woman he never stopped loving.But when a corrupt Ba'athist Party leader takes a liking to Banaz and claims her as his future wife, Karwan risks everything to protect her. Managing to hide her, he flees, but his escape fails and he is caught and imprisoned, falsely accused of insulting Saddam Hussein.Will he lose the love of his life and everything he holds dear for good? Or will he find a way to escape and get revenge on the man and the regime who took everything from him? Inspired by the author's own experiences as a Kurdish-American translator for the U.S. military, Birds of the Mountains is a powerful story of survival, sacrifice, and one man's relentless pursuit of freedom.