The Tightening Dark: An American Hostage in Yemen

The heart of Farran’s memoir, reflected in the subtitle, is the brutal months of imprisonment by Houthi rebels in Yemen where he suffered repeated beatings, pain and deprivation, and mental distress. As a Lebanese American man with decades of service in the Marines, Farran prided himself on his toughness and ingenuity, and his knowledge of Arab culture and the tribal and religious factions in Yemen. But he needed outside intervention, and luck, in order to achieve freedom. Farran, along with co-author Buchholz, writes clearly and vividly, contrasting helplessness in the hands of vicious and determined captors with his successful life from a stable immigrant community. Through his personal experience, he provides insights into U.S. military and political goals and frustrations in the Middle East. Farran juxtaposes his professional achievements (in the military, government service, and business) with the despair of his imprisonment, and conveys his pride in his identity as a loyal American who maintained his connection to Lebanese culture.