Dear Friends,
So many times, my life experiences find a home in my books, and that was certainly the case with The Promise. In the real-life version of the story, a special person in my life—let’s call her “Laurie”—was seduced into making a trip to Pakistan and subsequently held against her will. Like Mallory, Laurie was motivated by love and her own spiritual journey.
Laurie was held captive in Pakistan for much longer than Mallory. It took her awhile to admit that she was in real trouble. After a severe blow to the back of her head and several credible death threats, she e-mailed me the code word we had established before she left—AMARILLO. Her captor was on his way home and she didn’t have much time to escape.
These details in the story were actually experienced by Laurie: the type of charm and lies Abdul used to get what he wanted; the culture in general; the way animals were treated; Mallory learning that Fozia was not an ex-wife; the physical abuse of Fozia and the children; being sick and unable to get to a doctor; Mallory’s escape to the car with the NGO people waiting to help her; her stay at the British safe house; the experience at the airport when she lost her luggage tag (even though Laurie did make the flight); vitamin B deficiency; and Abdul’s being flagged in the system so that he could never get a visa to the United States.
I always hope and pray that I’m somehow making a difference. I try to do that through the stories I write. From the beginning, I wanted this novel to show that there are good and bad people in every religion. And I wanted to educate women that these things do happen. If this book helps one woman to think twice before falling victim to such a scheme, I’ll be grateful.
I hoped this book was going to be a spiritual journey that encouraged peacefulness in all religions. I thought this book would bring closure for those who were involved in Laurie’s rescue. And I admit, in some ways I wanted to get in the last word where Laurie’s “Abdul” was concerned. But all that changed throughout the course of writing this story.
In my effort to write an inspirational, educational, and entertaining story, God pulled at my heart in a way I couldn’t foresee. Did the book give some closure for those of us closely involved? Yes, I think so. Will it touch others? I pray it will. Ultimately, writing this book changed my relationship with Laurie. I have always loved Laurie, and I know she’s always loved me. But I couldn’t understand her actions. After working with her for almost a year on this book, I have a much better understanding about her motivations to make this journey. There were things that happened when she was in Pakistan that I never would have known had we not collaborated on this project. So much didn’t even make it into this story because in many ways truth really is stranger than fiction.
Authors sometimes talk about being under spiritual attack when they are trying to write. I didn’t really know what that was like—until this book. Yes, I’ve felt challenges while writing other stories that I hoped would glorify God, but the difficulties I faced while working on this project far surpassed those. Not only did I have a rough time with illnesses, vertigo, surgeries, and a host of other things—but my entire family had health issues that kept me on edge. I overwrote the book, had to go through additional rounds of revisions, and for the life of me I didn’t think I would ever be able to get Mallory on that plane. Even though I was writing fiction, it felt all too real to me.
After Laurie’s Abdul charmed his way into her life, she lost everything she owned and was left with a broken heart. Even so, she said, “I took a leap of faith. I believed him and loved him with all my heart. He might have broken my heart, but not my spirit or the will to be me. I refuse to give him that power.”
I’m proud of Laurie, of the woman she is. The e-mails and phone calls between Tate and the embassy and consulate are almost verbatim the conversations that I had with both agencies. A kind man at the embassy in Islamabad (who was instrumental in getting Laurie safely home) told me on the phone, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a gentler soul walk through our doors for help.”
So it is with thanks and praise that I give all the glory to God. And it is with admiration and love that I dedicate this book to Laurie. A brave—and gentle—soul indeed.
In His name, sending you all peace and blessings,
Beth