Section 4 of Memoir (p. 252 - end)

In the end of "love in a Torn Land..." Joanna al-Askari and Sarbast Hussain experiences danger, pain, devastation, disappointment, grief, love, bliss, hope, relief, and freedom. Jean Sasson, the author of Joanna's memoir, uses imagery, similes, foreshadows, and strong word choices and details to make this memoir effective. The last section of this memoir is about Joanna and Sarbast's survival through the tough and dangerous events of escaping from Iraqi enemies, and their journey to freedom from Iraq to England. A passage that I like and believe is effective and powerful is,
"My darling Sarbast look so worn and weary. During nearly three years of married life, we had lived through more troubles than most couples married for fifty or sixty years. Yet those trials and tribulations had made us so close that I knew even if I lived for another hundred years, Sarbast was the only person in the world who would perfectly understand my every thought and emotion... I was amazed by the kindness shown by the immigration afficials at Heathrow [England]. They rallied around, arranging accommodation and food, providing us with money and even offering assistance to help us attain legal status. After years of dealing with Iraqi government officials who routinely harassed us, I simply couldn't believe the compassion of strangers" (310).
This passage clearly shows the strong bond and strength of Joanna and Sarbast's relationship of one another. My favorite line in the passage is, "during nearly three years of married life, we had lived through more troubles than most couples married for fifty or sixty years." Three years is indeed a long amount of time, but fifty or sixty years is even a longer amount of time. To compare three years to fifty or sixty years strongly states how serious and difficult their condition and situation were in Iraq.
Moreover, I also like the comparison and contrast of how they were treated by the Iraqi officials to the immigration officials. The atmosphere, mood and voice altogether changed instantly from being hopeless to being hopeful once they arrived to England from Iraq. Hope for a normal, safe life and freedom. Though there some mailcious and heartless people in the world, knowing that there are still some generous and thoughtful people also in the world makes the future more hopeful.