2023 Eric Hoffer Memoir Winner

The Young Terrorist, Nabil Khouri, Armin Lear Press – Beginning with a blood-curdling chant, Khouri details his life as a poor Christian in Jordan and Lebanon, often lacking enough to eat, amid so many civil wars and conflicts. We inhabit his shoes and understand why a child would sign up with a militia, otherwise known as a terrorist organization. His tenure there is short-lived however, and this young man manages to flee to Spain, where he works briefly, then a return to home before his academics get him a scholarship to the USA. There, he works, meets many Americans, including Jewish people, and eventually marries an American en route to his career as an engineer. We rejoice with the author as he matures into a loving and giving adult.