American Mother \;is the story of a mo ther who\, in the course of confronting her son&rsquo\;s killer\, gets to the elemental heart of violence and forgiveness. Diane Foley is the mother of Jim\, a freelance journalist captured and beheaded by ISIS in 2014\, a n image that became one of the most iconic of the 21st century. Seven year s later\, Diane gets the chance to spend three days with the murderer of h er son in a Virginia courthouse\, inspiring her to tell her life story. Wh at unfolds is one of the most compelling narratives in recent literary his tory\, channeled into searing reality by \;New York Times \;bestse lling author Colum McCann\, who brings us on a journey of strength\, resil ience\, and radical empathy. You are sure to be moved by McCann's writing and Foley&rsquo\;s uncompromising love\, register now! \;
\nAbou t the Authors
\nColum McCann \;is the author of seven novels\, t hree collections of stories and two works of non-fiction. Born and raised in Dublin\, Ireland\, he has been the recipient of many international hono rs\, including the U.S National Book Award\, the International Dublin Lite rary Prize\, a Chevalier des Arts et Lettres from the French government\, election to the Irish Arts Academy\, several European awards\, the 2010 Be st Foreign Novel Award in China\, and an Oscar nomination. In 2017 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts. \; His work has been publishe d in over 40 languages. \; He is the President and co-founder of the n on-profit global story exchange organization\, Narrative 4. He is the Thom as Hunter Writer in Residence in Hunter College\, in New York\, where he l ives with his wife Allison and their family. \; His most recent novel\ , \;Apeirogon\, became an immediate New York Times best-seller and won several major international awards. \; His first major non-fiction bo ok\, \;American Mother\, will be published in March 2024.
\n
Diane M. Foley \;is the mother of five children\, including American
freelance conflict journalist James W. Foley. She founded the James W. Fo
ley Legacy Foundation in September 2014\, less than a month after his publ
ic execution. Diane is currently serving as the President and Executive Di
rector of JWFLF. Since 2014\, she has led JWFLF efforts to fund the start
of Hostage US and the International Alliance for a Culture of Safety\, ACO
S. In 2015\, she actively participated in the National Counterterrorism Ce
nter hostage review which culminated in the Presidential Policy Directive-
30. This directive re-organized US efforts on behalf of Americans taken ho
stage abroad into an interagency Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell\, Special Pr
esidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and a White Hostage Response Group. P
reviously\, Diane worked first as a community health nurse and then as a f
amily nurse practitioner for 18 years. She received both her undergraduate
and master&rsquo\;s degrees from the University of New Hampshire in Durha
m\, NH.
\;
The views expressed by presenters are their o
wn and their appearance in a program does not imply an endorsement of them
or any entity they represent. Reference to any specific product or entity
does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Orange County Lib
rary System.