In late 2021 Diane Foley sat at a table across from Alexanda Kotey. A member of the ISIS group known as "The Beatles," Kotey had pleaded guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son, James Foley, seven years before. She asked the legendary writer Colum McCann to be there.

American Mother moves back and forth in time as Foley recalls her son's determination to shed light on the plight of those caught up...

In late 2021 Diane Foley sat at a table across from Alexanda Kotey. A member of the ISIS group known as "The Beatles," Kotey had pleaded guilty to the kidnapping, torture, and murder of her son, James Foley, seven years before. She asked the legendary writer Colum McCann to be there.

American Mother moves back and forth in time as Foley recalls her son's determination to shed light on the plight of those caught up in the agonies of war; his harrowing months of captivity; and the days following his death. Channeling Foley's singular voice, McCann brings to life her shock, sadness, resolve, and astonishing hope in the face of an unthinkably altered life.

American Mother is a work of profound moral clarity and courage, a book that takes readers inside one woman's extraordinary journey to find connection in a world torn asunder, and to fight for others as a way to keep James Foley's memory alive.