Saving Sam

The True Story of an American's Disappearance in Syria and His Family's Extraordinary Fight to Bring Him Home

By: Sam Goodwin

Narrated by: Sam Goodwin, Aaran Abano, Barbara Henslee, Erin DeWard, Jonathan Todd Ross

A gripping testament of resilience, family, and faith, this is the incredible and true story of an American traveler who was captured and wrongfully imprisoned in Syria while on a journey to experience every country in the world.

What would you do if your son suddenly disappeared in Syria, and you had no idea what had happened to him? Would you contact the FBI? The State Department? Pray? Would you Google “What to do if your son disappears in Syria”?

When the unthinkable happened, the answer, in the case of Ann Goodwin and her husband Tag, was: all of the above. Their 30-year-old son Sam, who was attempting to become one of the few people in history to travel to every single country on the planet, vanished in a supposed safe-zone run by the Kurds on the Turkish border. At first, they didn’t even realize he had been abducted: maybe the phone reception had gone down, they told themselves, as had happened plenty of times before when Sam was in an off-the-beaten-path place. Just wait, he’ll call back soon.

But Sam never did call back, and over the coming days, the horror of their situation quickly bore down on the Goodwins, a devout Catholic family of seven living a middle-class suburban lifestyle in St. Louis, Missouri. Frustrated and increasingly terrified, the Goodwin’s came to realize that they couldn’t rely on their government to save Sam. They were going to have to do it themselves.

This is the extraordinary story of Sam’s abduction by the Syrian regime, who threatened to hand him over to ISIS for beheading if he did not confess to being a CIA spy. It’s also the story of a Midwestern American family who transformed themselves into their own detective agency, building up a network of journalists, hostage negotiators, Middle East experts, Russian diplomats, Vatican envoys, and shady mercenaries, until eventually—by nothing short of a miracle—they found a secret backdoor into the heart of the Syrian intelligence service itself.

Through multiple first-person narrators, Saving Sam recounts an inspiring and unforgettable saga that includes a travel journey to every country in the world, famous celebrities, heads of state, high-stakes diplomacy and critical life lessons around curiosity, uncertainty, prayer and what it ultimately means to be free. In a genuine, straightforward and sometimes humorous style, Sam draws on his experience as a hostage to demonstrate how we can all turn our own adversities into assets, whether it be in our personal, professional or spiritual lives.

©2024 Sam Goodwin (P)2024 Center Street

Critic reviews

"Saving Sam is both a poignant narrative and an important recount of state-sponsored hostage-taking that’s being routinized, globally. Having worked on freeing American-held hostages from a dystopian Syrian regime, Sam Goodwin’s deeply personal ‘road to Damascus’ and eventual freedom is an important, timely and well-told story."—Col Christopher P. Costa, USA, ret., Former Special Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism, National Security Council, White House.

"As one of the few other people who have journeyed to every country in the world, I resonate deeply with Sam's remarkable odyssey chronicled in Saving Sam. This book is a testament to the indomitable will to survive and thrive, offering invaluable lessons that transcend boundaries and reshape our perspectives on life and the world."—Lee Abbamonte, Travel influencer and Youngest American to Visit Every Country

"Saving Sam is one of the most remarkable stories revealing the miraculous potential for love to liberate us from our most isolating and agonizing situations. In reading this moving book, you’ll recognize the same love that connected dots to save Sam from his confinement can also liberate all of us from ours."—John O’Leary, #1 National Bestselling author of On Fire and In Awe

Unimaginable resilience

Saving Sam is a true story of resilience. Sam faced unimaginable challenges and found himself in an unexpected predicament.

I initially thought the book was entirely in the first person, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the narration transitions through various perspectives of friends and family, all connected in their quest to bring Sam home.

Life revolves around relationships and the people around us who influence who we choose to be…I feel like the bonds Sam formed during his journey are the most rewarding aspects of his adventures.

Despite being familiar with the story of his adventures before listening to the book, I found myself crying multiple times as I learned all the intricate details about his weeks of wrongful imprisonment. Sam is a special person, and I hope you read this book to understand why.

Excellent read!!

A miraculous true story of love of God and family & the amazing story of a family working to rescue their son!

Extraordinary connections work together to result in the first American hostage ever released from Syria.

I too believe God ordained the sequence of events and people who together were able to get Sam’s release. And I loved the fact God was given credit for bringing Sam back to his family.

A Fantastic Story of Heroism

Such a horrific experience for Sam and his family to endure, but their faith, love, positivity, and perseverance prevailed. Fabulously narrated by Sam, his family, friends, and those who worked tirelessly to get him back home safely. Well done!

Resilience, Patience, and Hope

Wow - this is an incredible story and I can’t believe it’s true, but it is. This book describes the painstaking process to survive in a Syrian prison while all your loved ones have no idea where you are and can’t use traditional methods to reunite your family. Written from multiple perspectives, you’ll find yourself hanging on every word, hoping for resolution, preferably one where no one is harmed.

I highly recommend this read if you want to learn about one family’s mission to bring their son home despite the odds stacked against them. You’ll learn about the geo-political tensions and stereotypes that should not have yielded happy results, but with resilience, patience, and hope - we might be able to conquer anything life throws at us.

Riveting and Inspirational

This is amazing that Sam is alive to share this riveting true story. Faith, family and fortitude were the keys to unlocking the mystery of how to get Sam released from his wrongful imprisonment in Syria. You’ll be engaged from start to finish.

You’ll gasp in horror and cry - a powerful story!

Prepare yourself for a gripping roller coaster of emotions, and I dare you not to gasp in horror with Sam and cry with his family as you delve into this audiobook.

As a seasoned traveler with a profound grasp of world history, Sam offers captivating accounts of his global adventures and vivid descriptions of his interactions with diverse cultures. When you reach the chapter about his capture, you'll feel terror alongside Sam and be equally impressed by his cleverness and fortitude. You will empathize with Tag and Ann as they embark on a desperate quest to find Sam, and you heart will go out to this tight-knit, faith-filled family. You’ll deeply sympathize with his parents as they endure this nightmare. Ultimately, the power of determination, perseverance, faith, and prayer ultimately brought Sam home safely. In moments of extreme difficulty, we all long for the unwavering support of a family like the Goodwins.

Incredible and moving book

The author(s) do a fantastic job bringing the reality of what occurred to life. Toward the end I was emotional as even though I knew what happened in the end I could find myself rooting for the family. Truly epic story of determination and resolve. Well written and worth anyone's time.

A story of Faith, Hope and Resiliency!

Sam’s story of being wrongfully accused of being a spy in Syria and thrown into prison is one that you will not soon forget! His description of solitary confinement and life in jail is heart, wrenching, and jaw dropping. At the same time, his story illustrates that with faith, prayer, God, a spirit of resiliency and a loving family we can get through most anything! This story makes me extra grateful to be an American!