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snugglekittyI ran across this book in Concord Bookshop (which I think has the best displays of any bookstore I've ever been in, since they made me want to buy ALL the displayed books) and was compelled to buy it. Three Cups of Tea describes the saga of an American, Greg Mortenson, who gets lost and injured while climbing K2 and wanders into a remote village in Baltistan. The villagers take care of him, and before he leaves, he promises to come back and build them a school. Over the next ten years, he encounters many obstacles, including lack of funding, corrupt officials, condemnatory fatwas, and war. In the end, though, he fulfills his vision and builds not just one, but more than fifty schools throughout Pakistan.
This book has been publicly acclaimed. It was easy to read and I was eager to see how things would turn out. However, I didn't find it compelling page by page. I stopped midway through the book for about a month, and didn't really think about it or miss it during that time. I decided to finish it just to be done. The story is heartwarming, yes, but it could have been riveting. I feel the book also gets a bit sidetracked when it discusses 9/11 and the events that precede and follow it. Three stars out of five - I liked it, but I won't read it again. Especially if accompanied by a donation to the Central Asia Institute, Mortenson's foundation, this could make a good holiday gift.
This book has been publicly acclaimed. It was easy to read and I was eager to see how things would turn out. However, I didn't find it compelling page by page. I stopped midway through the book for about a month, and didn't really think about it or miss it during that time. I decided to finish it just to be done. The story is heartwarming, yes, but it could have been riveting. I feel the book also gets a bit sidetracked when it discusses 9/11 and the events that precede and follow it. Three stars out of five - I liked it, but I won't read it again. Especially if accompanied by a donation to the Central Asia Institute, Mortenson's foundation, this could make a good holiday gift.