Book Review: A House in the Sky

In her new book, A House in the Sky journalist and humanitarian Amanda Lindhout (pictured above) digs deep to explain to readers and understand for herself the 460 days she spent in captivity in Somalia after she and her photographer and ex-boyfriend, Nigel Brennan were kidnapped and held for ransom.  With the help of New York Times journalist Sara Corbett, Lindhout tells a poignent and harrowing tale of a young woman who chose to forgive and move forward.
The book follows Lindhout throughout her life, beginning at a very early age when she would escape the violence and poverty of her family-life by purchasing old copies of National Geographic and imagine herself in the exotic locations on the cover and inside the magazine.  At age nineteen Lindhout was able to save up enough money from her job at a swanky Canadian club to purchase a ticket for Venezuala - thus her love for travel began. 
By the time she had landed in Somalia she had already visited 50 countries - Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Thailand, Costa Rica, Guatamala, Nicaragua.  Mostly traveling alone, she was a true "backpacker" living modestly on $15 a day in certain countries.  When asked her occupation, she would reply "I'm a traveler."
Though without formal training, Lindhout tried her hand at journalism as an occupation, enticed by the idea that she could make money while still traveling.  She moved to Baghdad, Iraq and worked for an Iranian government-sponsored TV channel but was bothered by the irony of a Canadian woman working for Iranian TV and she eventually quit. 
Growing more fearless in her travels, she decided to launch a freelance journalism career in the worn-torn and unstable African country, Somalia. 
At the time and still now, Somalia is a country rarely covered by Western journalists because it is considered dangerous and lawless; kidnappings are commonplace in Somalia.  Undeterred, Lindhout saw that the lack of other journalists in the country would shrink her competition.  
Before landing in Somalia, Lindhout hired a fixer who would tell her where she could and couldn't go.  Interestingly, the fixer would get his information from phone calls he would make to a network of family and friends around Mogadishu - its said that Somalians love to gossip.  Her fixer also hired a team of body guards to protect her and her ex-boyfriend and photojournalist , Nigel Brennan, who was now along for the ride in order to launch his photography career. 
On their second day in Somalia, the duo was kidnapped just outside of Mogadishu by a gang of AK-47 armed men, who Lindhout would come to know personally as her captors.  There were Jamal and Abdullah among more than a dozen other young men and boys who would guard her, feed her and ultimately abuse her.
Lindhout, as a woman recieved horrible treatment even more horrible than Brennan.  Evenutally they converted to Islam in order to win favor and possibly some sympathy from their captors.  Lindhout's idea was to learn the Koran and use it to try and understand the men's motives.  But their idea backfired and Lindhout and Brennan were separted shortly after they converted as Muslim men and women are not to cohabitate unless they are married or brother and sister. 
Lindhout suffered many hardships in the house including isolation, starvation and sexual assault.  After nearly six months in captivity the duo decided to try and make an escape.  They carved an exit out of their bathroom window and dropped down nearly twelved feet, running quickly and frantically to a nearby mosque, shouting "I am a Muslim.  Help me." But other than the help of a lone woman, they did not recieve any sympathy and were quickly corraled and given back to their captors.  
After their escape, Lindhout was treated even worse.  She began to retreat to her mind and dealt with her pain and isolation by building "A House in the Sky", staircases that would lead her out of Somalia and into her mother's home back in Canada.
Eventaully the ransom was paid and Lindhout and Brennan were both released after 460 days in captivity.
There is so much to be learned from Lindhout in this book.  The main themes are hope, courage and forgivness.  Read the book and you will see what I mean.  Please, pick up a copy soon the stores are running out.  I just went to Barnes and Noble this morning and all of the copies were already gone.  The book can also be purchased on the internet. 
Send me an e-mail or comment.  I would love to discuss this book - it has definately added to the way that I think of things.  Pay special attention to the epilogue, where Lindhout explains all of the wonderful things she is doing with her life now that she is free.