A House in the Sky by Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett

Perhaps you've thought that I've given up on blogging about the books I've read.  That is not true.  The fact is, I've been so busy that I haven't finished a book since July.  Fortunately, that changed this morning.  I hope to be back on track(ish) now.

The main reason I haven't been reading is the general busyness of my life, especially my studies.  My courses this semester involved a lot of reading, which didn't leave much time for reading for fun.

But another reason is that the book I was reading was A House in the Sky.  This is the true story of a Canadian woman who was taken hostage in Mogadishu, Somalia, and held there for 15 months.

As you can imagine, this was not pleasant reading.  What Amanda, and her fellow captive Nigel Brennan, endured was unbelievable and heartbreaking.  At the end of a long, busy day, it was hard to want to pick up a book that involved so much devastation.

This was my book club's chosen book for October.  I finished it this morning.  Not bad.  (haha).  I wasn't able to attend the meeting where it was discussed, so I don't know how the other women in my group felt about it.  A women's group from my church will also be discussing the book in January.  I'll be interested to hear their thoughts.

It is helpful to know that Amanda wrote the book herself.  Otherwise as you are reading it, you would never believe that she could make it out alive.  But I would love to read or learn more about her adjustment back into "normal" life.  In the epilogue she talks briefly about some of the PTSD therapy she received, but I still can't imagine how difficult the transition was for her.

It is a powerful story of what a person can endure, but it is not a book you will read for fun.  If you read it, or have read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts too.