House In The Sky

A beautifully written story of courage, resilience, and grace. At the age of eighteen, Amanda Lindhout moved from her poor hometown to the big city and worked as a cocktail waitress, saving her tips so she could travel the globe. Aspiring to understand the world and live a significant life, she backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and went on to Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a reporter. And then, in August 2008, she travelled to Somalia-'the most dangerous place on earth'-to report on the fighting there. On her fourth day in the country, she and her photojournalist companion were abducted. A House in the Skyilluminates the psychology, motivations, and desperate extremism of Lindhout's young guards and the men in charge of them. She is kept in chains and subjected to horrific abuse. She survives by imagining herself in a 'house in the sky,' finding strength and hope in the power of her own mind. Her story is a moving testament to the power of compassion and forgiveness. 'Lyrical and inspiring . . . a story of grace, insight and tenacity, AHouse in the Skyshows us the power and importance of perseverance, hope and forgiveness.' David Rohde, author of A Rope and a Prayer