Summary of As The Mountains Echoed
935826
When each chapter started, I didn't know who they were talking about until I read a few pages.  Very disconcerting.  Otherwise I enjoyed he book but not as much as the Kite Runner.
3010153
With  And the  Mountains Echoed Hosseini  has given us another gift - a beautifully written story that will break your heart and lift your soul  . It left me hoping that he has started a fourth !
A shift from a single narrative to individual chapters  on a variety of characters whose stories are interwoven in a magnificent way!
940684
I'm a fan of Sharyn McCrumb & have enjoyed all of her books.  This was especially interesting to me because of the North Carolina setting & Kings Mountain in particular.  McCrumb's descriptions helped me better understand militias and the NC events of the revolution.
1145174
In the summer of 1890, Tom Lopp, a thirty-three-year-old Presbyterian from Indiana, and Harrison Thornton, a thirty-two-year-old Virginian, are chosen to serve as missionaries at Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, 55 miles from the shore of Russia. They are left with supplies and a simple structure built to serve as both house and school. Their mission is to teach the Natives about Christianity, but first they must learn Inupiaq and teach the Eskimos English. Two years later, Thornton leaves to find a wife. He returns, married, on a ship carrying Lopp's future wife, twenty-four-year-old Evelyn Kittredge, a Congregationalist from Minnesota, who is assigned to share teaching duties with Tom. Perfectly matched, they marry one month later and, together, continue teaching and preaching (for ten years). The Thorntons move to a separate house, and teaching duties are split up. Meanwhile, preparations are made to establish a reindeer station at Port Clarence, sixty miles away, which should help enable the Eskimos to become self-sufficient as herders. When the contracts of the men assigned to the Port Clarence station are allowed to expire, the Lopp's are hired as superintendent (him) and teacher (her). Back at Cape Prince of Wales, Thornton's seemingly irrational worries that the Natives intend to kill him are realized when he is fatally injured during an attempted robbery. The instigators suffer the ultimate punishment at the hands of members of their own village. At the reindeer station, the size of the herd steadily increases, as does the size of the Lopp family. At page 238, the story comes full circle with a member of the Overland Relief Expedition knocking on the Lopp's door, which is how the story begins. The preceding pages cover the actions leading up to the ORE, especially background on the members of the expedition and captains of the icebound ships, as well as the politics behind the decision to guide hundreds of reindeer to Point Barrow, located at the northernmost point of Alaska, to stave off the possible starvation of crewmembers stranded by icebound ships, who are living in squalor and subsisting on rations. The successive pages describe the journey itself in great detail; the (reindeer) adventures along the way; and the fate of the stranded crewmembers (who would likely have survived without intervention), the rescuers, and the reindeer. The details of everyday life at the missions, and the interactions of the Lopp family with the Eskimos, are equally as good as the story of the expedition itself. Seth Kantner provides similar details about a family living in a remote part of Alaska during more recent times in Ordinary Wolves.
4959628
I enjoyed the book very much, it was written in an easy to follow  time line and interesting at every turn of the page.  My only trouble was trying to follow the names of some of the characters. however it did get easier as I got further into the story.
I would highly recommed this book to anyone interested in reading in this time period. Thank you for the opportunity to review.
1345806
I came across the writing of Sebastian Smith in a New York Times Op-Ed piece and decided to look into what books he had written.  Allah's Mountains is a well written book which goes through the conflict of Chechnya along with the regional conflicts which are sewn together to give the story of regional turmoil in the former USSR.  It was amazing to read how the band of Chechan fighters held off the once proud Soviet forces using very simple tactics.  On the other hand, Yeltsin does not come across as a very compelling figure and more of an embarrassment of leadership.  For anybody looking to get insight into the Chechan war, Mr. Smith's book is a MUST READ.  The only reason why it did not get five stars is because at points there is some repitition.
50643
I enjoyed And The Mountains Echoed as much as Hosseini's earlier books. Lovely characters take us on a journey that is touching and heartbreaking.
738133
Cold Mountain is the elegiac odyssey of one man who has fought for the South in the Civil War, after he is nearly mortally wounded. During a long convalescence, his mind attends carefully to the reasoning and waste of war, and the dehumanization of its participants. At some point in his musings, Inman makes a decision and begins his fateful journey home to Cold Mountain and the young woman he hopes is still waiting. At no point on his journey will he be safe, as the roads are patrolled by soldiers searching for such as he, deserters.
An uncommon man, Inman would not call himself so, but rather be driven to humility and a need for a simple life after the nightmarish memories of war and death on the battlefield. He goes on foot, fearing that a horse will attract too much unwanted attention, although his wounds have scarcely healed. But he sets out with purpose and determination, set on that one goal, a return to the brutal but beloved Cold Mountain.
The woman he walks toward is Ada Monroe, a Charleston minister's daughter, who has lived alone on her father's small farm on Cold Mountain after her father's death, refusing to return to Charleston. Ada knows nothing of farming or survival, although it is her intention to keep the farm and learn to run it. A young woman comes into Ada's hapless life, Ruby, who strikes a bargain for their mutual survival: Ruby has the knowledge and Ada has the land. They form a strong partnership that slowly grows into a respectful friendship, determined, each in her way, to survive the war and the approaching winter. Ruby is an able teacher, and Ada a willing pupil. Together they prepare the farm for the rigors of planting grain, caught up in the rhythm of daily life that depends on itself for sustenance, and they realize that their bargain was well made.
Each tedious day of his endless journey, Inman finds himself changing in unexpected ways, mentally tougher, spiritually stronger, although his body is decimated by long bouts of hunger. Ada has become a different person herself, a woman able to provide food and work the land with her hands, no longer the daughter of privilege. As they draw closer to each other, they are more suited, hardship honing their characters, sharpening their perceptions of what is meaningful. Like life, the truest road is in the journey, not the destination. And this journey is filled with wisdom and the appreciation of nature in all its forms, the simple-gratification of a day well lived.
2713987
The book is focused on Ishma Waycaster, a self-educated woman living in the mountains with her Mother, sister, brother-in-law and several nephews and nieces. Poverty and hard work fill Ishma's life, and she longs for something more, though for what she isn't sure. Seeing the results of marriage - that is, too many children and too little of anything else - she plans to leave the mountains behind her and get something better out of life. But, before she can leave, she falls in love with Britt Hensley and marries him. She and Britt try farming, but all their attempts fail, and then she gets pregnant, and she feels trapped. After four years, two dead children,  and another farming failure, she sees her life closing in on her. At eight months pregnant, she takes up the offer given by Rad Bailey, another mountain boy, and leaves her husband and son behind for the city of Winbury, a mill town far away from the mountains.

After she has her daughter, she and Rad live as a married couple, and though Rad treats her well, she's not in love with him and knows she never will be. Worse, her daughter is difficult to take care of, she requires constant attention, and the effort drags Ishma down and exhausts her. Because of her daughter she can't work, so she helps her neighbors - all of them mill workers - by nursing the sick and watching over their children at times. She makes many friends and grows close to them and their problems. Ishma still hopes for something more than to live like a drudge, or to live off Rad, and when her daughter dies, she and Rad part ways.

At this point, Ishma finds herself involved in a mill strike, doing everything from watching children to raising money. A friend of hers, a doctor named Derry Unthank, gives her books to read, including many on communism and economics. He's the first person to ever encourage her intellectual interests, and he opens a door to the greater world to her. In the process of the strike, she faces the hatred of the townspeople for the strikers, and tries to prevent the lynching of a black worker.

Ishma, who had grown up poor and uneducated, in a male-dominated society that offered little for her but to be a wife and mother, spends the novel fighting for more, to be more. Of course, in that time, even few men had the opportunity for what's now known as a "career," since most were either farmers or factory workers. Her horizons were limited not just by sexism, by the times she lived in.

The strike, which takes up a third of the book, is based on the Loray Mill strike of 1929, in Gastonia, North Carolina. There were tens of thousands of strikes before World War II, and this strike wasn't successful, nor was it unusually bloody, but within four years six novels had been written about it. "Call Home the Heart," along with "Strike!" by Mary Heaton Vorse, "To Make My Bread," by Grace Lumpkin, "Gathering Storm," by Dorothy Myra Page, "Beyond Desire," by Sherwood Anderson, and "The Shadow Before," by Willam Rollins, are now known as the "Gastonia novels."

"Call Home the Heart" was Fielding Burke's first novel, though she'd already written many drama and poetry collections before that. She was in her 60s, and had been concerned about labor and women's issues for several years when she started it. Burke was known to have visited the Gastonia area during the time of the strikes, but it's unknown if she was personally involved with them, though she was certainly aware of the events thanks to her connections to the communist party.

This book is a first rate read, and should be better known. But, after the 1930s, radical novels (pro-labor or pro-communist) were ignored and marginalized because of anti-red attitudes. And so, like many others, Burke's novel was unjustly forgotten in the post-World War II era.
4147786
It follows very closely books written just after the civil war. The book shows as closely as anything I have read the horror of the civil War in the mountains of Ky, TN and NC.
3694160
Mountain Windsong was a novel of war, love, and history.  It teaches you the dedication of love, from one Cherokee for another.  It also illustrates the pain, suffering, and anguish that the Cherokees and other Indians faced. All together this was a four star novel, however the ending left me unmindful.
715529
As I read The Final Summit I found myself wishing that I had read the first book. The Final Summit was a very interesting book. I enjoyed reading the story of David Ponder. It was a sad moment when his wife died. I felt like this was a perfect book for the times that we are living in. It is critical that we begin to look at how we live and the choices we are making as a society. This book helps us to see those things more clearly.

The book helps to see a bigger historical picture as well. I always enjoy when a book has a great historical content and this writer did a great job of telling an amazing story. After reading this book, I intend to read The Traveler's Gift as well. Andy Andrews does a great job of weaving together history and critical decision making into a very enjoyable and easy read.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a great story.
2646577
I enjoyed reading this book, it was a fairly fast read.  I enjoyed the characters, though I wanted to know more about Paldons character as a child.  I liked the mix of past and present, and the Buddhist philosophy mixed into the story.  I know some Tibetans who fled Tibet in 1959, and I felt the author captured the essence of the mountainous crossing.
1729534
And the Mountains Echoed was everything I expected.  After reading The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, I knew I was going to love it.  Khaled Hosseini's writings is like reading poetry.  He writes with such a beautiful even flow....Just like the feathers Abdullah had saved for his beloved sister, Pari.  Of all the books I have ever read, Khaled Hosseini's books are the only ones I could read over and over again.  Thank you Khaled for sharing your gift from God.
3895605
Ouray's Peak, by Leigh Podgorski, is a well written gripping novel taking the reader on a journey of adventure, injustices and nostalgia; a journey into the phenomenological world of a girl called Kristin, and her ancestral North American Indian tribe. This journey begins with a young strong-minded girl. As she progresses into adulthood the past, present and future merge, and with the pieces of the puzzle all falling into place her life now takes on a new meaning.

Leigh Podgorski's attention to detail and characterisation is impressive. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, as well as learning about the beauty of the mountains of Colorado, and the injustices forcing Indian tribes from their hunting grounds --areas of great spiritual meaning and attachment. Perhaps one day the white buffalo will return and the Earth will once again live in harmony and all injustices will be resolved. This is certainly a book I can recommend and is most worthy of a five star rating.
Brian Wilson (NZ)
2590706
The Kootenai National Forest has become a place to hide from the stress of the world for many ex-military who have lost their ability to  cope with the everyday pressures and tensions of life. The forest is elevated above the beautiful city of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho. Living in tents, lean-too, caves, what better way to get away from an adverse and demanding society one can no longer tolerate. A man known as Bishop has cast the world aside to live his life on his own terms. Bishop's  existence is about to change in a way he never thought possible.

This is the story of a grieving widow and her son who, through the perils of war, have lost a husband and father. Their home, being located within the edge of the forest, is isolated with their closest neighbour half a mile away leaving them vulnerable. On this cold Autumn day Maeve and Ben Tillman awaken to find their home unusually frigid for the month of October. While preparing to start their day Maeve and Ben watch the weather report predicting a massive snow storm that is headed their way. Not really believing a storm of that magnitude could hit them before winter even begins Maeve continues with her daily routine of driving Ben to school and herself to work. She is far from being prepared for what is about to happen.
While not paying proper attention to the icy roads Maeve barely misses hitting a man on horseback. A man her son calls the Hermit. Getting out of her vehicle to see if the man and his horse are injured she finds them just inside the forest. Not knowing this man with piercing blue eyes was a friend of her late husband's, but relieved to find horse and rider uninjured, after a brief conversation Maeve continues on her way with an admonishment from the strange man to be cautious on the slick roads. After dropping Ben off at school and arriving at her bookstore it didn't take long for Maeve to turn around and retrace her steps for the weather predictions were becoming more dire by the moment.
Back home with Ben Maeve quickly learns she had erred in not thinking ahead and laying in stores of food and much needed firewood. Unbeknownst to her the world is in the beginning of a mini ice age known as, Maunder  Minimum.
With the wind bending the trees and the snow steadily falling how will Maeve and Ben handle and survive this sudden change in climate they were not ready for? Will they be able to obtain the much needed food and firewood? How will the stranger, the Hermit as Ben calls him, figure into their lives? What about the city of Coeur d' Alene? What is going on down there?
This is a fantastic story of survival and emotional renewal as Maeve and Ben learn to trust and love in a word where ugliness and despotism are the rule. I recommend this book for those who enjoy dystonia as well as adventure and romance. There is a wonderfully inspiring story contained within. Readers will appreciate this well written book. Although fiction there are a lot of truths to be learned from this story. I'm hoping for more to come from this. It has all the possibilities of a good series. I liked this book so much I wanted to read more by this author so I read The French Wardrobe. (Now that is another fascinating story which I will be reviewing, soon.) I'm impressed with this author's writing skills. She is quite capable of producing an interesting and exciting story, as she has proven in this book. I can truly say I am looking forward to reading other books she has written.
As always, happy reading, and make the most of each day.
2880792
I thought it as a very interesting read  .  A  group of climbers re visiting the scene  after  the death of a friend to bring his body back down the mountain..  It  was very very  long  book and it kept going back and forth  from before their friends death and back to present .  It  was kind of confusing at first until i got the drift of the story line.