Synopses & Reviews
“Evocative and beautifully written,
House of Stone . . . should be read by anyone who wishes to understand the agonies and hopes of the Middle East.” — Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of
Crossing Mandelbaum Gate“In rebuilding his family home in southern Lebanon, Shadid commits an extraordinarily generous act of restoration for his wounded land, and for us all.” — Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey
In spring 2011, Anthony Shadid was one of four New York Times reporters captured in Libya, cuffed and beaten, as that country was seized by revolution. When he was freed, he went home. Not to Boston or Beirut—where he lives— or to Oklahoma City, where his Lebanese-American family had settled and where he was raised. Instead, he returned to his great-grandfathers estate, a house that, over three years earlier, Shadid had begun to rebuild.
House of Stone is the story of a battle-scarred home and a war correspondents jostled spirit, and of how reconstructing the one came to fortify the other. In this poignant and resonant memoir, the author of the award-winning Night Draws Near creates a mosaic of past and present, tracing the houses renewal alongside his familys flight from Lebanon and resettlement in America. In the process, Shadid memorializes a lost world, documents the shifting Middle East, and provides profound insights into this volatile landscape. House of Stone is an unforgettable meditation on war, exile, rebirth, and the universal yearning for home.
Review
"Six pages into this book, I said to myself, if Anthony Shadid continues like this, this book will be a classic. And page by page, he did continue, and he wrote a honest-to-God, hands-down, undeniable and instant classic. This is a book about war, and terrible loss, and a troubled region, and his own tattered family history, yes, but its written with the kind of levity and candor and lyricism we associate with, say, Junot Diaz — and that makes the book, improbably, both a compulsive read and one you dont want to end. I have no idea how Shadid pulled all this off while talking about the history of modern Lebanon, how he balanced ribald humor and great warmth with the sorrow woven into a story like this, but anyway, we should all be grateful that he did."
— Dave Eggers, author of Zeitoun and What Is the What "Anthony Shadids beautifully rendered memoir is a rich account of a mans gradual immersion into the world of the Middle East and the culture of the Levant, a kingdom almost unrecognizable today, where the rooms and hallways of his great-grandfathers house tell stories that will linger with every reader for decades." — André Aciman, author of Out of Egypt "House of Stone is poignant, aching, and at times laugh-out-loud funny . . . Shadid's writing is so lyrical it's like hearing a song." — David Finkel, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning The Good Soldier "House of Stone is a haunting, beautifully realized piece of writing." — Nick Flynn, author of The Ticking Is the Bomb "What a beautiful introduction to a world that I knew so little about. House of Stone is engaging, poignant, and funny." — Abraham Verghese, author of Cutting for Stone
"I was captivated, instantly, by Anthony Shadid's lushly evocative prose. Crumbling Ottoman outposts, doomed pashas, and roving bandits feel immediate, familiar, and relevant. Lose yourself in these pages, where empires linger, grandparents wander, and a battered Lebanon beckons us home. Savor it all. If Márquez had explored nonfiction, Macondo would feel as real as Marjayoun."
— Dave Cullen, author of Columbine
"Evocative and beautifully written, House of Stone . . . should be read by anyone who wishes to understand the agonies and hopes of the Middle East."
— Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of Crossing Mandelbaum Gate
"In rebuilding his family home in southern Lebanon, Shadid commits an extraordinarily generous act of restoration for his wounded land, and for us all."
— Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey
"Few books provide such a subtle, yet powerful insight into the tragedy of todays Middle East."
— Amin Maalouf, author of Origins: A Memoir
"A riveting, soulful, and candid journey . . ."
— Robin Wright, author of Rock the Casbah
Review
"This is not just the Arab worlds
Year in Provence. It is as if Shadid has combined the breakthrough effects of Amy Tans
The Joy Luck Club, William Faulkners
As I Lay Dying,
and Frances Fitzgeralds
Fire in the Lake into one enormously likeable book. It is a masterpiece." — John Freeman,
Boston Globe "Elegiac, heartbreaking . . . A book conceived as an introspective project of personal recovery — as well as a meditation on politics, identity, craft, and beauty in the Levant — now stands as a memorial. It is a fitting one because of the writing skill and deep feeling [Shadid] unobtrusively displays." — Steve Coll,
New York Times "An apt testament — a moving contemplation of how the dead stay with us, and how war scrambles the narrative of family life." —
The New Yorker "Profound, insightful, tragic, and funny . . . There is not space here to sell out all of this books many rewards . . . The prose is ripe, the biblical landscapes vividly rendered." — Telegraph (London)
"Shadids great skill as a journalist was that of a master storyteller, and hes never been more effective than in his final book." — Bookforum
"An honest-to-god, hands-down, undeniable and instant classic . . . written with levity and candor and lyricism that makes the book, improbably, both a compulsive read and one you dont want to end." — Dave Eggers, author of A Hologram for the King
Review
UK PRAISE FOR THE PLACES IN BETWEEN
"[Stewart's] encounters with Afghans are tragic, touching and terrifying; they all have the ring of unembellished authenticity . . . A mature debut, and an intelligent and illuminating introduction to this fascinating, unfortunate country."
-THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
Review
"A splendid tale that is by turns wryly humorous, intensely observant, and humanely unsentimental."
Review
"Stupendous...an instant travel classic."
Review
"Remarkable...Gripping account of a courageous journey, observed with a scholar's eye and a humanitarian's heart."
Review
"Engaging and eminently readable...A masterly job."
Review
"Sets a new standard for cool nerve and hot determination...Sublimely written."
Review
"A flat-out masterpiece...In very nearly every sense, too good to be true."
Review
"Stunning...Contribute[s] greatly not only to our reading pleasure, but to our understanding of Afghanistan."
Review
PRAISE FOR
THE PLACES IN BETWEEN and#160; "A striding, glorious book . . . Learned but gentle, tough but humane, Stewart . . . writes with a mysticand#8217;s appreciation of the natural world, a novelistand#8217;s sense of character and a comedianand#8217;s sense of timing . . . A flat-out masterpiece . . . The Places in Between is, in very nearly every sense, too good to be true."and#8212;The New York Times Book Review and#160;"A splendid tale that is by turns wryly humorous, intensely observant, and humanely unsentimental."and#8212;Christian Science Monitor and#160; "Stupendous . . . an instant travel classic."and#8212;Entertainment Weekly and#160; "Stewartand#8217;s 36-day walk across Afghanistan, starting just weeks after the fall of the Taliban, sets a new standard for cool nerve and hot determination . . . His description of the landscapes he traverses makes you feel youand#8217;re accompanying him through a shifting, sculpted painting . . . Sublimely written."and#8212;The Seattle Times and#160; "Stunning . . . That he has written a remarkable memoir of his trek might contribute greatly not only to our reading pleasure, but to our understanding of Afghanistan in the 21st century . . . The Places in Between effectively depicts the spectacularly stark landscape, the utter poverty and the devastation of decades of war. But far more interesting are the men . . . Stewart met along the way." and#8212;The Plain Dealer and#160;
and#160;
and#160;
Synopsis
A compelling saga of redemption and renewal from two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner Anthony Shadid tells the story of rebuilding his family's ancestral home in Lebanon amid political strife, and his eventual understanding of the emotions behind the turbulence in the Middle East.
Synopsis
A crowning achievement in the career of revered journalist Anthony Shadid—who died while on assignment in Syria in February 2012—House of Stone tells the story of rebuilding Shadid's ancestral home in Lebanon amid political strife.
Synopsis
“Wonderful . . . One of the finest memoirs Ive read.” — Philip Caputo,
Washington PostIn the summer of 2006, racing through Lebanon to report on the Israeli invasion, Anthony Shadid found himself in his familys ancestral hometown of Marjayoun. There, he discovered his great-grandfathers once magnificent estate in near ruins, devastated by war. One year later, Shadid returned to Marjayoun, not to chronicle the violence, but to rebuild in its wake.
So begins the story of a battle-scarred home and a journalists wounded spirit, and of how reconstructing the one came to fortify the other. In this bittersweet and resonant memoir, Shadid creates a mosaic of past and present, tracing the houses renewal alongside the history of his familys flight from Lebanon and resettlement in America around the turn of the twentieth century. In the process, he memorializes a lost world and provides profound insights into a shifting Middle East. This paperback edition includes an afterword by the journalist Nada Bakri, Anthony Shadids wife, reflecting on his legacy.
“A poignant dedication to family, to home, and to history . . . Breathtaking.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Entertaining, informative, and deeply moving . . . House of Stone will stand a long time, for those fortunate enough to read it.” — Telegraph (London)
Synopsis
“Wonderful . . . One of the finest memoirs I’ve read.” — Philip Caputo,
Washington Post In the summer of 2006, racing through Lebanon to report on the Israeli invasion, Anthony Shadid found himself in his family’s ancestral hometown of Marjayoun. There, he discovered his great-grandfather’s once magnificent estate in near ruins, devastated by war. One year later, Shadid returned to Marjayoun, not to chronicle the violence, but to rebuild in its wake.
So begins the story of a battle-scarred home and a journalist’s wounded spirit, and of how reconstructing the one came to fortify the other. In this bittersweet and resonant memoir, Shadid creates a mosaic of past and present, tracing the house’s renewal alongside the history of his family’s flight from Lebanon and resettlement in America around the turn of the twentieth century. In the process, he memorializes a lost world and provides profound insights into a shifting Middle East. This paperback edition includes an afterword by the journalist Nada Bakri, Anthony Shadid’s wife, reflecting on his legacy.
“A poignant dedication to family, to home, and to history . . . Breathtaking.” — San Francisco Chronicle
“Entertaining, informative, and deeply moving . . . House of Stone will stand a long time, for those fortunate enough to read it.” — Telegraph (London)
Synopsis
In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan-surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. He was also adopted by an unexpected companion-a retired fighting mastiff he named Babur in honor of Afghanistan's first Mughal emperor, in whose footsteps the pair was following.
Through these encounters-by turns touching, con-founding, surprising, and funny-Stewart makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance that shape life in the map's countless places in between.
About the Author
ANTHONY SHADID (1968-2012), author of Night Draws Near, was an unparalleled chronicler of the human stories behind the news. He gained attention and awards, including the Pulitzer Prize, for his front-page reports in the Washington Post from Iraq. More recently, as Middle East correspondent for the New York Times, he covered the Arab Spring from Egypt to Libya (where he was held captive in March, 2011) to Syria. In 2010, he earned his second Pulitzer. Tragically, on February 16, 2012, he died while on assignment in Syria.
Table of Contents
Contents
and#160;
Prefaceand#160;andshy;xi
The New Civil andshy;Serviceand#160;1
Tanks into andshy;Sticksand#160;6
Whether on the Shores of andshy;Asiaand#160;10
and#160;
Part andshy;Oneand#160;15
Chicago and andshy;Parisand#160;17
Humaand#160;19
Fare andshy;Forwardand#160;23
These andshy;Bootsand#160;30
and#160;
Part andshy;Twoand#160;35
Qasimand#160;37
Impersonal andshy;Pronounand#160;44
A Tajik andshy;Villageand#160;48
The Emir of the andshy;Westand#160;50
Caravanserai, Whose andshy;Portals . . .and#160;56To a Blind Manand#8217;s andshy;Eyeand#160;62
Genealogiesand#160;69
Lest He Returning Chide . . .and#160;74
Crown andshy;Jewelsand#160;85
Bread and andshy;Waterand#160;90
The Fighting Man andshy;Shalland#160;95
A Nothing andshy;Manand#160;99
and#160;
Part Threeand#160;103
Highland andshy;Buildingsand#160;105
The Missionary andshy;Danceand#160;112
Mirrored Catand#8217;sandshy;-andshy;Eye andshy;Shadesand#160;117
Marrying a andshy;Muslimand#160;120
War andshy;Dogand#160;127
Commandant Haji (Moalem) Mohsin Khan of andshy;Kamenjand#160;134
Cousinsand#160;141
and#160;
Part Fourand#160;145
The Minaret of andshy;Jamand#160;147
Traces in the andshy;Groundand#160;157
Between Jam and andshy;Chaghcharanand#160;161
Dawn andshy;Prayersand#160;164
Little andshy;Lordand#160;167
Frogsand#160;172
The Windy andshy;Placeand#160;177and#160;
Part andshy;Fiveand#160;183
Name andshy;Navigationand#160;185
The Greeting of andshy;Strangersand#160;192
Leaves on the andshy;Ceilingand#160;197
Flamesand#160;200
Zia of andshy;Katlishand#160;203
The Sacred andshy;Guestand#160;208
The Cave of andshy;Zarinand#160;212
Devotionsand#160;217
The Defiles of the andshy;Valleyand#160;220
and#160;
Part Sixand#160;227
The Intermediate Stages of andshy;Deathand#160;229
Winged andshy;Footprintsand#160;231
Blair and the andshy;Koranand#160;234
Salt Ground and andshy;Spikenardand#160;239
Pale Circles in andshy;Wallsand#160;242
@afghangov.organd#160;245
While the Note andshy;Lastsand#160;250
Part Sevenand#160;255
Footprints on the andshy;Ceilingand#160;257
I Am the andshy;Zoomand#160;260
Karamanand#160;262
Khaliliand#8217;s andshy;Troopsand#160;266
And I Have andshy;Mineand#160;270
The Scheme of andshy;Generationand#160;273
The Source of the Kabul andshy;Riverand#160;276
Talibanand#160;279
Toesand#160;285
Marbleand#160;289
and#160;
Epilogueand#160;295
and#160;
Acknowledgmentsand#160;299