A House in the Sky

Genre: Non-Fiction

This is the true life story of Amanda Lindhout, a young, single, Canadian woman. We learn of Amanda's early childhood, with an emotionally absent mother and men who come in and out of the picture. Amanda gets the "travel-bug" early in her 20's and begins to travel with earnest all over the world. She spends just long enough at home to save money to fund her next travel adventure and then she heads off. At some point she decides that what she needs to do is make money while she travels and begins taking photos of her visits and writing articles and a blog about her experiences. During one of these visits, upon entering a country, she feels that something isn't right, but proceeds according to plan. She and her friend, their guides and security are all kidnapped and held for ransom. For the next 15 months Amanda will learn the true meaning of perseverance in the face of evil. This is a story of friendship, love and learning that we can survive anything if we want it bad enough.

This book will stay with me for a while. In my mind, it is divided into two parts; the before and the after of the kidnapping. The before reads like you're having coffee with a friend who is sharing all of her great travel adventures. Lindhout begins her travel adventures in South America and from there travels everywhere in the world. She experiences the majesty that this world has to offer in the best of ways. Her adventures sound fun, exciting and harmless. The after part of the book is intense and very compelling. I listened to this book, narrated by Lindhout herself, and wanted the world to stop (as in, no work, no walking the dog or even reading with my kids) so I could finish listening to her story and find out what happens to her. It is a moving story with ups and downs and you will find yourself willingly going on this roller coaster ride with Lindhout.

If you're like me, after reading this book you will still want to explore this world, but will do so with caution. But, mostly, you will want to count your blessings, and after you're done, you'll realize just how many you have and just how lucky you are.