Three Cups of Tea

"I was born between trying quickly to learn how to pray like a Shia and making the most of my opportunity to study the ancient Buddhist woodcarvings on the walls," Mortenson says. If the Balti respected Buddhism swastikas and wheels of life, Mortenson decided, as his eye lingered on the carvings, they were probably tolerant enough to endure an infidel praying as a tailor had taught him(142)."


This book, Three Cups of Tea, by co-authors (I think...) Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, is essentially about a man, Mortenson, who sort of accidentally came across an unlucky and unfortunate Pakistan village in Karaokam mountains. Mortenson tried to climb Mt. Everest but failed and after staying in this village is compelled to help out the inhabitants. Mortenson tells the villiagers that he will return someday and do whatever he can to help, and in his case he helps by building a school. Starting with just one and than moving onward to build up to fifty-five schools. A majority of the schools are for women, which amazingly touches the readers. The conditions for women in Pakistan along with other middle eastern countries are utterly horrible. Although they are slowly growing better the way that women are treated is both shocking and horribly depressing. This book reminds me of a little of the Kite Runner, but has tremendous resemblance with A Thousand Splendid Suns. Having already read both of those books I consider myself at least slightly educated about the conditions of life over seas, and too read another book about the trials these people deal with it really makes me think about what I have and how lucky I really am. I mean, I can leave my house alone and return whenever I want, I have independence that other women in other countries just don't have and it really makes me sad to think that.