This month’s book is supposed to be an inspirational true story. I had picked it to inspire us. To help us remember that there is good in this world. Particularly after our last two novels of racism and prejudice, we may be in need of something uplifting.
Unfortunately, while trying to write this introduction I have come across a lot of articles discussing Mortenson as being a fraud. It looks like he did embellish his story and defraud the CAI foundation. But it does seem that the foundation did build some schools and that Mortenson did repay the foundation after an investigation. I hope we can enjoy the sentiment of what this book was trying to offer its readers and try not to let Mortenson’s less than noble actions impact our reading too hard.
I took these questions from Litlovers.com. I felt that they might be some interesting things to discuss. If they prove to be too difficult, we can just skip them and discuss other areas of the book.
1.The Balti people are fierce yet extremely hospitable, kind yet rigid, determined to better themselves yet stuck in the past. Discuss your reactions to them and the other groups that Mortenson tries to help.
2.The authors write that “the Balti held the key to a kind of uncomplicated happiness that was disappearing in the developing world.” This peaceful simplicity of life seems to be part of what attracts Mortenson to the villagers. Discuss the pros and cons of bringing “civilization” to the mountain community.
3. Much of the book is a meditation on what it means to be a foreigner assimilating with another culture. Discuss your own experiences with foreign cultures—things that you have learned, mistakes you have made, misunderstandings you have endured.
I hope we all enjoy this. Happy reading!
Hello dear Friends,
ReplyDeleteWhat a different world we find ourselves in this month. I am hoping you and your families are safe and well. Katie, my heart goes out to you and Franklin continuing to work and face all the dangers that involves, thank you. Sue, is all OK with you?
We are fine here at the moment, self isolating isn’t a whole lot different from my usual life. I am of course worried for my little family in Brisbane, but all good there at present.
I have to admit to a mistake with this month’s book, I accidentally purchased the children’s version and so have a much simpler version than you both do!
Firstly, I would commend Greg Mortenson on the improvements he has made to female literacy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, that being said I found it very difficult to not be sceptical of his story.
I find it sad he fabricated part of his story to sell more books but this also allowed him the platform to begin what I’m sure he intended to be noble deeds.
It is also sad he allowed himself to become so caught up in his celebrity that he defrauded the foundation he created, paying back the money only after he was caught is still disingenuous .
I’m not sure it was because of my implied version but I also had issue with his lack of cultural knowledge and bull dozing behaviour in regards to what he thought was most important to the Balti people.
I felt some fundamental questions should have been asked of the Balti Chief.
Do you need anything?
What’s most important for you?
Do you actually need my help?
I felt the arrogance he displayed in assuming what these ancient people needed is fairly typical of our western white privilege.
I am also not sure if the Balti would say of themselves they have an “uncomplicated happiness”.
Certainly their lives seemed free of the trappings of western culture, and simple from necessity, but to romanticise their hardships and tough subsistence way of life seems arrogant.
Mortenson certainly devoted much of his time to this project and achieved good things and has helped communities less fortunate than his own, he deserves praise for this.
In our world right now we need so much to see and celebrate the generosity of humans. Mortenson for his hard work in building centres of learning for people who had no access to them and the Balti people for their generosity in allowing a stranger into their community and embracing him.
I am a little worried about our next book, might be a bit of a downer. Let’s hope Margaret Atwood’s writing skills carry us through.
Love to you all,
Hello to you both!
ReplyDeleteHope you and your families are well. Nancy, I am glad to hear that your crew is well. Glad that self-isolation isn’t too difficult to your way of life. I haven’t heard much about Australia being affected as terribly as many other countries. Sue, how are you and your parents doing? I hope you are staying safe. Franklin’s department broke into two teams so he is off for the next two weeks. I, on the other hand, am still going to work. I am considered “essential” staff which I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse, haha. The kids are good. They aren’t too thrilled with the home schooling or not being allowed to go anywhere. We are holding up as best we can.
I understand your feelings regarding Greg and his lies, Nancy. I tried to disregard those facts to simply enjoy this month’s novel. With all the terribleness going on, I felt I desperately needed to feel uplifted. So I chose to read the book as it had been written with the belief that this man did many incredible and noble things. Deceiving myself worked rather well I must say. The book frequently made me feel like cheering and sending copious amounts of money to the CAI. Now that I have finished the book, it is a shame that not all of those wonderful occurrences are true. It is a shame he let personal gain win. But that being said, I enjoyed it as a work of fiction knowing that not every part of it was factual and felt some hope in humanity and people.
Your argument of Greg being an assuming Westerner is brilliant, Nancy. Until I read your comments I didn’t even think about the village needing something other than education. How right you are that Greg was pretty presumptuous! Certainly after Greg prevented that woman from dying post-childbirth, one might think that maybe the village needed a hospital or doctors more than a school. To ask the community what it valued most would have shown a greater degree of cultural awareness.
You certainly looked at this novel in a significantly different light, Nancy. I see what Litlovers.com was trying to say about the Balti people having an “uncomplicated happiness”. But I also agree with you that this book group over-romanticizing a harsh and difficult life lived by the Balti people. I feel a little embarrassed that I took this at such face value. Now I cannot un-see the idea of a white man deciding what a group of “primitive people” needed and patting himself on the back for providing it.
It was nice to learn some of the various culture differences regarding the Muslim world. As someone who was raised in the Catholic school system, I was very unaware of most practices regarding Islam. I work with a woman from Pakistan and I have asked her questions regarding her religion and culture. But I think I learned more from Three Cups of Tea. Each chapter had a little quote and the one that make me laugh was “Trust in Allah but tie up your camel.” I hope you both found as much humor in that as I did.
Hope you both continue to stay safe in this current uncertain time. Much love to you and your families.
-Katie