House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East in Around the World

Apr 17, 2013 Marieke rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-book, non-fiction, memoir, journalism-opinion, brand-spankin-new, kindle, lebanon, 2013

I liked this book more and more as I read, but also felt sadder and sadder with Anthony Shadid's death in the back of my mind. Maybe Dr. Khairallah is teaching him how to care for bonsai now, somewhere in an alternate dimension. Or something...

Here on Earth in the living realm, I found the predictions of the syrian conflict scattered about in the book quite unsettling. On a less morbid note, I really enjoyed reading about his family coming to America and creating their life here. I have an even ...more

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Dec 11, 2012 Emma rated it really liked it

Shelves: around-the-world-in-52-books-readin, read-in-2012

This book is excellent at evoking the tragic destiny of Lebanon, stuck within conflicts raised by its bigger and more distant neighbors. It felt depressing when I read it, because I knew the author had been killed shortly before the publication of the book, and that he did not have much time to enjoy and share with his family his ancestors’ house he renovated. The book describes with humor and honesty what seems to be common characteristics of the people. This is a must read for anyone intereste ...more

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Mar 25, 2013 Shawn rated it really liked it

Shelves: international, location-branding, travel-books, biographies-memoirs-autobio-us

In a way it is kinda amazing that you can read a book about someone building a home and enjoy it, but I did. This book is written by a two time Pulitzer prize winning foreign correspondent and second generation American who decides to rebuild his ancestral home in the middle east, Lebanon to be exact. The book gives an insight into middle east history and culture of the area without being preachy or political. I got involved with Anthony and his friends and could totally formed a picture (in my ...more

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Dec 12, 2012 Joy rated it it was ok

Shelves: around-the-world-in-80-books

House of Stone by Anthony Shadid was a far cry from my favorite book of this international reading challenge. It's only saving grace, in my eyes, was his beautiful writing. I truly enjoyed how Shadid crafted sentences, described the scene, and brought characters to life. It's just sad that the story he was telling was of no interest to me.

Basically, he returned to the land of his ancestors, Lebanon, to rebuild the family home that had been destroyed by one of the many acts of violence in the Mi ...more

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Sep 28, 2016 Suzanne rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: memoir, travel, non-fiction, book-club-2016

I actually ordered this book by mistake - I had intended to purchase another book by the same name, but different author. This version of A House of Stone is a memoir about the author's experiences in rebuilding his ancestral home in Southern Lebanon. I enjoy books like these, so I wasn't disappointed about the mix-up and decided to give it a try.

I enjoyed Shadid's telling of the struggles of a building project in a third world country, and his amusing and interesting stories about his friends a ...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Jenna Garrett rated it really liked it

Shelves: around-the-world, middle-east

A beautiful memoir of war, history, and home. Written by a Lebanese-American Washington Post journalist who covered the middle east in recent years (and who, sadly, recently passed away of an asthma attack on the job), the book covers his journey to his ancestral home in Lebanon, rebuilding the war-torn house, and in the process, discovering what home means.

[around the world challenge - lebanon]

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Mar 26, 2012 Sara rated it liked it

Shelves: bio-memoirs, non-fiction, middle-east, amara-s-book-club, kindle, 2014, around-the-world-in-52-books

I love Anthony Shadid's writing and humor in this book, and I am looking forward to read his other works. Sadly, his life was cut short and he died on an assignment in Syria. He had accomplished a lot with his writing and Noble prize awards in his short life. ...more

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