The Rory Gilmore Book Club discussion

Okay so for my English project i need to write an essay on a book about Global Issues (poverty, homelessness, represive government) It has to take place in a third-world country and perferably not longer than 400 pages. if any one has any suggestions please list the title and author (links would be nice too)

thank-you so much

-KaroLisha

Sarah Chayes, a former NPR reporter who works for an Afghani NGO, wrote "The Punishment of Virtue" which pretty much has all three of your criteria in it at one point or another, and it's around 362 pages not including indexes and such.
http://www.amazon.com/Punishment-Virt...

It's now out in paperback. I have read parts of it, and heard her talk about it on various programs, and it's interesting to get the perspective of someone who lives there.

Good Luck.

Good assignment. I recommend The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. Great story and such an interesting view of life in India. Here's a little review:The Space Between Us, Thrity Umrigar's poignant novel about a wealthy woman and her downtrodden servant, offers a revealing look at class and gender roles in modern day Bombay. Alternatively told through the eyes of Sera, a Parsi widow whose pregnant daughter and son-in-law share her elegant home, and Bhima, the elderly housekeeper who must support her orphaned granddaughter, Umrigar does an admirable job of creating two sympathetic characters whose bond goes far deeper than that of employer and employee.
When we first meet Bhima, she is sharing a thin mattress with Maya, the granddaughter upon whom high hopes and dreams were placed, only to be shattered by an unexpected pregnancy and its disastrous consequences. As time goes on, we learn that Sera and her family have used their power and money time and time again to influence the lives of Bhima and Maya, from caring for Bhima's estranged husband after a workplace accident, to providing the funds for Maya's college education. We also learn that Sera's seemingly privileged life is not as it appears; after enduring years of cruelty under her mother-in-law's roof, she faced physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her husband, pain that only Bhima could see and alleviate. Yet through the triumphs and tragedies, Sera and Bhima always shared a bond that transcended class and race; a bond shared by two women whose fate always seemed to rest in the hands of others, just outside their control.

Told in a series of flashbacks and present day encounters, The Space Between Us gains strength from both plot and prose. A beautiful tale of tragedy and hope, Umrigar's second novel is sure to linger in readers' minds.
Hope you Enjoy it!

Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
It might be more popular than you're thinking of, but I really loved this book. The personal view of the Taliban was amazingly enlightening and I would love to support Mortenson's mission.