House in the Sky (Lindhout) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
[Lindhout's] tale, exquisitely told with her co-author, Sara Corbett…is much more than a gonzo adventure tale gone awry—it's a young woman's harrowing coming-of-age story and an extraordinary narrative of forgiveness and spiritual triumph…There's no self-pity or grandiosity in these pages. The rage and self-hatred born out of bad decisions and bad luck have long since burned into a clear-hearted attempt to record the cruelties Lindhout endured…In the cleanest prose, she and Corbett allow events both horrific and absurd…to unfold on their own. Lindhout's resilience transforms the story from a litany of horrors into a humbling encounter with the human spirit.
Eliza Griswold - New York Times Book Review


Canadian journalist Lindhout gives a well-honed, harrowing account of her 459-day captivity at the hands of Somali Islamist rebels.... [S]he eventually converted to Islam (“They can’t kill us if we convert,” she told Nigel), was separated from Nigel, and was raped and tortured.... She and Nigel miraculously survived.
Publishers Weekly


[W]hen she was finally released, Lindhout responded by founding the Global Enrichment Foundation to help the people of Somalia—a fact she mentions briefly in an entirely un-self-congratulatory epilog. [A] remarkably keen-eyed, honest, and radiant memoir, written with accomplished journalist Corbett.... [T]here's less anger here than thoughtful observation and the desire that readers understand. —Barbara Hoffert
Library Journal


With the assistance of New York Times Magazine writer Corbett, Lindhout, who was held hostage in Somalia for more than a year, chronicles her harrowing ordeal and how she found the moral strength to survive.... Her guards were young Muslim extremists, but their motive was financial...a get-rich scheme that backfired.... A vivid, gut-wrenching, beautifully written, memorable book.
Kirkus Reviews