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jennajean's review against another edition
4.0
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]
[around the world challenge - lebanon]
dkatreads's review against another edition
4.0
Some moments in this book really sang.
A chance to see the stories we come from, and the stories we are making, and the ways they harmonize together beyond our ability to hear. As someone trying to interrogate where it is that I come from, this was both a calling to step further in, and a gentle reckoning with the reality that I may never find what I am searching for. And that’s okay.
A chance to see the stories we come from, and the stories we are making, and the ways they harmonize together beyond our ability to hear. As someone trying to interrogate where it is that I come from, this was both a calling to step further in, and a gentle reckoning with the reality that I may never find what I am searching for. And that’s okay.
taracloudclark's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
5.0
House of Stone is a memoir cataloging the author’s experience returning to his grandparents’ homeland to restore the ancestral home in Lebanon. The story is woven together with characterizations of his Lebanese community members, Lebanese culture and history, his family’s experiences leaving Lebanon, and his own experiences in the Middle East as a journalist.
Having recently read my new favorite book, Everything Sad is Untrue, I had trouble getting through HoS. ESIU did a similar thing (though hearkening to the author’s Syrian lineage) and did it in a quicker, funnier, and more interesting manner. (Ironically, or maybe by some causative reason, both families ended up in Oklahoma, about 100 years apart.)
I would encourage anyone reading this to read a brief overview of Lebanese history for the last century or so. It’ll help you follow along.
The narrator for this book was very good, helping distinguish the characters well and providing an authentic middle eastern accent.
Having recently read my new favorite book, Everything Sad is Untrue, I had trouble getting through HoS. ESIU did a similar thing (though hearkening to the author’s Syrian lineage) and did it in a quicker, funnier, and more interesting manner. (Ironically, or maybe by some causative reason, both families ended up in Oklahoma, about 100 years apart.)
I would encourage anyone reading this to read a brief overview of Lebanese history for the last century or so. It’ll help you follow along.
The narrator for this book was very good, helping distinguish the characters well and providing an authentic middle eastern accent.
maggierish's review against another edition
Felt slow and repetitive. The parts about the history of the Middle East and Lebanon were interesting, but it was primarily conversations with men in town and discussions of home repairs that dragged on
rissaleighs's review against another edition
Sad to say, I just couldn't get into this one.
sducharme's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to love this but my interest waned part-way through. Even though it's well-written and combines family history, the complexities of Lebanese social mores, lots of the local color I remember from my three years in Lebanon, and the rebuilding of a house - I finished half-heartedly. Sometimes I think I'll never be able to reach a satisfactory level of understanding of this enigmatic place. I love it, but its issues are so multilayered and nuanced, I get lost.