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A House in the Sky

Written by: Amanda Lindhout, Sara Corbett
Narrated by: Amanda Lindhout
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Publisher's Summary

Amanda Lindhout reads her spectacularly dramatic memoir of a woman whose curiosity about the world led her from rural Canada to imperiled and dangerous countries on every continent, and then into 15 months of harrowing captivity in Somalia - a story of courage, resilience, and extraordinary grace.

At the age of 18, Amanda Lindhout moved from her hardscrabble Alberta hometown to the big city - Calgary - and worked as a cocktail waitress, saving her tips so she could travel the globe. As a child, she escaped a violent household by paging through National Geographic and imagining herself in its exotic locales. Now she would see those places for real. She backpacked through Latin America, Laos, Bangladesh, and India, and emboldened by each experience, went on to travel solo across Sudan, Syria, and Pakistan. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a TV reporter. In August 2008, she traveled to Mogadishu, Somalia - "the most dangerous place on Earth" - to report on the fighting there. On her fourth day in the country, she and her photojournalist companion were abducted.

An astoundingly intimate and harrowing account of Lindhout's 15 months as a captive, A House in the Sky illuminates the psychology, motivations, and desperate extremism of her young guards and the men in charge of them. She is kept in chains, nearly starved, and subjected to unthinkable abuse. She survives by imagining herself in a "house in the sky", looking down at the woman shackled below, and finding strength and hope in the power of her own mind. Lindhout's decision, upon her release, to counter the violence she endured by founding an organization to help the Somali people rebuild their country through education is a wrenching testament to the capacity of the human spirit and an astonishing portrait of the power of compassion and forgiveness.

©2013 Amanda Lindhout and Sara Corbett (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

What listeners say about A House in the Sky

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A difficult but important read

Overall, this novel was wonderful but very difficult to read. This is not a novel that you want to listen to when you're looking for a light read by the beach. It is difficult and dark and deep and challenges you to your core. For this reason, I feel that it is important for everyone to read. It will have you in tears, in laughter, in shock, but most importantly, hopeful. It is a true dig into the deepest parts of our souls. Would recommend.

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Harrowing true story of survival and courage

This is an extremely well written story of 15 months of captivity and torture of two young travellers at the hands of Islamic extremists and demented individuals. I high recommend it as a story of endurance, survival, hope and in the end, Love. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know the unvarnished truth about how some people act in the most evil ways and excuse it through religion and others who overcome it all through the strength of their inner character and determination to survive.

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Incredible true story about resilience

Did I cry? yes. Will you cry too? yes. Do I still recommend it? absolutely.

Can't even begin to comprehend how she was able to survive mentally. I think this story opened up new ideas in my mind about the human brain and resilience itself. So many powerful moments in this book. I was recommended by a friend and I continue to recommend it to others.

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a great read if grim reality

Amanda Lindhout was captured, raped, tortured and isolated for 15 months. hard enough to write her story, more extraordinary that she reads it for the audio book.

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hard to listen to but so inspiring

Amanda shouldn't have gone to Somalia, but she paid for it dearly. her suffering and torture was really hard to hear about but I was so amazed by how she used her mind to get through it. thank you for sharing your story with us Amanda!

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endurance

the story was absolutely captivating. how anyone could keep hope up during this type of pain and loneliness is unbelievable. I would have liked more of an update on how Amanda was doing a couple of years after being home and did she ever contact Nigel or him her.

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The Most Beautiful Gut Punch

Reading about Amanda’s horrifying ordeal left me unable to put this one down. This book will, and should, stay with you a lifetime. Her strength and resilience in the darkest of hours left me contemplating if I could ever have such will, stay so positive, and be as smart as to adapt to survive. Amanda narrates the book herself which left me feeling so connected to my fellow Canadian although provinces away. This was beautiful. But difficult. I highly recommend A House in the Sky if you want a glimpse at what faith and grit can do.

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Eye opening

A book that could easily be filled twice over with resentment, anger and fear. Amanda Lindhout instead opts for a detailed and chilling recounting of her time in Somalia. Ultimately, it's her move towards forgiveness of herself and of her captors which tie the book together and highlight the strength she possesses, evident throughout the entire novel.

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Hope

Definitely 5 stars, I’m from Alberta Canada as well and found Amanda Lindhout inspiring, with such a strong soul and determination and an ability to feel empathy even for her captors gave me hope for humanity. You are a shining star in all the darkness. God bless you and may your days be filled with joy. Tania

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survival

I've been waiting for yrs to read this book , now I finally was able to with audible available now. Amanda , so sorry for what you have been through and had to endure , you are the most amazing , strong willed human. being on this earth I've ever come to know . thank you for sharing your story ! I loved this book tremendously an absolute 5 star read .thank you 🙏♥️

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