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28 reviews for:
The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: An American Journalist's Adventures in the Oldest City on Earth
Jennifer Steil
3.36 AVERAGE
28 reviews for:
The Woman Who Fell from the Sky: An American Journalist's Adventures in the Oldest City on Earth
Jennifer Steil
3.36 AVERAGE
Steil is a newspaper writer---just the facts, ma'am. At times, especially when describing the treatment of women in Yemen, I wanted her to show more emotion. I wanted her to be as angry and outraged as I am.
Steil writes a great line about reading as means of learning about cultures we would otherwise not understand and places we would otherwise not travel to see. I had no great desire to visit Yemen prior to reading this, and I still don't, but through the magic of reading, I have travelled to Yemen, in a way, and learned more about Sana'a and Yemeni culture.
Steil writes a great line about reading as means of learning about cultures we would otherwise not understand and places we would otherwise not travel to see. I had no great desire to visit Yemen prior to reading this, and I still don't, but through the magic of reading, I have travelled to Yemen, in a way, and learned more about Sana'a and Yemeni culture.
I enjoyed both the journalism/ newspaper story as well as her "foreigner in Yemen" part of the story. Her openness to adventure and the culture made this a great read and a glimpse into a state I didn't know much about. There is some about the politics and government, but also a lot about culture and people, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I enjoyed that the Yemeni woman who got the fellowship in Mississippi said it wasn't so different from Yemen. Before anyone takes offense, I rather take it as something I've thought for a long time- that people aren't so different as we make them out to be.
Maybe 3.5*
The good news is this book taught me more about the country of Yemen and its culture. And while I appreciate that, I really didn't love the book. The book frustrated me at every turn, perhaps because the author was too open and honest throughout her Yemeni adventure. I just really couldn’t relate to her as a woman, a journalist, or a professional.
What I got about Yemeni culture is that Yemeni women are all gems who are treated as second-class citizens and segregated from the men (except at home). Next, the country is going to hell in a handbasket because most of the men chew qat, which is a mood altering stimulant, for hours at a time instead of working or spending time with their family. One of the quotes from a Yemeni man in the book is, “If you had a wife who was uneducated and illiterate, with no interest in politics…, would you be in a rush to get home?” But yet the men are the ones who “create” this situation.
I read the whole book – and still don’t know why the title is “The Woman Who Fell From the Sky”. She didn’t fall there accidentally. She was looking for an adventure and seemingly wanted to help teach native Yemenis how to be journalists twice. I'm very torn about how I feel about this book and would have loved to talk to someone else about it. I guess it would have been a good book club book.
The good news is this book taught me more about the country of Yemen and its culture. And while I appreciate that, I really didn't love the book. The book frustrated me at every turn, perhaps because the author was too open and honest throughout her Yemeni adventure. I just really couldn’t relate to her as a woman, a journalist, or a professional.
What I got about Yemeni culture is that Yemeni women are all gems who are treated as second-class citizens and segregated from the men (except at home). Next, the country is going to hell in a handbasket because most of the men chew qat, which is a mood altering stimulant, for hours at a time instead of working or spending time with their family. One of the quotes from a Yemeni man in the book is, “If you had a wife who was uneducated and illiterate, with no interest in politics…, would you be in a rush to get home?” But yet the men are the ones who “create” this situation.
I read the whole book – and still don’t know why the title is “The Woman Who Fell From the Sky”. She didn’t fall there accidentally. She was looking for an adventure and seemingly wanted to help teach native Yemenis how to be journalists twice. I'm very torn about how I feel about this book and would have loved to talk to someone else about it. I guess it would have been a good book club book.
This is a great tale of the challenges of implementing democratic principles in the Arab world. Jennifer goes to Yemen to train journalists and finds all kinds of obstacles to her efforts. A fun read.
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
I learned a lot about Yemen and its history. Before I read this book, I could barely locate it on a map. (How American-centric am I!)
I found this book a fascinating intro into the world of Yemeni culture. Hired to train reporters for the Yemeni Observer in basic journalistic skills, New Yorker Jennifer Steil becomes enraptured with the culture and morays of this ancient land. She acts as editor for a year and along the way shares her experiences learning about this gender segregated society. At the very end she gives love with a married British diplomat. While the story is interesting I didn't find the writing exceptionally compelling. It also seemed strafe that she ended up in a very taboo relationship and doesn't really comment on this. Still after reading the book I was intrigued to find out more and read a few damning and frankly salacious British news articles about her affair. Labelled as an American trollop it made me even more curious as to why she didn't expand on her personal life more.