With the first cup of tea you are a stranger. With the second...a friend. With the third cup of tea, you are family. In 1993, Greg Mortenson tried to climb K2, which is the second highest mountain in the world. On the way down, he was lost in the mountains of Pakistan and stumbled into a poor village. There, the village chief and his people offered Greg even more than three cups of tea: they nursed him back to health. Moved by their kindness, he promised to return and build a school for their children. This is the story of that promise's extraordinary result. Despite death threats, a kidnapping, and more, Mortenson has built over 60 schools - especially for girls - in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has dedicated his life to promoting peace through education, one child at a time.

Reviews

Gr 6-8-Hiking in the mountains of Pakistan in 1993, Mortenson got lost. He found his way to a small village where the locals helped him recover from his ordeal. While there, he noticed that the students had no building and did all of their schooling out of doors. Motivated to repay the kindness he had received, he vowed to return to the village and help build a school. Thus began his real life's journey. Mortenson's story recounts the troubles he faced in the U.S. trying to raise the money and then in Pakistan, trying to get the actual supplies to a remote mountain location. His eventual success led to another, and yet another, until he established a foundation and built a string of schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson manages to give the story an insider's feel despite being an outsider himself. His love of the region and the people is evident throughout and his dedication to them stalwart. The writing is lively, if simplistic, and for the most part the story moves along at a fairly quick clip. In this specially adapted edition for young people, new photographs and an interview with Mortenson's young daughter, who often travels with him, have been added.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.