Three Cups of Tea: A Review

Well I get delirious in a book shop and like many who cant get out of a shoe shop without a shoe, I can’t get out of a book shop without a book. Often even without being in a hurry, I pick up books like the chocolate deprived child who has gained access to Charlie’s Magical Chocolate Factory, in a hurry never knowing when the alarm bell will go off putting an end to the escapade a little too soon. Often in this hurry I pick up books I can never read, books which are well boring.
I entered the Chennai Airport Book Store and hoped that I would find something read worthy (airport book stores are normally hopeless). I looked and looked and found an interesting title “Three Cups of Tea:, my friends will know I can never go past a book titled that. Picked it up and was intrigued enough by the jacket description. A book about a climber who goes back to the villages at the base of K2 to build schools. In a super exited state I picked that up along with Haruki Marukami (hopefully will review that by Tuesday!)

Anyway I got onto the plane, abandoned Darkness at Noon (what is with that book and me.. cant seem to get beyond the 100th page each time I pick it up). As I relaxed and began leafing through the book, an important detail caught my eye. This edition was the “Young Reader’s” edition. With my other books packed away in the luggage rack, I reckoned (was dying to use that word for some reason) no harm will be done if I read a few pages of this book.
And so I started a little curious, a little doubtful. But I was captivated. Goes to prove a good story, an inspiring hero and an honest account maybe meant for anyone but is loved by all. The story is about Greg Mortenson who vows to climb Mount K2 as a tribute to his sister Christa. He gets lost on his way up and ends up in the small small village of Korphe. The simple villagers and their chief Haji Ali take him in as an esteemed guest and play host to him with the best of their very limited resources. Moved by their hospitality and the fact that the young children had only an empty field and a teacher 3 days a week for a school. He saw the children diligently practice their multiplication tables in the dirt without a teacher and vowed to build a school for them. Many of us go through moments in life where a cause greater than us inspires us and most of us return back to our real worlds cherishing the memories of that inspiration but little else. What makes this story heroic is that he actually came back to build the school. Greg Mortenson was not one of your quintessential rich American boys who had a stash of cash piled away at home. He came back, was unemployed, homeless and wrote 250 letters to celebrities trying to enlist their support, nothing came around. He persevered and finally got the money to build the school, reached Khorpe only to discover he had to build a bridge first.
The book then takes the reader through the remarkable journey of Greg’s first school and then many more through the establishment of the Central Asian Institute. The tough terrain, lack of resources and even a kidnapping could not break Greg’s spirit as he trudged through North West Pakistan building schools for little girls and boys.
Greg endears himself to the local population and it is with their support, their land and their hard work he builds schools. He forms lasting friendships with the people often learning more from them than he could ever hope to teach.
In the end this book though meant for children left me feeling inspired and awed and recharged, a feat many books aimed for people my age fail to do. What makes this book special is the fact it makes an attempt to acquaint children with the reality of what is happening in the world. Often I read how parents are torn between exposing their kids to the cruel reality too soon and keeping their children protected too long. I think this book is the perfect medium to introduce children to the reality of war, refugee camps and unschooled children as it does not fill them with despair but equips them with hope and a tool to help. The book introduces the “Pennies for Peace” program run in schools across the US. On a completely unrelated note I know two very special girls who collected their pocket money to make stationary sets for children who need them. I hope this book will make more such kids come forward.
My two aha moments in this book, Greg is in the middle of a school opening in Pakistan when 9/11 happens. The old village chief on learning this gave an honest speech; he knew that terrorism is not because of evil but mostly because of poverty and no education. Greg after the speech says “I think all who think “muslim” is another way of saying terrorist could have been there that day. The core tenets of Islam are justice, tolerance and charity”. I wish we all could just open ourselves a little and get to know people before we label them.
The second one came pretty early on in the book, as Greg saw the children study on the frosty ground he wondered “Can you imagine a fourth grade class in America, alone, without a teacher sitting there quietly working on their lessons?” I know what he feels; I have seen too many bratty and whiny 8 year olds. Whatever little time I have spent with underprivileged kids I am yet to see anyone of them complain. Compare that to your average 8 year old.
Actually there was another aha moment in the book, Jahan a young girl says “ I could not take my eyes off the foreign ladies, they seemed so dignified…… one day Allah willing I shall be a great lady too”. It reminded me of what education means to a lot of people.
I will pick up the grown up version of the book very soon, and if you have a young reader at home I have a spare copy. This is one book I would not mind lending.