Rating: 
Summary: Heartbreaking, Empowering & Triumphant
Review: The book was better than I expected. Like the many people who wrote to Mariane and Adam, I too expereienced unbelivable pain and anger when I heard about Daniel Pearl. For those of you who commented Mariane's story was one sided GIVE ME A BREAK!!!! Did you read the book??? She consistently said good things about Pakistan and the people of Pakistan. Why do you even have to go there??? This book wasn't a personal attack against Pakistanis or Muslims, it is an attack against hatred and unbelievable evil.The book resonates within me, and I wish Mariane and Adam all the best!! God Bless!!
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinary work.
Review: The Epilogue was the portion of the book that had the most impact on me. I choose to believe that the great majority of the world's people are kind and empathetic, and that we all have much more in common than not. The letters written to Mariane and Adam Pearl by strangers around the world made me weep. In the midst of such tragedy, there is hope and beauty in the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Great story of courage and love, but who wrote this?
Review: The problem I have with this book is it was written with the head (the co-writer's perhaps?) and not much from the heart. The prose is controlled and polished, too well written, too structured, too objective. I would like to "hear" Mariane's voice, but this book is more an anatomy of a murder. Only the authors know who actually did the writing, my guess is not Mariane.
Rating:
Summary: A moving rendition of sorrow and survival
Review: The universality of this autobiographical account of coping with the barbaric slaughter of a beloved husband and father-to-be is mirrored, in microcosm, in its author's mixed Hispanic, Chinese, Black, and Caucasian lineage. It is a triumph of the universal human spirit that Mariane Pearl has courageously risen above bitterness and hatred in reaffirmation of the challenges and joys of living. Her moving memorial of her late husband's personal and professional achievements has elicited tributes from world figures and ordinary citizens on all continents, and is itself a testament to the indomitability of love and faith in a world that increasingly resembles a theater of the absurd.
Rating:
Summary: What a profound and great book
Review: This book does such an immense service in showing us the complex issues surrounding terrorism, hatred and politics that led to the sad murder of Daniel Pearl. Mariane Pearl was so fair in showing that the extremist Muslims who took her husband's life do not represent all Muslims. She showed the beauty of Muslims such as Captain and her husband's Wall Street Journal colleague who worked tirelessly to help find her husband. Most of all, she showed a reservoir of great strength in being fair to the people of Pakistan. She revealed with great clarity the hatred within the nation that has made life dangerous for the country's own citizens, but poetically shared with the reader the fact that there are many fighting within the country to make the streets safer for everyone. The country would be well served to learn from this amazing book.
Rating:
Summary: Intimate, courageous and a page-turner
Review: This book is the most intimate portrayal of the forces of terrorism that has been published. Ms. Pearl's place as a common woman caught unwanted and suddenly alone in the crosshairs of today's most terrible forces makes her comparable to a modern version of Rosa Parks. Ms. Pearl's book is courageous, and her writing is gripping. Moreover, her loving portrait of her husband, Daniel Pearl, is touching and romantic. Far from a tragedy, Ms. Pearl's indomitable spirit transforms the horrendous murder of Daniel Pearl into a sharply focused call for justice and truth. This book is a must read. It will not only teach you about what terrorism is really about. This book has the power to change your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Intense
Review: This book tells the intense psycho-drama of Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder from Mariane Pearl's point of view. Mariane begins by explaining how she and her husband came to be working in Pakistan at the time Daniel was abducted. She then narrates minute-by-minute and hour-by-hour what happened when she discovered he was gone, and how the subsequent investigation proceeded. In the epilogue, she details what has happened subsequently. Following this are a sampling of the sympathy letters that she has received following Daniel's death.This book was quite engaging and intense. In fact, it was a little more than I was ready for because my anger over the September 11th attacks is still too fresh and raw. I hoped to learn more in this book about Mariane's read on the situation on the ground in Pakistan at the time of Daniel's abduction. She does discuss some of the religious parties a little, and points out Sheikh Omar's connections to them. But due to the incredible personal tragedy that was unfolding for her, she was not able to get out and talk to ordinary Pakistanis, to take their pulse and try to understand why these things happened. At one point, however, she does go out on a limb with a personal interpretation "This is how we end up in a world where people talk not to communicate but to subjugate; where ignorance keeps people hostage; where those in power simplify complexity so as not to be questioned. This is why those same people hate journalists, at least those who reject black-and-white views of the world, because by exploring the gray zones, journalists can shed new light on issues like Arab-Israeli relations, American foreign relations, or Islamic fundamentalism. ... Thus, for those who promote hatred, we are the most hateable of all."
Rating:
Summary: Intense
Review: This book tells the intense psycho-drama of Daniel Pearl's kidnapping and murder from Mariane Pearl's point of view. Mariane begins by explaining how she and her husband came to be working in Pakistan at the time Daniel was abducted. She then narrates minute-by-minute and hour-by-hour what happened when she discovered he was gone, and how the subsequent investigation proceeded. In the epilogue, she details what has happened subsequently. Following this are a sampling of the sympathy letters that she has received following Daniel's death. This book was quite engaging and intense. In fact, it was a little more than I was ready for because my anger over the September 11th attacks is still too fresh and raw. I hoped to learn more in this book about Mariane's read on the situation on the ground in Pakistan at the time of Daniel's abduction. She does discuss some of the religious parties a little, and points out Sheikh Omar's connections to them. But due to the incredible personal tragedy that was unfolding for her, she was not able to get out and talk to ordinary Pakistanis, to take their pulse and try to understand why these things happened. At one point, however, she does go out on a limb with a personal interpretation "This is how we end up in a world where people talk not to communicate but to subjugate; where ignorance keeps people hostage; where those in power simplify complexity so as not to be questioned. This is why those same people hate journalists, at least those who reject black-and-white views of the world, because by exploring the gray zones, journalists can shed new light on issues like Arab-Israeli relations, American foreign relations, or Islamic fundamentalism. ... Thus, for those who promote hatred, we are the most hateable of all."
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful, though we all know the ending...
Review: This book was a little slow to start, but about halfway through I couldn't put it down. I was hooked. The author lets us know many details of her life with her husband, truly a great man -- what a loss to the world is his death. She exhibits great courage, persistence, hope, and appreciation for those who assisted her through this ordeal. I was crying at several points in this book, even at the end, where she includes many of the letters of support she received from people all over the world. The other bus passengers must have wondered what was going on with me as I sat there reading with tears streaming down my face!
Rating:
Summary: Suspenseful, though we all know the ending...
Review: This book was a little slow to start, but about halfway through I couldn't put it down. I was hooked. The author lets us know many details of her life with her husband, truly a great man -- what a loss to the world is his death. She exhibits great courage, persistence, hope, and appreciation for those who assisted her through this ordeal. I was crying at several points in this book, even at the end, where she includes many of the letters of support she received from people all over the world. The other bus passengers must have wondered what was going on with me as I sat there reading with tears streaming down my face!
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