Customer Reviews

A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was kidnapped by terrorist in Pakistan in 2002. His pregnant wife Mariane tried to manage the search effort. This memoir reveals every emotional heart-wrenching detail during the month of Pearl's kidnapping up to the news of his death. Mariane a journalist herself paces the events as they unfold, complete with the frustration in dealing with the Karachi's bureaucracy and the intricate machinations of the international terrorist community.

She starts by describing how she met Danny and later married and became pregnant. There are plenty of endearing details about Danny ...his love for playing the mandolin, his baby language he made up to talk to his unborn son, his dedication in getting the truth about the shoe bomber Richard Reid and other terrorist activities. After the abduction Mariane describes how she navigated through the underworld politics, the international spotlight and managed to stay in control while the race was on to save her husband. When his fate is finally learned she describes the devastation the news brought and the remarkable courage she had while awaiting their first child. Mariane ends her book with many letters she received from people all over the world.

This is a very touching story that leaves a strong message. Why is there so much misunderstanding and hatred in the world? What was the real motivation behind Daniel Pearl? Why would a journalist put himself in such a situation? Does the media share inadvertently in world problems by giving terrorists and others the publicity they thrive on?

This book is written through the love Mariane has for her husband and the hope they shared for an understanding world. It is quite revealing...

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.

Terrorists know so much more about us that we do about them. Now I understand that this HAS to change.This book made me feel like I was a better person, just for reading it. Moreover, it makes me feel want to be a better person. Easy to read, I read it in 4 nights, when usually it takes me 3 months to read a book. I only know about terrorism what I hear in the news or read in the newspaper. This book is a love story, an education and an eye opener all in one. I now have so much admiration for the dedication of journalists, for the people that I never consciously thought about ...who work around the clock to fight terrorism...to fight for our freedom, for peace, for every one of us on this earth. People who literally and knowingly risk their lives for a better world. Mariane is a remarkable woman, as is her friend Asra - both so brave, smart, courageous and warm. This story is one I wish everyone would read. In writing this book, in publishing it, Mariane Pearl has made the world a better place becasue she opens us up to a world that effects all of us. As I read her book, terrorism struck Madrid, and instead of feeling sorrow while watching the news, I felt so much more - it had so much more meaning.

As is written in the book, terrorists know so much more about us that we do about them. Now I understand that this HAS to change.

Mariane Pearl professes no hate whatsoever and no bitterness considering her husband was brutally murdered in Pakistan by extremists. You were obviously reading a different book than I. I suspect it is the guilt you feel, but should should not take this upon yourself. There is no negativity to her story other than fear and worry, which is totally understandable under the circumstances. One of her champions is Pakistani -- the Captain. What on earth were you reading? It is is horrifying story told in a cerebral way eliminating any "poor me". Mariane Pearl is an inspiration. This book should be on everyone's reading list.

I requested and received this book for Christmas and finished reading it within just a few days. Tho I never really heard much about Daniel Pearl or his wife when he was missing and his death was announced, I thought this book might help increase my understanding of what is going on in the world...and it did that. It was also a very warm and beautiful love story. This book is one of the best books I have read in the past couple years. I will be buying more copies for my grown children as I know they will appreciate the book also.

Like many people, I followed the horrific kidnapping of Daniel Pearl and prayed for him to be saved. He was such a kindly human being and had so much to live for... When he was hideously murdered, I was heartbroken. When this book came out, I was torn, wanting to read it, yet afraid it would be very upsetting. Terrifying material was handled delicately and the book is beautifully done. It is one of my favorite of the year and I gave copies as Christmas presents to many of my friends. They had the same reaction that I had. It's important to keep the memory of such a special man alive. IF the world had more men like Daniel Pearl, and more women like his wife, Mariane, we wouldn't have to worry about the human beasts that are making the world such a terrifying place.
For people who liked this book, I'd like to recommend another beautifully written book, with a story worth reading: MAYADA, DAUGHTER OF IRAQ by author Jean Sasson is a book that touches hearts, as well.

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.

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."

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!

I found this book impossible to put down when I started reading it. I thought I would give it a quick skim and I was hooked. The story and the outcome are well-known, but there are many facts and details here that were not known at all to me.

Contrary to two Amazon reviewers from Pakistan who claim that the book expresses hatred for Pakistanis, the book reveals a woman who has no place in her heart for hate or prejudice or stereotypes. Indeed, she has deep emotional attachments to several Pakistani investigators who tried to find her husband before it was too late.

Mariane Pearl is amazingly kind, generous, and loving, as well as courageous. She faced her trauma with remarkable strength of character. At no point did she blame "Pakistanis," and she is remarkably restrained in what she says about the zealots and terrorists who killed her husband. She describes the experience she lived through and the loving relationship that she had with her husband, as well as describing the remarkable man that he was. They had a beautiful love affair, and her love for him is what sustains the narrative. At the same time, the reader learns about the abundance of terrorist organizations and their connections to Pakistan's elusive intelligence organizations (the ISI).

The book is a compelling narrative and I recommend it highly to anyone who wants to understand the world as it is today. It is a beautiful love story, a suspenseful mystery, a tale of international intrigue, and a guide to some of the scariest terrorist organizations in the world.