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Whatare Jonathan Yardley’s favorite books of 2010? Find out in today’s special section of Book World, behind Sports.
AFGHANISTANREVIEWBYPHILIPCAPUTO
A marriage held hostage by the Taliban
A ROPE AND A PRAYER A Kidnapping From Two Sides By David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill Viking. 362 pp. $26.95
O
n a February morning in 1675, a Narragansett Indi- an war party attacked Lancaster, Mass., killed a number of townspeople,
and tookMary Rowlandson and her three children hostage. Held in harsh conditions for 11
weeks, she endured the death of her youngest daughter before she was ransomed. Seven years later, Row- landson published “The Sovereignty andGoodness ofGod,” an account of her ordeal that became a bestseller and launched a genre of American literature: the captivity narrative. Dozens were published in the next
200 years. Most described the expe- riences of white settlers seized by Native Americans. With the end of the Indian Wars, these tales disap- peared. But in the past 20 years, the genre has been revived by the rise of Islamist extremism and America’s ever-deepening involvement in the Middle East and
CentralAsia.Nowa- days, the victims are mostly journal- ists, diplomats and aid workers. The latest addition to this litera-
ture is “ARope and a Prayer,” byNew York Times correspondent David Rohde and his wife, Kristen Mulvi- hill. They tell their stories in alter- nating chapters, creating a harrow- ing narrative of two captivities. Roh- de was abducted by Taliban insur- gents inNovember2008andheld for seven months. Mulvihill, who was photo editor for Cosmopolitan mag- azine in New York City, became a prisoner of her husband’s imprison- ment.
Rohdewasonhisway to interview
a Taliban commander in the Afghan desert when he was seized, along with his Afghan translator, Tahir Luddin,andhis driver,AsadMangal. The three men were shuttled from one village to another, then marched over the mountains into the lawless tribal areas of Pakistan and the clutches of a powerful terrorist out- fit, the Haqqani network. They wound up in Miran Shah, a town in North Waziristan. As they later dis- covered, the commander, who bore the nom de guerre Abu Tayyeb, had lured them into a trap by inviting Rohde to interviewhim. Rohde presents a rare, inside look
at the Taliban and its world, a “giant insane asylum,” an “alternate uni- verse.” The kidnappers stage videos
of him and make impossible ransom demands, starting at $25 million. They repeatedly lie, promising that freedom is at hand one day, with- drawing the promise the next. Some of the guards are kind, some menac- ing. All are fanatically religious, each seeing himself as a defender of a faith under assault by a rich, preda- tory United States. They will believe any rumor, however false, that con- firms their view, and disbelieve any fact that contradicts
it.My personal favorite in this regard is one guard’s conviction that theUnited States has deployed a secret weapon that steril- izesMuslim men. As the weeksandmonthswear on,
Rohde’s emotions swing from hope to despair, from fear to anger and backagain.He’s guilt-ridden for risk- ing his neck as a newly married man (he and Mulvihill had been married two months) and for dragging Lud- din andMangal into harm’s way. He admits he should have shown better judgment; this isn’t the first time he’s been taken prisoner. Years be- fore, while covering the conflict in Bosnia for the Christian Science Monitor, he was arrested by Serbian officials and held for 10 days. But the siren call of the scoop seduced him into seeking the interview with Abu Tayyeb. “In Afghanistan, competi- tiveness and ambition had gotten the best of me,” he writes. “I had lost my way.” While he languishes in Wa-
ziristan, his wife fights to gain his release, plunging into an experience worthy of a Johnle Carré
thriller.She hires shadowy private operators who specialize in hostage negotia- tions, meets with FBI agents and pressuresU.S. officials all theway up to Secretary of StateHillaryRodham Clinton and special envoy Richard Holbrooke. No less than her husband, she
must summon reserves of patient courage and maintain her compo- sure. Waiting for the kidnappers’ latest demand, she finds herself a “captive to a call that might or might not come.” When Abu Tayyeb con- tacts herbycellphoneandtells her to call back at her own expense, she notes that the Taliban are cheap- skates who “call collect.” Mulvihill’s account is seasoned
with such wry observations. Because Rohde’s life depends on keeping the negotiations secret, she goes about her job as if nothing is amiss. The masquerade createsanabsurd disso- nance. In the morning, she’s confer- ring with the FBI or some spooky go-between; in the afternoon, she’s
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2010
WASHINGTON BESTSELLERS HARDCOVER
FICTION 1 PORTMORTUARY (Putnam, $27.95)
2 CROSS FIRE (Little, Brown, $27.99) 1
By Patricia Cornwell. Scarpetta is pulled back into the military’s sphere of influence for a new case.
3
By James Patterson. Alex Cross tracks a killer in Washington taking aim at corrupt politicos.
3 HELL’S CORNER (Grand Central, $27.99) 4 THE CONFESSION (Doubleday, $28.95) 4
By David Baldacci. This fifth Camel Club entry juggles an assassin’s plot and Osama bin Laden.
6
By John Grisham. After nine years, a man confesses to a murder for which another was imprisoned.
5 THE GIRLWHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST 6 FULL DARK, NO STARS (Scribner, $27.99) 28
(Knopf, $27.95). By Stieg Larsson. The Millennium Trilogy ends as Salander hunts for her failed assassin.
4
By Stephen King. Murder, revenge and secrets drive these four unsettling tales.
7 FALL OF GIANTS (Dutton, $36). By Ken Follett 8 CRESCENT DAWN(Putnam, $27.95) 10
The debut of a historical trilogy following five families through the upheavals of the 20th century.
3
By Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. Dirk Pitt races to stop extremists targeting Muslim holy sites.
9 AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY (Grand Central, $26.99) 10 THE HELP (Amy Einhorn, $24.95)
NONFICTION/GENERAL 1 DECISION POINTS (Crown, $35)
1
By Steve Martin. Showcasing the lofty milieu of the art world through the exploits of an ambitious art dealer.
69
By Kathryn Stockett. A frank chronicle of the lives of several black maids working in a town in 1960s Miss.
4
By GeorgeW. Bush. Bush 43 reflects on crucial turning points in both his life and two-term presidency.
2 UNBROKEN: AWORLDWAR II STORY OF
SURVIVAL, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION (Random House, $27). By Laura Hillenbrand
3 BAREFOOT CONTESSA HOWEASY IS THAT? ERIC SWAIN KristenMulvihill and David Rohde
arranging photo shoots for salacious features such as “What a Guy’s Butt Says AboutHim.”Her sense of ironic humor, her Roman Catholic faith and the support of the couple’s fami- lies help her stay sane. But all efforts to free her husband
and the other men fail. She is on her own, and so are they. Mangal, the driver, appears to
have joined the Taliban to save his life. Rohde and Luddin realize that there is only one way to save them- selves. Before dawn on June 20, 2009, they throw a stolen rope over a wall and escape while their captors sleep. They sneak through the streets of Miran Shah to a nearby Pakistani army base, where soldiers at first mistake them for suicide bombersandalmost shoot them; but they talk theirway onto the base and regain their freedom. Thus the rope in the title. What of
the prayer? Rohde, an agnosticwhen his captivity began, underwent a foxhole conversion, inspired partly by Luddin, whoseMuslim faith pro- vides “an example of religion as a positive force,” as the Taliban exem- plifies religion at its worst. Reunited with his wife, Rohde
tells her, “Your God helped me through this experience.” That state- ment isn’t a ringing endorsement of the power of prayer, yet it sums up a spiritual journey that places this book in the tradition of early Ameri- cancaptivity narrativessuchasRow- landson’s. In those accounts, God shows his anger at waywardness
LITERARY CALENDAR DECEMBER 13-18, 2010
13MONDAY | 6:30 P.M. Journalist David Phillips reads from and discusses “LethalWarriors:When the New Band of Brothers Came Home,” his account of the experiences of an Army unit from Fort Carson, Colo., at the National Press Club, Bloomberg Room, 529 14th St. NW. A book signing follows. Admission is $5 for the general public, free for club members and those with a valid military ID; call 202-662-7523 or e-mail
opus@press.org. 7 P.M. Damon Linker, a contributing
editor for the New Republic magazine, discusses his new book, “The Religious Test:WhyWe Must Question the Beliefs of Our Leaders,” in conversation with New Republic Editor Franklin Foer at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 “Eye” St.NW. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 the day of the event or two free with purchase of the book. For details, call 202-408-3100 or visit
www.sixthandi.org. 8 P.M. Poet Lucia Perillo, author of “I’ve Heard the Vultures Singing: Field Notes on Poetry, Illness, and Nature,” reads
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from and discusses her latest book of verse, “Inseminating the Elephant,” at an event at the Library of Congress, where she will be awarded the 2010 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry. A reception and signing follow. It takes place in the James Madison Bldg., Mumford Room, 101 Independence Ave. SE, 202-707-5394. On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., she will read from her work at the annual “Emily Dickinson Birthday Tribute” at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. A reception and book signing follow. Tickets are $12 each; for details and to RSVP, call 202-544-7077 or visit
www.folger.edu/poetry. The evening is co- sponsored by the Poetry Society of America. 14 TUESDAY | 7 P.M. Local illustrator and comic artist Richard Thompson signs copies of his latest anthology, “Cul de Sac Golden Treasury: A Keepsake Garland of Classics,” at Big Planet Comics, 4908 Fairmont Ave., Bethesda, Md., 301-654-6856. 7:30 P.M. The D.C. Jewish Community Center (1529 16th St. NW) presents a reading by award-winning poet and writer Rodger Kamenetz from his new book, “Burnt Books: Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav and Franz Kafka,” as part of the center’s “Authors Out Loud Series.” Tickets are $11 for the general public, $9 for members. For details, call 202-777-3251; to purchase tickets, visit
www.washingtondcjcc.org. 15 WEDNESDAY | Noon. David Howard discusses and signs his new book, “Lost Rights: The Misadventures of a Stolen American Relic” (the saga of one of the 14 original copies of the Bill of Rights), at
the National Archives,William G. McGowan Theater, 700 Pennsylvania Ave.NW, 202-357-5000. 6:30 P.M. David J. Lynch, a journalist covering global business issues for USA Today, reads from and discusses his new book, “When the Luck of the Irish Ran Out: TheWorld’s Most Resilient Country and Its Struggle to Rise Again,” as part of the “RelevantWriters” reading series at Reiter’s Scientific & Professional Books, 1900 G St.NW, 202-223-3327. 18 SATURDAY | 1 P.M. BarbWinters reads from and discusses “Letters to Virginia: Correspondence From Three Generations of Alexandrians Before, During and After the CivilWar,” at the Ellen Coolidge Burke Branch Library, 4701 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va., 703-746-1704. Refreshments and a book signing follow. SPECIAL NOTICES | The Delmarva Review, an annual literary journal that publishes short fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction, is seeking submissions for the next issue. For complete guidelines, visit
www.delmarvareview.com; deadline is Feb. 28. To submit an event for the literary calendar, e-mail details to
litcal@washpost.com or fax 202-334-5059. All events are entered into The Post’s Going Out Guide, while highlights are displayed in this space each week. Bookstores and libraries interested in receiving advance listing of BookWorld reviews can e-mail requests to
litcal@washpost.com. For more literary events, go to
washingtonpost.com/gog/ and search “book event.”
through capture by uncivilized ene- mies and demonstrates his love and forgiveness through rescue and re- turn. The captive is redeemed in all senses of the word. There are differences, of course. Although Rohde doesn’t flinch from showing his captors’ cruelty, he doesn’t demonize them. And the sin for which he’s punished isn’t break- ing a biblical commandment, it’s the excessive ambition that leads him to make a rash decision. Nevertheless, in the crisis of captivity, he realizes that belief in a higher power is not irrational. My one quibble is with the book’s
style. Rohde, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, interrupts his tale with commentaries on Afghanistan’s his- tory and tribal customs, on U.S. policies and Pakistani intrigues. Readers will find these essays infor- mative, but they may wish, as I did, that he had not rendered his person- al story in the same objective, re- strained prose. It reads toomuchlike the series he wrote for the Times after his return to the United States. He tells us what his ordeal was like, but doesn’t make us feel it. Mulvi- hill’s writing appeals more directly to the heart. That said, this is an important and valuable story of love, faith and courage.
bookworld@washpost.com
Philip Caputo is the author of “A Rumor ofWar” and “Crossovers,” a novel.
FABULOUS RECIPES&EASY TIPS (Clarkson Potter, $35). By Ina Garten. Stress-free.
4 LIFE (Little, Brown, $29.99). By Keith Richards 5 GUINNESSWORLD RECORDS 2011 6
A brutally honest memoir by the celebrated guitarist and songwriter from the Rolling Stones.
12
(GuinnessWorld Records, $28.95). A new design and an emphasis on American-specific stats.
6 EARTH (THE BOOK) (Grand Central, $27.99) 7 CLEOPATRA: A LIFE (Little, Brown, $29.99) 8 DECODED (Spiegel & Grau, $35) 10
By “The Daily ShowWith Jon Stewart.” A cheeky guide to the human race and itsmyriad accomplishments.
5
By Stacy Schiff. Classic sources illuminate this biography of the Egyptian queen and icon.
3
By Jay-Z. A memoir and homage to hip-hop; also one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things.”
9 COLONEL ROOSEVELT (Random House, $35) 2
By Edmund Morris. The denouement of Morris’s award-winning trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt.
10 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN: VOLUME 1 2
(Univ. of California, $34.95). Ed. by Harriet Elinor Smith et al. The authorized edition, 100 years later.
Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Dec. 5, 2010. The charts may not be reproduced without permission from Nielsen BookScan. Copyright 2010 by Nielsen BookScan. (The right-hand column of numbers represents weeks on this list, which premiered in Book World on Jan. 11, 2004. The bestseller lists in print alternate between hardcover and paperback; the complete list can be found online.)
3 5
Tuesday IN STYLE: Susan Cheever
MICHAEL FALCO PHOTOGRAPHY
BOOKWORLD THISWEEK
COMINGINSTYLE
MONDAY| In Hollywood Hills, master crime novelist JosephWambaugh continues his saga of the LAPD.
TUESDAY | Louisa May Alcott, by Susan Cheever, is a personal biography of the author of “LittleWomen.”
WEDNESDAY | In Jeremy Page’s novel Sea Change, a grieving father keeps a diary in which his daughter is still alive. A D.C. Metro detective needs protection in Jeffery Deaver’s thriller Edge. And a corral of horse fiction.
THURSDAY | Canti is a newly translated series of poems by the 19th-century Italian master Giacomo Leopardi.
FRIDAY | Franklin and Eleanor: An Extraordinary Marriage, by Hazel Rowley.
SATURDAY | Leading Roles: 50 Questions Every Arts Board Should Ask, by Michael M. Kaiser.
voices.washingtonpost.com/political-bookworm
Read our blog, Political Bookworm, which focuses on books that stir the national conversation. Join us as we debate the issues and authors making news today.
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