Hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

I had a slow week but both books were very good. I’m doing the Around the World in 80 Books challenge on Goodreads and it is pushing me to find books that I may not have normally picked up.

The Mission Song by John Le Carre

  Salvo is the illegitimate son of a Catholic priest and an African woman.  He is fluent in several minor African languages.  He works as a translator in London.  He is excited when he is hired to translate for peace talks between warring factions in his native Congo.  But he soon realizes that peace may not be the main objective of the conference.

I liked this book because of the main character. He had an unique voice that you don’t usually hear.  Most of the book is talking around the negotiation table but you hear the viewpoints of all the people involved and see how peace movements can be sabotaged.

Fast Times in Palestine by Pamela Olson

The author went to Palestine on vacation and ended up staying for 18 months.  She lived in Ramallah and worked for a Presidential candidate after the death of Yassir Arafat.

This was an interesting look into the life of Palestinians.  It explains the problems of living in a place where your movements are tightly controlled.  It is rare to read anything from the Palestinian point of view.  I think everyone should read this one to understand what is going on between the Israelis and Palestinians.