Saturday, February 5, 2011

Little Princes and Three Cups Of Tea

I just finished reading Little Princes by Conor Grennan last night, and loved it. I haven't read Three Cups Of Tea yet, but I've been comparing the two books at work, based on the description for the latter book. The amazon.com blurb for Little Princes is:
In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.

Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctious, resilient children who would challenge and reward him in a way that he had never imagined. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war—for a huge fee—by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.
For Conor, what began as a footloose adventure becomes a commitment to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but this would be no small task. He would risk his life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury. Waiting for Conor back in Kathmandu, and hopeful he would make it out before being trapped in by snow, was the woman who would eventually become his wife and share his life’s work.
Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations. 
The description for Three Cups of Tea is: 
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard
Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. 
 I really do think that, based on the descriptions, anyone who liked Three Cups of Tea might really enjoy reading Little Princes and vice versa. I know I'm going to have to read this book sooner or later.

But, anyway, would anyone who's read both books be willing to tell me if I'm completely off base in my thought that they are similar and would appeal to anyone who's liked one or the other of the two?

1 comment:

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

I just commented on your last Monday post (finally got here!) and mentioned I hoped you read this one and now I see you have!

I have not read it yet but I have read Three Cups Of Tea. Hope to read this one soon!

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