Alice

High recommend for a fun read. The story is written as a series of short dictionary “definitions.” Some entries will make you smile and others will crack open old heartbreaks. The story leaves a lot of blanks, so you will naturally fill them in based on your own experiences. Maybe I just read it in the right mood.

It took me awhile to get over the “What kind of idiot goes to Somalia?” attitude while reading this memoir, but I eventually accepted the reasoning that Amanda was not fortunate enough to have parents who told her things like, “Don't ever go to Somalia. You'll get abducted.” Also, it seems like she has more than turned her horrible hostage experience into a positive thing (she runs a foundation now).