The Herald News (Chicago Sun Times News Group)

The Herald News (Chicago Sun Times News Group)

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Reading Across Plainfield

Village's book program serving 'Tea'

By Ken O'Brien

Greg Mortenson wanted to climb the world's second highest mountain to honor his late sister.

But when he failed to scale the K2 peak in 1993, he wandered into a village in a remote part of Pakistan in search of help. He stayed there for 78 days, leaving with a promise to return and build a school.

Since then, Mortenson has led an effort that has resulted in the construction of 58 schools and special literacy programs for girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mortenson tells about his journey in his best-selling book, "Three Cups of Tea," which he co-authored with David Oliver Relin.

The book will be the focus of the fourth annual Reading Across Plainfield program. Reading Across Plainfield starts Monday night with a discussion about the book for high school students at Plainfield Public Library.

The library and Plainfield School District are co-sponsors of the series. Organizers have expanded the series to the Joliet Public Library's Black Road branch, because about 45 percent of the students in Plainfield School District live in Joliet.

"We picked this book because of its inspiration message of help and the power of education," said Ceil Carey, the director of outreach services at the Plainfield library.

"What Greg Mortenson has done is nothing short of miraculous and his story speaks to people in many personal, powerful and poignant ways."

Jenny Holub, who works in the youth services section of the Joliet Public Library, only got to read about 25 percent of the book because the library has a long waiting list for it. She noted the differences in education opportunities between the United States and the Middle East.

"It opens your eyes to a different world," Holub said. "You assume every kid has an opportunity for education, but that isn't the case in that part of the world."

After his failed climb, Mortenson returned to San Francisco, sold everything he owned and started his effort to build the school, estimated to cost $12,000. To raise money for the project, he founded Pennies for Peace.

"Three Cups of Tea" tells how Mortenson believes that improving education is the solution for ending poverty in the Middle East. He says educating women, a practice that is shunned there, can help lead to peace to the region.

The book's title is derived from a proverb about sharing tea in Baltistan, a region divided between India and Pakistan. The first time a visitor shares tea in a home in Baltistan, the person is a stranger.

But the proverb says the person becomes family when the sharing of tea is done for a third time in a Baltistan home.

The book was published in hardback in 2006 and Time Magazine named it the best Asian book of the year. The hardcover version of the book, which USA Today ranked as high as 164th nationally, is subtitled "One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism ... One School at a Time."

In 2007, a new publisher printed a paperback version of the book, which was the No. 12 best-selling book Friday on Amazon.com. The paperback's subtitle is "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time."

Mortenson, who lives in Bozeman, Mont., will soon make two appearances in the area. He will visit Loyola University on Feb. 14 in Chicago and will attend an April 5 fundraiser in Downers Grove.

Mortenson is the co-founder of the Central Asia Institute. For more information about the institute, visit ikat.org.

Contact reporter Ken O'Brien at (815) 729-6119 or kobrien@scn1.com