Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Reviews of A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl

A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl
A Mighty Heart The Brave Life and Death of My Husband Danny Pearl
Author: Mariane Pearl, Sarah Crichton
ISBN-13: 9781416551249
ISBN-10: 1416551247
Publication Date: 6/5/2007
Pages: 288
Edition: Reissue
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 24

4 stars, based on 24 ratings
Publisher: Scribner
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

5 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

reviewed A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is a wonderful read.
reviewed A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl on + 10 more book reviews
A woman tells her terrifying and unforgettable story of her husband's life and death.Danny Pearl was a reporter for the "Wall Street Journal" and he was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan. This is a story of his life written by his wife.
reviewed A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl on
For 5 weeks the world awaited news about Danny Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan. And then came the broadcast of his shocking murder. The complete account of his abduction, the intense effort to rescue him, and the aftermath are told in astonishing detail and with courage and insight by his wife, Mariane Pearl.

A Mighty Heart is the unforgettable story of two journalists who fell in love with their work and with each other. Together, Mariane and Danny Pearl traveled across the globe, dedicated to journalism that increases the understanding of international politics and of ethnic and religious conflict. In the end, Danny was caught in the dangerous fissure where warring cultures, politics, and ideologies collide. A Mighty Heart is both a portrait of a partnershp built on the ideals of love, truth, and justice, and a critical look at the methods and structure of the Al Qaeda network. (from the back of the book)
reviewed A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl on + 6 more book reviews
We all know the basics behind the Danny Pearl story. This book tells you the details of what happened from the woman who lived it.

It is a difficult, frustrating, hard, riveting, necessary story. In a world where East and West mistrust each other, a band of people from India, Pakistan, and the United States come together to try and right one wrong, and as hard as they work, they still fail. It doesn't give me much hope that the world can be peaceful one day. If the government agencies of Pakistan can't work with each other, can't even agree that the crime of kidnapping and murder is even all that serious, how can we expect different countries, different religions, different tribes whose irrational hatred of all persons different from them dates back centuries to finally "get along"? This story exposes the differences in the Western and Eastern cultures and attitudes and shows that we have a long, long way to go in understanding what peace is exactly before we can attain it.

I may write to Mariane Pearl personally to ask her how she kept her strength throughout the ordeal, and how she continues to do so. I think she's my new hero.
reviewed A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl on + 1452 more book reviews
The tragic story of Danny Pearl's journalistic life, capture and death is told in riveting detail by his wife, Mariane. Those of us who lived during this period remember the news coverage well. Danny was an idealist who believed in people and followed the news wherever it went. He covered the Middle East and South Asia for The Wall Street Journal. That he was also Jewish I did not know until I read the book.

Coupled with Danny's story is the love he and Marianne shared. She tells how and when they met and shares many little stories about their life together. My heart was yanked often as I read her when she described their life together and the type of person he was. I pictured a happy young man in love with his vocation, his wife and his life.

Cooperating in effort to save the kidnapped Danny, people from Pakistan, India and our own country searched intensively for the journalist. Yes, we all know the ending but Mariane emphasizes the positive sides of the search and people while reporting the facts. It occurred to me that perhaps he signed his own death warrant when he told someone that he was Jewish.