Book Review: A Mighty Heart by Mariane Pearl with Sarah Crichton

No, I have not seen the movie, produced by Brad Pitt and starring Anjelina Jolie. Before I see the movie as a Netflix choice, I wanted to read the book on which it was based. As luck would have it, the paperback version was recently released, and I purchased it at Sam's Club for a mere pittance of the suggested retail price.

We all know how the story ends, and it ends badly for Daniel Pearl. This book chronicles both his short life and Mariane Pearl's experiences both as journalist and heartbroken pregnant wife. Both Pearls were working in Karachi, Pakistan, Daniel for the Wall Street Journal. The story starts out on the day Daniel Pearl is kidnapped by Muslim extremist terrorists. The book takes many twists and turns as Mariane recounts her journey as the wife of a kidnap victim.

We learn early on that Daniel Pearl is Jewish, although he doesn't make it known even though he works in the dangerous Middle East. Mariane, raised in France, is descended from a Dutch Jew, and also had a Cuban mother, and this unique combination not only gives her an exotic look but also an open and embracing attitude.

To be quite frank, Mariane's writing style is dry, clinical and in the beginning very scattered and non-tangential. I read the first five chapters, and then put the book down for a couple of weeks. In trying to lay a foundation for the rest of her book, Mariane Pearl jumps from one significant part of her life to another, and from one era to another. Because of what I originally perceived was an uneven flow I found the book difficult to read. It was annoying to go back and forth and try to determine who was who and what was happening when. Only when I was held captive on a flight from Minneapolis to San Francisco did I resume reading.

I am glad I did. As Mariane Pearl delves deeper into her life as it was for the weeks her husband was held captive, she unveils more of herself bit by bit. She describes Danny Pearl as lovable, fun, thoughtful, and this book is a tribute to his memory.

On the other hand, her frustration in dealing with this crisis in a Third World country is palpable. She unravels the trail of the kidnappers by deciphering her husband's email exchanges. Somehow, she manages to surround herself with a contingent of competent investigators and supporters. At first, the entire event is laid out as a giant puzzle and it's one that doesn't seem to have a resolution.

In this book, she outlines an Al Qaeda network that is frightening in its insidious grasp. Trust is a rare commodity in this part of the world, and for good reason. The "network" is more like a series of interlocking spider webs, and many times the contacts do not know each other, making her search for Danny all that much harder. Mariane Pearl, a complex, strong and well-educated woman, lends the feeling that she cannot understand the extremist plot that she has uncovered. She lays out a theory of why her husband was chosen as a target. While the Al Qaeda reasoning lacks logic, it is frighteningly real.

Mariane Pearl is amazing in her strength, oftentimes lending her moral support to police, FBI and others who are looking for her husband. Somehow Mariane is able to maintain her cool even though she is terribly pregnant and obviously heartbroken.

The reader feels that by the time the day she finds out her husband has been brutally murdered (by the release of gruesome videotape), Mariane knows in her heart that things are not looking well. Yet her "mighty heart" still held out hope even in the end.

She reveals a dark and menacing side of the media of whom she's a part, when it pursues her to tell her story. There is an uncomplimentary portrait of Connie Chung. It is a fine line between journalism and sensationalism.

The most touching part of the book is the final few chapters, when Mariane shares the birth of her son Adam and the world's response to Daniel's execution. There is a very touching account of meeting Laura Bush in Paris, and you can sense a clear connection between the two women. Mariane describes her loss and the renewal of life and love through Adam's birth.

The final fifty pages of the epilogue are filled with a sampling of condolence letters that Mariane Pearl received in the weeks after her husband's death. Some are from heads of state; others are from common citizens and young children from all over the world. Many are difficult to read without weeping.

"A Mighty Heart" is a story well worth the read. Although normally no fan of movies made from books, I look forward to seeing this one.