The Woman Who Fell From The Sky (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
I read this expecting that in 333 pages I'd learn a good deal about Yemen. However, I mostly learned about the author, a self-absorbed, rather superficial person who gives us somewhat repetitious details of her work on a Yemeni newspaper, almost always from her point of view with few insights into the motivations of her staff. With surprising frequency tells us of her sensuality and flirtatiousness, of the times someone comments favorably on her personal appearance. I was not surprised when, near the end of her year-long stay in Yemen, she began an affair with the British ambassador, newly arrived with his wife and daughter. Her rather brazen rationalizations about their affair makes one question her journalistic objectivity. Ah well, the ambassador's wife and daughter are soon back in England while a pregnant Steil happily moves into the embassy. This book reads like a journal where the author very affectionately talks about her year long assignment as a newspaper editor in Yemen. She clearly develops fond relationships with the people she encounters there, but fails to make the reader share any emotion in what clearly was an important journey for her. I imagine the only people who really enjoyed this book were the author and her subjects.
What do You think about The Woman Who Fell From The Sky (2010)?
Beautiful descriptions of Yemen. Happily, her "holier than thou" attitude softens towards the end.
—kath
Having been in Yemen, I found this interesting. Not sure others would feel the same way however.
—tyanna
This book is must reading if you are interested in the Middle East , specifically Yemen .
—pss76
Interesting look at Yemen from a fish out of water on the inside.
—EDE
