Play Book Tag discussion

A 24 year old Yemeni-American man discovers the significance of his native Yemen in coffee history. This inspires him on a long journey to learn about coffee, meet Yemeni coffee growers and ultimately begin a coffee export company.

This all takes place against the backdrop of on-going civil wars in Yemen in 2014-2015 (and beyond). Reading the book, I'm reminded of headlines of the time involving Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP - with the "Arabina Peninsula" essentially meaning Yemen), the rise of ISIS, the Yemeni Houti rebels, and bombing from Saudi Arabia.

He regularly risks life and limb to accomplish his goals, surviving bombings, a brief stint as a hostage, and related, virtually insane war related obstacles to overcome.

This is a work of non-fiction. And seriously, no one would believe this if it were fiction - only real people are this stubborn!

In spite of some of the wild interactions, this was a very slow read. Imagine spending a long afternoon in a coffee shop. That's how this book felt to me as I read it. A clear love of Yemen and family shines through the book, and it was a wonderfully calming read.