Would recommend: Probably not

I enjoyed one-third of this book: the middle. There were stories of children in the Pakistan mountains getting their first lessons, progressing, moving their villages along, and it was all very animated and exciting. The beginning and the end were slow, expository, and not compelling at all. It was a struggle to finish this one. The third-person narrative was really awkward to me because of how much direct dialog was incorporated; I never felt like I could trust it completely.