Worlds Apart: A Third Culture Kid's Journey($18.95Value)

Description

"I had grown up in Pakistan, was nurtured on her soil, took my first steps and said my first words there. Pakistan was a land that knew me before I had a recollection of 'being;' before I knew I was human." This sequel to Marilyn Gardner's Between Worlds  probes deeply into the journey that forms a third culture kid's identity. Gardner weaves together memories of joy and pain, close friendships and loneliness in a compelling portrait of an international childhood. From the close quarters of boarding school, to the strangeness of furloughs in her parents' native Massachusetts, Worlds Apart is an honest and moving portrayal of a young girl's struggles with faith, friendship, and belonging. The book offers an inspiring model for other third culture kids seeking to make sense of their unique experience, and the final chapter brings together many practical resources to help TCKs navigate their own journey.  "This is a book that shows the complications of a challenging childhood, the healing power of a faithful life, and the precious gifts Third Culture Kids are to the world."  Rachel Pieh Jones, from the Foreword "Part spiritual reflection, part childhood reminiscence and part travelogue, Marilyn's book will be especially welcomed by those trying to make sense of their own personal stories, especially if they involve transitions across multiple cultures and geographic locations."  Ambassador Jonathan Addleton, author of  The Dust of Kandahar and Some Far and Distant Place Worlds Apart  incorporates material previously published by Doorlight Publications under the title Passages Through Pakistan . [ Worlds Apart ] tells the captivating story of Marilyn Gardner's childhood as a 'third culture kid', raised by her Christian, American missionary parents in the heart of Pakistan. Gardner's eloquent story of the trials, tribulations, and lessons of growing up as a bridge between these rich cultures serves as an important lens through which Americans and Pakistanis can learn more about one another and their important long-term partnership in a time when the gap between the two nations seems to be growing ever larger.... Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University, Washington, D.C Marilyn Gardner's Worlds Apart - A Third Culture Kid's Journey (previously published under Passages Through Pakistan) is a wonderful book, presenting in both a descriptive and reflective way the wonder of her childhood that took place in the mountains of northern Pakistan, the villages and deserts of southern Pakistan and the small towns of New England, along with some of the places in between. As the only daughter in a remarkable family that included four brothers, Marilyn emerges as a sensitive observer with an impressive eye for detail as well as a well developed memory for the small anecdote that often reveals a much larger meaning. Part spiritual reflection, part childhood reminiscence and part travelogue, Marilyn's book will be especially welcomed by those trying to make sense of their own personal stories, especially if they involve transitions across multiple cultures and geographic locations.A deeply moving observer of the places, people and events that have surrounded her, she demonstrates sensitivity and understanding toward an often misunderstood part of the world, presenting the sights, sounds, landscapes and peoples of Pakistan in ways that are largely absent in both newspaper headlines and superficial social media accounts that all too often know little and understand even less. Americans growing up in Asia and Asians growing up in America will especially gravitate toward this account, capturing as it does the complexity as well as the wonder and astonishment of childhoods spent in unlikely places. It will also resonate strongly with missionary kids and third culture kids everywhere. ~ Jonathan Addleton, former US Ambassador to Mongolia, is the author of several books including The Dust of Kandahar and Some Far and Distant Place While my book Between Worlds - Essays on Culture and Belonging is a series of reflections on growing up overseas and then living overseas as an adult, this new book Worlds Apart - A Third Culture Kid's Journey is a memoir and more chronological account of those years from birth to age 18. There is no single story in the third culture kid narrative, rather we each have our own unique stories, but my hope is that readers can connect with my story and some of the common themes of a third culture identity shaped by many places and events. My hope is also that readers will see the country of Pakistan in a much more nuanced way than the mainstream media portrays. I am ever grateful to Pakistan - Land of the Pure - for her never ending hospitality, her beauty, and her love. It is important to note that the initial part of the book was previously published under the title Passages Through Pakistan. This new edition has a foreword by Rachel Pieh Jones a