PanThe Wall Street Journal... opens and closes with beautiful evocations of the power of faith in trying times ... In the largely secular world of international journalism, it’s refreshing to hear from a correspondent who participated in, rather than merely observed, one of the most fundamental aspects of life in the Middle East: religious practice ... Ms. di Giovanni does Middle Eastern Christians a service by highlighting their recent struggles. The Vanishing is an easy read, and her story of faith, which she researched while covering the subject during her journalism career, makes for an enjoyable book. For readers unaware that there are native populations of Christians in the Middle East, the book provides a brief introduction. The section on the Christians of Gaza, in particular, is a welcome contribution about a mostly unknown and largely forgotten community ... Beyond that, however, Ms. di Giovanni’s book consists largely of heartfelt but superficial interviews with Christians concerned about their future in the region. The author offers little more than platitudes by way of explanation for the decline of Christianity in the Middle East and fails to properly place the decline in any coherent historical context ... is also riddled with errors or mischaracterizations. Some are minor but nonetheless distracting...The chapter on Syria, in particular, has a number of egregious mistakes, particularly noticeable because, as a work of journalism, the book should at least get the events of the recent past correct ... a well-intentioned effort to bring attention to a people worthy of the world’s help. It falls short of its goal, but not for lack of trying. Ms. di Giovanni certainly gets the crux of the story correct: Christianity is at risk of disappearing from the land of its birth. That she was willing to tell the story is commendable, and it is hoped that her book will prompt the reader to take a closer look at a suffering community. If it does that, its many shortcomings might be overlooked.
Daniel Levin
RaveThe Wall Street Journal... a riveting true story ... well written and highly compelling. Each chapter leaves the reader eager to learn what happens next. The biggest challenge, however, is overcoming the suspicion that the events of the book are, at least in part, a work of fiction. That requires a great deal of trust in the author, not least given the myriad pseudonyms employed to protect people’s identities ... Parts of the narrative fit together perhaps a little too neatly ... This book kept me up late into the night reading to its conclusion. Its strength is in its unassuming nature. Mr. Levin seems to grasp the region’s complexity, but instead of flaunting his insider status he draws the reader into the picture. This is a welcome departure from other books on the region that let their authors’ views overshadow the subjects’ stories.
