Waiting for the Monsoon: Confronting Mortality and Discovering True Strength - Hardcover

Nordland, Rod

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0063096226 ISBN 13: 9780063096226

Publisher: Mariner Books, 2024

Synopsis

By the New York Times’s legendary war correspondent, written while battling terminal brain cancer: a life-affirming memoir of high adventure, deep wisdom, and finding true happiness amid the unlikeliest circumstances

“This is, by far, the most enlightening and inspiring book on facing death—and on discovering the beauty of life.” —Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist

For thirty years, Rod Nordland shadowed death. As one of his generation's preeminent war correspondents, he reported in over 150 countries, many of which were in violent upheaval, and was no stranger to witnessing tragedy. But in summer 2019, during the height of India’s erratic monsoon season, Nordland was suddenly faced with a tragedy of his own: he collapsed in the middle of a morning jog, was rushed to the hospital, and diagnosed with a fatal brain tumor.

After decades chasing conflicts across the globe, Nordland, now confined to a hospital bed, found the strength to face more personal conflicts. He reconnected with his estranged children and became closer with them than he ever thought possible. He repaired a friendship with a best friend that had been broken for twenty years. The arrogance and certitude that dominated his every action was replaced by a lucid sense of humility and generosity that persisted even after he left the hospital. Norland’s tragedy became, in his own words, “a gift that has enriched my life.”  

Waiting for the Monsoon is the exemplary story of confronting death with both eyes open, and of the human capacity to persevere even in the most difficult of times. With tremendous clarity, grace, and courage, Nordland has delivered a powerful final assignment, revealing how facing the unknown can transform experience and change our relationship to the world around us. 

About this title

About the Author

Rod Nordland is the New York Times’s Pulitzer Prize–winning international correspondent at large. Formerly the paper’s Kabul bureau chief, he has worked as a foreign correspondent in more than 150 countries. Previously he was Newsweek’s chief foreign correspondent, serving as Baghdad bureau chief from 2003–2005. He was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize for news reporting and also a finalist for a Pulitzer in international reporting from Southeast Asia. He has received two George Polk awards; several Overseas Press Club awards, and many other honors. He is the author of The Lovers: Afghanistan’s Romeo & Juliet.

Edition details

• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0063096226
• ISBN 13: 9780063096226
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 256