Critical Praise

"Eliza Griswold is a courageous reporter, a gifted writer, and an acute observer of life. In The Tenth Parallel she takes us on a crucially illuminating tour of some of the most volatile terrain in the world, acquainting us with people who are far away both spatially and culturally but whose fates are intertwined with our own."

—Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God

"In this revolutionary work, Eliza Griswold has dedicated the last seven years of her life to traveling in the world’s least known places to explore the encounter between Christianity and Islam in Africa and Asia. She has brought back the unforgettable stories of Christians and Muslims along the tenth parallel whose faith is shaping the world’s future. Griswold’s courageous pilgrimage changes the way we think about Christianity and Islam by exploding any simplistic ‘clash’ narrative. She returns us to the most basic truth of human existence: that the world and its people are interconnected."

—Desmond M. Tutu

"Ingeniously conceived and beautifully wrought, The Tenth Parallel traces the uneasy fault line of two great faiths that have so much bloody history between them. In exploring the potent tensions that underlie so many of the conflicts of the present age, Eliza Griswold gives us a rare look at how complex and interwoven these two cultures actually are."

—Lawrence Wright, author of The Looming Tower

"Eliza Griswold’s talent runs through this book like a blinding light. Through her daring travel, quiet observation, empathy, and gift for language, she humanizes and clarifies conflicts in Africa and Asia that are often neglected or misunderstood. The Tenth Parallel is both vitally important and beautifully written."

—Steve Coll, author of The Bin Ladens