What do you think?
Rate this book
Saving Jahan: A Peace Corps Adventure Based on True Events
A PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER in Central Asia finds purpose in helping a friend escape a life of servitude. Johann Felmanstien is going nowhere in life. He has no money, no job, no girl, and a degree that would look better as a doormat than on his CV. He applies for the Peace Corps and is accepted. His country of service is the Central Asian republic of Turkmenistan, which is seventy percent desert and run by a totalitarian dictator with a cult of personality. Johann is sent to teach English in a town to hell and gone. He contemplates leaving until he meets a local teacher with a strangely similar name called Jahan. Over time, she opens up about her dreams to live abroad and the struggle she faces in a country that sees women as little more than servants. Johann takes a passive stance at first. But as his work suffers because of his shenanigans and alcohol abuse, he realizes that helping Jahan escape Turkmenistan might be the only way to save himself.
466 pages, Paperback
Published May 15, 2020
2 people are currently reading
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 31, 2020
This review first published on Oh Just Books.
The story revolves around Johann and his life in Turkmenistan. A young graduate from America who signs up with Peace Corps as a volunteer, finds himself teaching English in a remote village and living with a family whom he despises. The story talks about the shenanigans, the binge drinking sessions and partying, the loneliness, almost coming close to losing your mind, and living like a hobo. The story shows you that you don't need to be trying and doing a million different things, but sometimes just one meaningful thing is enough, and that is what Saving Jahan is all about.
The book portrays the lifestyle and cultural differences, daily difficulties and how next to impossible it is to make a dream come true in Turkmenistan. The place where people struggle to get out of, because either their English isn't good enough, or beacuse of their family's poor finances, or simply because they're held down by political policies. The rich and powerful can manipulate their way into leaving the country whereas the others are just left to fend for their poor lives. Life might be monotonous, but it's not all bad in Turkmenistan. The sunsets and the night skies are a sight for sore eyes and the currency exchange value is pretty crazy. You can pretty much live comfortably with a few hundred bucks!
Jahan - his colleague at the school where he teaches - dreams of traveling, exploring and getting the hell out of Turkmenistan is held back because of her sick mother. Despite having multiple siblings, the duty to provide for her family is thrusted upon her. Johann tries his hardest and convinces Jahan to apply for a position at the Peace Corps that might help her achieve her dreams in the future. Little does he know about the hardships of Jahan's past and what she had to endure to be where she is today.
Read the rest of the review here.
The story revolves around Johann and his life in Turkmenistan. A young graduate from America who signs up with Peace Corps as a volunteer, finds himself teaching English in a remote village and living with a family whom he despises. The story talks about the shenanigans, the binge drinking sessions and partying, the loneliness, almost coming close to losing your mind, and living like a hobo. The story shows you that you don't need to be trying and doing a million different things, but sometimes just one meaningful thing is enough, and that is what Saving Jahan is all about.
The book portrays the lifestyle and cultural differences, daily difficulties and how next to impossible it is to make a dream come true in Turkmenistan. The place where people struggle to get out of, because either their English isn't good enough, or beacuse of their family's poor finances, or simply because they're held down by political policies. The rich and powerful can manipulate their way into leaving the country whereas the others are just left to fend for their poor lives. Life might be monotonous, but it's not all bad in Turkmenistan. The sunsets and the night skies are a sight for sore eyes and the currency exchange value is pretty crazy. You can pretty much live comfortably with a few hundred bucks!
Jahan - his colleague at the school where he teaches - dreams of traveling, exploring and getting the hell out of Turkmenistan is held back because of her sick mother. Despite having multiple siblings, the duty to provide for her family is thrusted upon her. Johann tries his hardest and convinces Jahan to apply for a position at the Peace Corps that might help her achieve her dreams in the future. Little does he know about the hardships of Jahan's past and what she had to endure to be where she is today.
Read the rest of the review here.
May 15, 2021
Life is not panning out exactly as Californian Johann Felmanstien thought it would, so with nothing to lose and possibly lots to gain, he applies to join the Peace Corps and is accepted. The country chosen for his two-year English teaching stint is Turkmenistan in Central Asia, a country that is largely desert and adheres to a totalitarian regime….
Saving Jahan is, on the surface, an absolute riot to read. Immediately engaging, outrageously amusing and incredibly interesting. It’s possibly not a book for the easily offended; Felmanstien and his Peace Corps buddies have a ruthless capacity for alcohol and its consequent debauchery. This combined with fairly non-existent amenities in the remote village to which he is posted does result in some eye-wateringly entertaining passages.
Throughout, the writing is refreshingly candid. Felmanstien is searingly forthright in describing his own feelings, actions, and how he perceives those around him. He does so with a singular, brutal honesty which makes this book compelling and very funny. However, this is only one layer of the novel, scratch the surface and there are a few more subtly operating.
The prose is slick and perceptive, sometimes a well-chosen sentence burns through a scene that another writer would devote a chapter too. Alongside the focus, a seam of poetry runs through the entire narrative, trailing poignancy in its wake and alerting the reader to the painful self-awareness, doubt and loathing that lurks within Felmanstien. This is horribly apparent when he returns to the US for Christmas and repeatedly manifests itself in introspective bouts laced with heavy drinking during his time in Turkmenistan.
What is slightly downplayed in Saving Jahan, and which cannot be underestimated, is the inherent gift that Fellmann/Felmanstien possesses for linguistics; the mastery of which goes some way to explain the wonderful way he manipulates words. His writing is punctuated with sharply poetic metaphors that are uniquely lovely, ‘fresh as a snapped pickle’ is one such example.
Notwithstanding, this is also a book about Turkmenistan and its people. Although there are gorgeous descriptive passages, Felmanstien lets the Turkmen and women speak for themselves. It is through his discussions with them that the reader is educated from differing points of view. The dialogue illustrating these perspectives was as authentic and realised as the individuals themselves. The conversations cleverly provide the majority of the characters’ exposition and despite Felmanstien’s occasional irreverence and humorous asides, he demonstrates an innate cultural respect for the Turkmenistan people tempered with honest observation.
His Peace Corps friends are also nicely depicted; Fellmann is adept in knowing who adds depth and who adds comedy value. Brooke was the standout; so very damaged yet somehow childlike in her capacity for excitement and unwavering loyalty.
Amid the culture shocks and carnage, the reader is given the sub-plot with Jahan which begins to blossom and gather momentum as the novel enters the last half. The scenes with her are masterful in their sublime structure. Softly beguiling yet underscored with futility and frustration. Johann and Jahan’s exchanges ache with the weight of what is not said or done. Technically, they slow the pace, provide reader intrigue and give the narrative a guiding purpose as well as Johann himself. The ending between them is beautifully ambiguous and shot through with pathos.
Part travel memoir with an antic vibe, part profound commentary on the human condition, Saving Jahan is highly recommended.
Saving Jahan is, on the surface, an absolute riot to read. Immediately engaging, outrageously amusing and incredibly interesting. It’s possibly not a book for the easily offended; Felmanstien and his Peace Corps buddies have a ruthless capacity for alcohol and its consequent debauchery. This combined with fairly non-existent amenities in the remote village to which he is posted does result in some eye-wateringly entertaining passages.
Throughout, the writing is refreshingly candid. Felmanstien is searingly forthright in describing his own feelings, actions, and how he perceives those around him. He does so with a singular, brutal honesty which makes this book compelling and very funny. However, this is only one layer of the novel, scratch the surface and there are a few more subtly operating.
The prose is slick and perceptive, sometimes a well-chosen sentence burns through a scene that another writer would devote a chapter too. Alongside the focus, a seam of poetry runs through the entire narrative, trailing poignancy in its wake and alerting the reader to the painful self-awareness, doubt and loathing that lurks within Felmanstien. This is horribly apparent when he returns to the US for Christmas and repeatedly manifests itself in introspective bouts laced with heavy drinking during his time in Turkmenistan.
What is slightly downplayed in Saving Jahan, and which cannot be underestimated, is the inherent gift that Fellmann/Felmanstien possesses for linguistics; the mastery of which goes some way to explain the wonderful way he manipulates words. His writing is punctuated with sharply poetic metaphors that are uniquely lovely, ‘fresh as a snapped pickle’ is one such example.
Notwithstanding, this is also a book about Turkmenistan and its people. Although there are gorgeous descriptive passages, Felmanstien lets the Turkmen and women speak for themselves. It is through his discussions with them that the reader is educated from differing points of view. The dialogue illustrating these perspectives was as authentic and realised as the individuals themselves. The conversations cleverly provide the majority of the characters’ exposition and despite Felmanstien’s occasional irreverence and humorous asides, he demonstrates an innate cultural respect for the Turkmenistan people tempered with honest observation.
His Peace Corps friends are also nicely depicted; Fellmann is adept in knowing who adds depth and who adds comedy value. Brooke was the standout; so very damaged yet somehow childlike in her capacity for excitement and unwavering loyalty.
Amid the culture shocks and carnage, the reader is given the sub-plot with Jahan which begins to blossom and gather momentum as the novel enters the last half. The scenes with her are masterful in their sublime structure. Softly beguiling yet underscored with futility and frustration. Johann and Jahan’s exchanges ache with the weight of what is not said or done. Technically, they slow the pace, provide reader intrigue and give the narrative a guiding purpose as well as Johann himself. The ending between them is beautifully ambiguous and shot through with pathos.
Part travel memoir with an antic vibe, part profound commentary on the human condition, Saving Jahan is highly recommended.
October 4, 2020
3.5 ⭐, rounded up to 4 for Goodreads.
"Saving Jahan", by Hans Joseph Fellmann, is a hefty book about the two year Peace Corps service of a young American graduate in Turkmenistan, inspired by true events from the author's life. The book follows Johann, who upon his graduation in California does not have a life plan and joins the Peace Corps as a way to buy himself some time, have an opportunity to travel, and the time to write. As a Peace Corps volunteer he parties and builds friendships with other volunteers, learns to speak the Turkmen language and interacts with locals, and learns about the customs and culture of the people in Turkmenistan. He also experiences quite a powerful culture shock, mixed with feelings of hopelessness, as he does not feel like he is making as big a difference as he set out to initially. Throughout his stay there he also tries to help a young teacher, Jahan, to leave the village behind and try to chase her dreams, which is where the title derives from.
I had never read a book set in Turkmenistan, either written by a Turkmen or foreign author, so I was very interested in the book when I read the synopsis. It was interesting to read about the descriptions of Turkmenistan, the political situation there, as well as the customs, people, and foods. I loved the mix of Turkmen language throughout the book, and as a speaker of Turkish, I was very surprised to see how alike the two languages are. I also liked finding out about the history of Turkmenistan, and enjoyed the information scattered throughout the book about the dictatorial regime there and how it came to be. Johann also interacts with local people that hold different views of the regime, and I enjoyed those dialogues a lot.
There were a lot of things that I enjoyed about this story, but despite thinking I would fall in love with it, I didn’t quite. After reflecting a bit on my reading experience, I realized that the reason was the disconnect between the main character and myself. Many times I was annoyed with the actions and words of the main character. I didn’t feel like Johann tried too much to even give Turkmenistan a chance before dismissing it as a third world country. He is sad that he doesn’t make a big difference in people’s lives, but at the same time he parties, gets wasted, and skips work. As a college student, I did some volunteering in South America and Africa, so I was eager to read about a different volunteering experience. Unfortunately however, I was probably one of those volunteers that Johann wouldn't have wanted to be assigned to his site because I was not so much into partying as much as I was into working. I feel that I would have liked the book a lot more if it was less focused on drinking and partying, and more focused on the actual classes and work that went into the Peace Corps program.
However, while relating to a character can give an extra "something" to a book and make me love it, it is not a prerequisite for a good book. I appreciated the flow of the story and the character growth (I liked him better towards the end). And while I was annoyed with a lot of the character's choices, I did appreciate his friendship with his fellow volunteers, and his occasional bursts of energy trying to make a connection to the people in his assigned village. There is also humor in a lot of his adventures, whether intentional or situational, which kept me entertained throughout the book.
I would recommend this to people interested in travel and volunteering memoirs. The descriptions of Turkmenistan and of everyday life there make this book quite an immersive reading experience. As for the views and feelings of the main character, everyone is different, and I'm sure a lot of readers out there will identify more with them and appreciate that side of the book more than I did.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
"Saving Jahan", by Hans Joseph Fellmann, is a hefty book about the two year Peace Corps service of a young American graduate in Turkmenistan, inspired by true events from the author's life. The book follows Johann, who upon his graduation in California does not have a life plan and joins the Peace Corps as a way to buy himself some time, have an opportunity to travel, and the time to write. As a Peace Corps volunteer he parties and builds friendships with other volunteers, learns to speak the Turkmen language and interacts with locals, and learns about the customs and culture of the people in Turkmenistan. He also experiences quite a powerful culture shock, mixed with feelings of hopelessness, as he does not feel like he is making as big a difference as he set out to initially. Throughout his stay there he also tries to help a young teacher, Jahan, to leave the village behind and try to chase her dreams, which is where the title derives from.
I had never read a book set in Turkmenistan, either written by a Turkmen or foreign author, so I was very interested in the book when I read the synopsis. It was interesting to read about the descriptions of Turkmenistan, the political situation there, as well as the customs, people, and foods. I loved the mix of Turkmen language throughout the book, and as a speaker of Turkish, I was very surprised to see how alike the two languages are. I also liked finding out about the history of Turkmenistan, and enjoyed the information scattered throughout the book about the dictatorial regime there and how it came to be. Johann also interacts with local people that hold different views of the regime, and I enjoyed those dialogues a lot.
There were a lot of things that I enjoyed about this story, but despite thinking I would fall in love with it, I didn’t quite. After reflecting a bit on my reading experience, I realized that the reason was the disconnect between the main character and myself. Many times I was annoyed with the actions and words of the main character. I didn’t feel like Johann tried too much to even give Turkmenistan a chance before dismissing it as a third world country. He is sad that he doesn’t make a big difference in people’s lives, but at the same time he parties, gets wasted, and skips work. As a college student, I did some volunteering in South America and Africa, so I was eager to read about a different volunteering experience. Unfortunately however, I was probably one of those volunteers that Johann wouldn't have wanted to be assigned to his site because I was not so much into partying as much as I was into working. I feel that I would have liked the book a lot more if it was less focused on drinking and partying, and more focused on the actual classes and work that went into the Peace Corps program.
However, while relating to a character can give an extra "something" to a book and make me love it, it is not a prerequisite for a good book. I appreciated the flow of the story and the character growth (I liked him better towards the end). And while I was annoyed with a lot of the character's choices, I did appreciate his friendship with his fellow volunteers, and his occasional bursts of energy trying to make a connection to the people in his assigned village. There is also humor in a lot of his adventures, whether intentional or situational, which kept me entertained throughout the book.
I would recommend this to people interested in travel and volunteering memoirs. The descriptions of Turkmenistan and of everyday life there make this book quite an immersive reading experience. As for the views and feelings of the main character, everyone is different, and I'm sure a lot of readers out there will identify more with them and appreciate that side of the book more than I did.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 4, 2021
‘Nothing I enjoy more than reading a book by someone who knows well the art of writing. After reading Hans Joseph Fellmann’s second book, Saving Jahan, I can say that Fellmann is an excellent writer. His tale, the fictionalized account of his two plus years in the Peace Corps in an isolated desert outpost in Turkmenistan, is a story of a young man’s seeking his path into adulthood, an adventure in the struggle to find oneself.
Johann Felmanstien graduates from university with a degree that takes him…nowhere. Uncomfortably, he knows how very much his extremely successful scientist father wants him to follow in dad’s footsteps. But Johann knows that science leaves him graveyard cold and that his first loves are words, languages, and literature. To momentarily salve his soul, he joins the Peace Corps. Bide some time, stall life for a bit, maybe find himself after all, but helping others is not a particular focus for Johann.
Soon enough, Johann finds himself stranded in hell on a half-failing farmstead isolated in the Turkmenistan desert, living with a host family, sharing mutual feelings of distrust and so-so acceptance. His PC assignment is to teach English to a bunch of kids who could care less about English. Johann escapes by consuming copious quantities of alcohol, by very frequently breaking PC rules in deserting his post for extended stays at other PC vols’ outposts where they can party and drink away their sorrows, and by saving Jahan – helping a local teacher who feels trapped in a small town with no opportunities and in her country’s male-dominated culture.
Fellmann’s strengths as an author are many. To me, his greatest strength is his manipulation of words. With magnificent gymnastics, his words bend, leap, and twist to create color of every hue. His artistry is immense. Through Fellmann’s words, his alter ego, Johann Felmanstien, is able to clearly demonstrate to the world, the full scope of Fellmann’s experiences during his Peace Corps stint: emotions, fears, thoughts, worries, joys, pains, exhaustions, sadness, thrills, horrors, hopes, dreams, despairs. And through Johann Felmanstien, we see the multifaceted character of a man, in this case, the author Fellmann, who in the Peace Corps, often was derelict, lost, making bad choices, but always seriously intent on becoming Somebody, and always, always, having a giant heart for those who hurt (including a dog) and for those who are wronged by society. Fellmann clearly denotes that people across cultures have many more similarities than they do the differences that tend to be emphasized in popular literature. As his words carried me along in the story, I kept thinking of the words of Nietzsche, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in suffering. One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” And as I read, I found myself carried along in the emotion of the events, pleading for the character to find success in each of his dilemmas. For me, one measure of a good book or movie is that it will stay with me for several days after I have finished reading it or watching it and I will find myself dwelling on events in it as I go about life. Several weeks after finishing Saving Jahan, I am still finding pieces of the story wending through my thoughts. That is a good book.
Johann Felmanstien graduates from university with a degree that takes him…nowhere. Uncomfortably, he knows how very much his extremely successful scientist father wants him to follow in dad’s footsteps. But Johann knows that science leaves him graveyard cold and that his first loves are words, languages, and literature. To momentarily salve his soul, he joins the Peace Corps. Bide some time, stall life for a bit, maybe find himself after all, but helping others is not a particular focus for Johann.
Soon enough, Johann finds himself stranded in hell on a half-failing farmstead isolated in the Turkmenistan desert, living with a host family, sharing mutual feelings of distrust and so-so acceptance. His PC assignment is to teach English to a bunch of kids who could care less about English. Johann escapes by consuming copious quantities of alcohol, by very frequently breaking PC rules in deserting his post for extended stays at other PC vols’ outposts where they can party and drink away their sorrows, and by saving Jahan – helping a local teacher who feels trapped in a small town with no opportunities and in her country’s male-dominated culture.
Fellmann’s strengths as an author are many. To me, his greatest strength is his manipulation of words. With magnificent gymnastics, his words bend, leap, and twist to create color of every hue. His artistry is immense. Through Fellmann’s words, his alter ego, Johann Felmanstien, is able to clearly demonstrate to the world, the full scope of Fellmann’s experiences during his Peace Corps stint: emotions, fears, thoughts, worries, joys, pains, exhaustions, sadness, thrills, horrors, hopes, dreams, despairs. And through Johann Felmanstien, we see the multifaceted character of a man, in this case, the author Fellmann, who in the Peace Corps, often was derelict, lost, making bad choices, but always seriously intent on becoming Somebody, and always, always, having a giant heart for those who hurt (including a dog) and for those who are wronged by society. Fellmann clearly denotes that people across cultures have many more similarities than they do the differences that tend to be emphasized in popular literature. As his words carried me along in the story, I kept thinking of the words of Nietzsche, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in suffering. One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” And as I read, I found myself carried along in the emotion of the events, pleading for the character to find success in each of his dilemmas. For me, one measure of a good book or movie is that it will stay with me for several days after I have finished reading it or watching it and I will find myself dwelling on events in it as I go about life. Several weeks after finishing Saving Jahan, I am still finding pieces of the story wending through my thoughts. That is a good book.
January 13, 2023
Full review here: https://deadpanassault.co.uk/2021/02/...
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews