pickInteresting story of a family in Kabul. I was especially intrigued by the different layers of the family. It was interesting to see a more personal look into daily life in Afghanistan. The book came out in 2002 so it is fairly old now, but I doubt life has changed a whole lot there.
pickI've read many books focusing and educating us (quite rightly) on the traumas, restrictions and hostilities towards females under the Taliban rule. But what if you are an educated man that wants to hear his wife's laughter? Would love to walk beside her on the streets? Wants to see her face under the glow of the sun?
Here we see two marriages trying to hold onto humanity in a place where pleasure is a sin.
This book packs a punch.
pickThis is a very sad book, but it‘s so well written that it was hard to put it down. It‘s really hard to read about how women are treated in the family, and more generally, but it is very well written.
It follows the family of a man who managed to keep a book store open in Kabul for years and who had big dreams for Afghanistan once the Americans came.
3/5 stars, read for a well written, enraging, and poignant story of a family in Afghanistan.
pickThis was lovely and heartbreaking all at once - both because of the contents of the book but also because we‘re seeing the same conflict playing out again today.
Book 1/4 for #OutstandingOctober
so-soThis was easy reading and in general I quite liked the main characters‘ differing perspectives and the view offered of life in Afghanistan. That said I didn‘t particularly like the lightness of the writing, and never fully understood the presence of the British/American characters. I wanted more from Yazmina and Halajan and the very real hardships they faced, and maybe a little less of the sweetness. Not a particularly memorable read overall.
I used ground lamb and combined a few recipes, but Kabuli Pulao - was amazingly delicious. https://igotitfrommymaman.com/kabuli-pulao-the-afghan-national-dish/ #foodandlit #foodandlit2022 #afghanistan
Nothing went to plan yesterday but at least I got these books at my local shopping centre‘s new book swap. The markets I walked to were canceled so I was too early for the shops I wanted to go to. I had a chai tea and a piece of pumpkin bread at a cafe until the supermarket opened but they didn‘t have what I‘d come for so I walked home. At least I got a good long walk in for exercise. The Ivy and Bean books are for my niece Lila who loves to read.
