In Afghanistan, just after the fall of the Taliban, a bookseller named Sultan Khan allowed a western journalist to move into his home and experience firsthand his family's life in the newly liberated capital city of Kabul.

Sultan is a man whose love of books has exposed him to great risks over his thirty years in the trade. He has seen his volumes censored, ripped apart, even burned in the street by the Communists and the Taliban. Each time he rebuilt his business, hiding the most controversial texts, surviving prison, travelling treacherous back roads to Pakistan to order much-needed schoolbooks.

But Sultan is also a committed Muslim with strict views on respect and the role of women. We meet his wife, Sharifa, when she learns that Sultan is taking a new bride, as his status in the community dictates. Despite custom, it is agonizing for the mother of Sultan's children to see her place usurped. We follow their teenage son, Mansur, as he embarks on his first religious pilgrimage, which embodies all the excitement of youth's first rebellion. And we see Sultan's younger sisters, as one prepares for her wedding while another seeks a job to escape her family's tight grip.

A fascinating insight into another culture.

Passed to a non-BX friend.

Non-bookcrossing friend returned it to me, as she has resisted my encouragement to join.

Sending this as a surprise RABCK to another bookcrosser. I hope you enjoy it!

Received this in the post today, thank you so so so so much! Have been feeling a bit down recently for various reasons but this has made my day!
I'd better take it off my wishlist now before I forget ....

I am bringing this book to the BCUK Unconvention 2016 at the Strathallan Hotel. If not taken by one of the attendees, who knows where it will end up!

If you are in Birmingham, a group of local Bookcrossers meet up monthly, find out more here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/243069614126/

If this is your first experience with BookCrossing, thanks so much for picking up this book and coming to the BookCrossing website to find out what it's all about. Welcome to the addictive world of BookCrossing!

I look forward to hearing what you thought of this book, and of your plans for it.

Taken from the Book Buffet, at the Unconvention.

I found this a very interesting book, but also very depressing as it's hard to see how there can ever be peace in Afghanistan given the attitudes of so many of the people who feature in this book.

Going in the post to DJgib. I hope you enjoy this book.

Thanks so much for the RABCK, 666Izzy. I've recently completed an OU degree, for which I studied an extract from this book in a module on social psychology. It looked really interesting, so I'm looking forward to finding out the whole story.

I pretty much devoured this book. It completely entranced me, how Seierstad tells this story of a family of very different but intimately connected people. I was impressed how she allowed them to tell their own stories, with each chapter giving the point of view of one of the family members and putting across their feelings, thoughts and hopes - rather than placing herself centrally in the book as an observer. I felt Seierstad was almost invisible from the book - with the exception of the account of Shakila's shopping trip where you could really feel Seierstad's experience of wearking the burka - and that worked well.
It is such a different world, such a different life, that I don't feel I can make any comment on any of the individuals' acts and opinions. They are so much the product of a different culture and set of experiences, that it would seem too facile to just condemn, for example, the treatment of women. Of course, that doesn't make it right, but accounts like this are so valuable in showing where our shared humanity lies, and where we can find common ground. It struck me how all of the people in this account have certain fears that to a great extent drive their actions. Perhaps this is the key to changing the world - finding what it is that people fear, and removing this fear to make alternative actions possible.

A girl in my book club has said she would like this, so I will pass it on to her.

Received from djgib - thanks poppet.

Fascinating insight.

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