The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad

Review by Emily Shultis

The short:

Based in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, Sultan, a bookseller, allowed a western journalist to move into his family’s home after the city of Kabul had become newly liberated from the hold of the repressive extremist government.

The long:

The international bestseller tells the story of how Afghani people cope with the complexities and misfortunes of every life in a repressive and traditional culture. In their small overcrowded apartment, the journalist takes note of the extraordinary life and culture of the Kahn family. With one husband, two wives, five children, and other relatives sharing the four bedroom apartment, the family reveals the intricacies of their particular life. An ordinary family, they have endured Afghanistan’s harshest turmoil alongside family grief and never ending love.

To read or not to read:

Read!! The author, Åsne Seierstad, is a Norweigian freelance journalist and writer, best known for her on-the-ground accounts from war zones such as Kabul in 2001 and Baghdad in 2002. Seierstad’s experience, heightened with her use of sophisticated language, brings the oppressive nature of the life of Afghani women to life.