Zarifa: A Woman's Battle in a Man's World

Written by: Zarifa Ghafari and Hanna Lucinda Smith

First line: The men wanted to know everything about Germany.

Why you should read this book: Educated and outspoken from a young age, in a time and place where girls were typically not allowed to be educated or speak in public at all, Ghafari gained fame and notoriety as the little girl who went on national television and demanded answers from the president of Afghanistan as to why her village had no roads and her school had no computers or English classes. Repeatedly blown up by the Taliban, defied by her family, and opposed by ignorant yahoos in her quest to finish school and reform her country, she never backed down regardless of how often people told her she couldn't do the thing she was already doing. Although the Taliban's capture of Kabul in 2021 effectively ended her political career and forced her to temporarily flee the country, she continues to fight for the rights of all Afghan people, and especially for the rights of girls and women to receive an education, to walk freely through their own streets, and to earn their own money.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Ghafari is tough, but she's not made of steel and her distress over the Taliban's murder of her father and their invasion of Kabul is palpable and heart-rending; this is a book about how you can fight your entire life, always do the right thing, and still be overwhelmed by evil. 

Shooting Kabul

Written by: NH Senzai

First line: It's a perfect night to run away, thought Fadi, casting a brooding look at the bright sheen of the moon through the cracked backseat window.

Why you should read this book: Fadi and his family have to escape Afghanistan before the Taliban comes for his father, but everything happens so quickly, and even though Fadi was holding his sister's hand, in the space of a moment she's lost, the family has no choice but to continue to America without her. Wracked with guilt, Fadi tries to hide his own shame while doing his best to keep his head down and avoid trouble in his new school, but then the attack on the World Trade Center changes his relationship to his classmates and forces him to stand up for himself and others. Fadi places all his hope in winning a photography contest, which he is sure will be the solution to all his problems, and allow him to make up for the mistakes of his past.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It made me cry like fifteen times.

The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini

First line: I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975.

Why you should read this book: Amir would do anything to earn the unconditional love of his respected but distant father, including the sacrifice of his servant and best friend, Hassan, a boy so faithful that he would eat dirt, and worse, for Amir. Their youthful bonds divided, Amir flees to America with his father when the Russians invade Afghanistan, while the less privileged Hassan stays behind in the war-torn country. Amir's story is one of terror and secrets, pain and guilt, along with the slim, glass-sharp thread of redemption that is offered to those who must make restitution for unspoken evil.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You've done things--terrible things--to those who loved and trusted you, and you have dreams--terrible dreams--and remorse that haunt you without relent.

The Places in Between

Author: Rory Stewart

First line: On my last morning in Herat, I was reluctant to get out of bed.

Why you should read this book: It has been said of Rory Stewart that, while his proposals are often outrageous, he always follows through; therefore, after being thwarted by the Taliban in his first attempt to walk across Afghanistan, he sees the American invasion as an invitation to make good on his own promise to traverse the entire distance from Turkey to Bangladesh on foot. His knowledge of Islamic customs and Persian dialects eases a journey made harrowing by snow, dysentery, prejudice, and decades of war, and his determination and friendliness cantilever what seems an otherwise impossible sojourn. Rich in detailed observation, human interest, and astonishing realizations, this remarkable book shares a realistic view of ancient and modern Afghanistan, opening windows on a universe rarely glimpsed by outsiders and a character that quietly demonstrates the highest potential of humanity.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You're Taliban and you're still pissed off.

Parvana's Journey

Author: Deborah Ellis

First line: A man Parvana didn't know gave one final pat to the dirt mounded up over her father's grave.

Why you should read this book: The sequel to The Breadwinner, this is a bleak and accurate portrayal of the human cost of conflict, which won the Jane Addams Children's Book Award as well as the Canada Council Governor General's Literary Award. Parvana, still disguised as a boy, but utterly alone in the world, wanders the Afghani countryside, eventually collecting a family of orphans more disadvantaged than herself. Landmines, war planes, and starvation figure prominently in a potent story that tears at the heart and, in the interest of realism, offers little in the way of a happy ending.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You don't want to spend the afternoon immersed in the very depths of man's inhumanity to man.

The Breadwinner

Author: Deborah Ellis

First line: "I can read that letter as well as Father can," Parvana whispered into the folds of her chador.

Why you should read this book: In prose both simple and piercing, Ellis tells the story of 11-year-old Parvana, living in Kabul under the Taliban regime. When her father is arrested without explanation, it is up to Parvana to cut her hair, dress like a boy, and go to work in the marketplace to support her family. Brutally apt descriptions of the necessities of survival make this a powerful work for children and adults.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Scenes of grave-robbery, hand-chopping, and unwarranted beatings may be difficult for sensitive readers.