I really enjoyed this book. A look into the lives of a modern Afghan family through the eyes of a journalist from Sweden. She lived with this family for three months and wrote about her experiences with them. As a western woman, the treatment of women was disturbing, but I have to remember that this is their culture, not mine, and that is to be respected.
For me, this is one more book and means along the way to understanding the rest of the world.

I couldn't put the book down. After a while I started feeling negative towards Sultan even though he was the bookseller and even though he treated his wives and children the way his culture and religion taught him a man should treat them. I particularly felt sorry for the women in the book.

Chilling account of life in Afghanistan, especially for the women. The consequences of almost constant war for the people and the change from one regime to another from one day to the next leaves confusion in the minds of the young people and a clinging to the old ways as a way to make sense of it all.

Just a fascinating account of life in Afghanistan, particularly as it relates to women. Written in "novel" form, but actually nonfiction journalism. Terrific read.

When I ordered this book I thought it was a novel of fiction. A sobering account of life in Afghanistan before/during/after the Taliban,I finished the book being thankful to be born in America.

Not bad for an updated view of Afgan society, but I found it heavily filtered through Western eyes.

Enjoyed the author's style. She was able to give a glimpse of life in Afghanistan without being judgemental.

Very interesting insight of Afghanistan but does not have a strong story line. It really is just a brief look at a true life family and their daily life.

Everyone here rated this book around 4*, I rate it 2* and here is why:

The book was choppy and has disorganized timeframe. Hard to read, as the story is jumping from between years and people from page to page, you often get before Taliban, Americans, and Taliban eras mixed together in that order on the same page. The story line is weak and wavers between different characters and stories, and mingles with the narrators story.
The only time the book got interesting was when the author was telling side story of one of the unimportant characters, the bookseller's shuned first wife, the carpenter, or the poor relation (10 year old boy) he made into his personal slave for food.

This book can open a picture for a clueless person into one man's life in Taliban ruined country. But you don't get a clear picture of women or the lifes of other people under Taliban rule. Someone who has been in that area can see that this is a common story of a cruel man made into passive-fighter-hero because of his ability to be shrude and plagerising businessman. His story is not special, his character is over glamorized and the writing is hard to follow.

I don't see what made the female author so impressed about this heartless, showinistic, and selfish example of humanity to return to Kabul and put him into this book. The man was selling mostly postcards not books, he made big show or 'resisting' Taliban but he him self would have been happy if the man (carpenter) who stole a pack of his postcards (plagerised pictures reprinted) to have his hand cut off as the Islamic fundamentalist would have done. The author never notes that taking someone's work: be it postcards or authors rights to the pictures is stealing. She glamorizes the bookseller but condems the carpenter, and yet they are both thiefs.
Besides, there are others worthy of having their story told, those who took greater risks, Secret teachers, TV-satelite-PC-music-alcohol sellers who did live on the edge, not to mention the northren resistance...

The book it self is like the main character, interesting enough to keep you plowing thrugh the 80% of blah. The story or the writing is mediocar at best.

Dry story of a family's struggles in politically unsettled Afghanistan with a focus on the home life. I liked Not Without My Daugher better.

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This book gives a realistic glimpse into life in Kabul.

This book presents an excellent picture of life for women in Afghanistan. Very well-written.

My book club read this book and we all found it interesting. It made me grateful for the life I enjoy here.

This book is a riveting glimpse of life in post war Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of one family. It makes you appreciate how much we have and opens your eyes to how much the people of Afghanistan endure on a daily basis just to survive. I finished the book in one sitting and highly recommend it. No sugar coating in this book...be prepared to have your eyes opened and your heart as well.

This is a fantastic-can't-put-it-down read! I loved the facts and the entire objective of the author - to write the truth about real life in Kabul since 9/11. What an eye-opener. We have so very far to go with understanding our relationship with Afghanistan. Every US woman and man should read this - and then, probably weep.

A really honest account of life in Afghanistan. It is told through the eyes of a female journalist who is able to move between the very segregated lives of men and women in this country, even though she herself if female. You see how life was pre and post 9/11 over there as well. Along with A Thousand Splendid Suns, I feel I understand more about this country and its turmoils. I really enjoyed this book.

Excellent book and documentary on modern day Afghanistan. Great book!!1

The bookseller of Kabul really opened my eyes to other cultures. The story was intriguing.

A look into the life of an Afghan family and the risk a man took to sell books to the people of Kabul.

An eye-opening look at life in today's Afghanistan.

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