Words in the Dust

Words in the Dust
by
Trent Reedy
YA fiction

Inspired by events that happened to the author when he was stationed in Afghanistan this book is contemporary and highly readable. Zulaikha is an Afghan girl with a birth defect - a cleft lip. This makes eating and talking difficult for her, but most importantly, it affects her marriageability. She is mocked by the village boys and her family is not so sure what her future will hold. The American soldiers notice her one day and come up with a plan to have the American doctors help her. Will her dreams of a normal life come true? Is it too much for a poor girl to dream?

The author ties in all kinds of facts about current life in Afghanistan and references to the past that made the country what it is today. Another theme that runs throughout is the role of women in society, the love of poetry that Afghans have traditionally held, the aftermath of war, the lack of literacy among the young people, and many more discussable topics.

It reminds me of "Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind" but more up to date.

The publisher has included a glossary, which was very helpful. There were many words that the author used that were rather foreign. There is also a discussion with the author, a bibliography of other books about Afghanistan, and a note about the poetry that is referenced in the book.

This book deserves to go on a number of reading lists - books for teenaged girls, books about current events, books about the role of women, books about world culture, etc.

It is touching that the author says that the best person to write this would be an Afghan woman, but the literacy rate among females in that part of Afghanistan is only about 1 %. Heartbreaking! The author is donating money to a charity that supports the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan and there is also a link to a group that starts and runs schools for girls in central Asia.

Reading this book reminds me how grateful I need to be that I am an American woman instead of a poor, illiterate Afghani.

Every Man in this Village Is a Liar

Every Man in this Village Is a Liar
by
Megan Stack
adult nonfiction
This book was written by a L. A. Times Middle East Correspondent telling about her experiences interviewing people and living in the Middle East for the last 10 years. This book is very timely and informative about how screwed up Middle Eastern politics is. It is hard to know who to trust and who is telling the truth to a female foreign correspondent. If we choose this book, we may have some strong opinions being expressed by the patrons about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a number of other places that are currently in the news: wars in Israel, Syria, Lebanon, the role of women in Saudia Arabia and other Muslim countries, etc. This acronym kept coming to mind: SNAFU.
Most of our readers will be familiar with some, but not all of the places she discusses. I didn't know all of the words she used. Sometimes she explained them (like "mujahideen") and sometimes she didn't. It really made me think about all the things that are going on over there and how our government and our troops are involved or not involved.
Very timely. Very relevant today. Should appeal to both men and women as it is a war book, but by a woman author.

Nasreen's Secret School

Nasreen's Secret School
by
Jeanette Winter
children's nonfiction ages 3-6

Nasreen's parents are taken from her home as political prisoners, or maybe they are killed. Nasreen and her grandmother do not know. School has also been banned for girls in her town in Afghanistan. Nasreen falls silent and has nothing to do. One day her grandmother learns about a clandestine school and enrolls Nasreen. Nasreen, through fellowship with other girls, the teacher's caring, and through learning to read, slowly starts to recover from her shocking experience. There is still hope that she might have a bright future.

The story ends like that. Then end was satisfying enough for me as an adult, but my child listeners wanted to know what happened to the parents and what did Nasreen do when she grew up and many other unanswered questions. I had to tell my audience that I didn't know. Maybe some day the real Nasreen will be able to tell her own story freely and openly.