Asne Seierstad's work as a war correspondent brought her to
Afghanistan in 2001. Intrigued, she returned after the Taliban's
fall, and spent four months living with the Khans. Noting how the
family must have seen her as some 'bi-gendered' creature, she
wastes no time introducing us to the central character, Sultan
Khan, the bookseller of the title. Sultan's love for his ancient
country's culture gives him strength to stand up to Communist and
Taliban alike. As they burn and destroy his beloved books he
consoles himself with the knowledge that he has hidden away many
more. He's also a man who puts himself first, and seems to always
get what he wants, be it a priceless Persian text or a new wife.
Through the family's experiences, Seierstad's no-nonsense style
provides a close up look at a fascinating country and its people,
still daring to hope after the horrific ravages of the recent past.
(Kirkus UK)
Two weeks after September 11th, award-winning journalist Asne Seierstad went to Afghanistan to report on the conflict. In the following spring she returned to live with a bookseller and his family for several months. The Bookseller of Kabul is the fascinating account of her time spent living with the family of thirteen in their four-roomed home. Bookseller Sultan Khan defied the authorities for twenty years to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned by the communists and watched illiterate Taliban soldiers burn piles of his books in the street. He even resorted to hiding most of his stock in attics all over Kabul. But while Khan is passionate in his love of books and hatred of censorship, he is also a committed Muslim with strict views on family life. As an outsider, Seierstad is able to move between the private world of the women - including Khan's two wives - and the more public lives of the men. The result is an intimate and fascinating portrait of a family which also offers a unique perspective on a troubled country.
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