The Bookseller of Kabul: Afghanistan from the Inside Out
A Nostalgic Portrayal of Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of an Afghan Family
The Bookseller of Kabul
With the revealing nature of its storyline and the unusual circumstances in which it was written, Asne Seierstad's non-fiction The Bookseller of Kabul is certainly worth the read. In this captivating book, the reader is privileged to an intimate look at the lives of a real Afghan family as Seierstad recounts the events she witnessed during her four- month stay in Kabul.
The book was made possible after Seierstad befriended Sultan Khan, a bookshop owner in Kabul. Seierstad was in Afghanistan as a war correspondent after the 9/11 attacks and had been living with the commandos of the Northern Alliance in the desert by the Tajikistani border. Once the Taliban fell she left for Kabul and stumbled upon Khan's bookstore, finding the bookseller to be refreshingly intelligent. And having just spent six weeks living with soldiers, Seierstad was more than happy to chat with the interesting man. She learned that he had been imprisoned twice for the crime of selling banned literature and that his store had been looted and his books burnt twice over - first by the Communists, then by the Taliban. After getting to know the bookseller, Seierstad was eventually invited to his home for dinner where she met his family - one of his wives, his sons, sisters, brother and mother. She was captivated by the family and realised what a unique opportunity it would be to live with them and document the experience. Khan agreed to her proposition, and on February 1, 2001 Seierstad moved in with the family and began writing what would eventually become The Bookseller of Kabul.
Eloquent Narrative
Asne Seierstad
Seierstad immersed herself in Afghani culture. She wore the burka when leaving the house, slept in Khan's four room house with his family, tagged along on a religious pilgrimage and even assisted preparations for an Afghan wedding. That said, the book itself is written as though Seierstad isn't present. Instead, she offers a simple, yet eloquently written narrative that lets the Khans tell their stories. The reader becomes privy to the patriarchal reign of Sultan over his family, the submissive life of the Afghani woman, the numerous proposal and marriage customs, as well as the great lengths that families go to in order to preserve their honour. Additionally, the reader is educated on Afghanistan's past. Interwoven in all the stories is a history of Afghanistan and the legacies left behind after the many regime changes.
And yet, the real strength of Seierstad's book is not found in the astonishing stories and their knack for satisfying curiosities one might have had about Afghanistan - the strength of The Bookseller of Kabul is in the author's ability to capture the emotions of a family and the mood of an entire country. Seierstad's brilliant dialogue brings the characters' hopes and dreams to life as we hear about secret desires to attend school and longings for a different life or a different Afghanistan. Her heavy words also capture the struggles and limitations felt by all in their post-Taliban lives. The reader cannot help but empathise with Khan's youngest sister who is effectively a slave to the demands of her older family members, or with Khan's sons who are not allowed to attend school and must instead work long hours. Alas, the fears and hopelessness that invade Afghanistan are horrifyingly obvious throughout the book.
The Bookseller of Kabul is an illuminating book about life in Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban; and it is truly unlike anything you have ever read. In less than 300 pages Seierstad has managed to produce an astonishing and one-of-a-kind glimpse into the lives of an Afghan family while at the same time, capturing the mood of a poverty stricken and war-torn country.