The Bookseller Of Kabul: The International Bestseller - 'An intimate portrait of Afghani people quite unlike any other' SUNDAY TIMES

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During the Taliban era one of the most hated buildings in Kabul was the "Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Extermination of Sin". Here women who had walked unescorted by a male relative, or who wore makeup under their burkas, and men who cut their beards, languished under torture and many died. Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

The other side of the book gets behind the headline stories. Only twice do people say anything critical of the regime to Seierstad before it falls and then only when those people are certain that the coast is clear. She reports that the Christian population in Iraq had fallen by half, down to three percent, already before the war began while they were already fearful of reprisals - and perhaps this simply followed on from what happened to the Jewish population earlier in the century. Then the book veers off to describe what seems like every relative of Sultan's on earth, with names all starting with S, so it was a bit hard to follow, but I followed. It was most interesting to read how women and young girls are treated, or mistreated really; and even when the Taliban is not in power, it doesn't change much. They are servants, they have no free will, subjects of the men in their families. Burkas were purposefully designed -- by a man -- to cut off peripheral vision, so that the wearer must turn her head directly at whatever she wants to see so that her man then knows at all times what she is looking at.In three weeks, Åsne Seierstad will give birth to her second child. Substantial rebuilding work is being done to her house in Oslo and her young son is driving her neighbours to despair every morning with his new drum kit. But all of this is nothing to the storm Norway's most successful author has gone through in the past few days. parents, siblings, grandmother, a great aunt], friendships, reading, book chat, insights …other authors and their relationship with their dogs and writing, The US soldiers, as perhaps we all might, ask Iraqis how they feel about the end of the regime, hoping for a positive answer - as if life was so straightforward and simple. Eventually, Aliya curls up in Seierstad's bed and says they say he only cared about himself, she says, in wonder (p321). The author's writing style is eloquent and evocative enough to make the readers feel and comprehend with her story line. The narrative is very mush realistic, and it will feel like the characters voicing their honest opinions discreetly in the ears of the author. Even though it has been translated into English, I felt that the charm of the author and her flair has not been lost in translation. The prose is articulate and really strong and that which leaves room for the readers' own judgement and thoughts.

But while Khan is passionate in his love of books and his hatred of censorship, he also has strict views on family life and the role of women. As an outsider, Asne Seierstad found herself in a unique position, able to move freely between the private, restricted sphere of the women - including Khan's two wives - and the freer, more public lives of the men. An artist’s solitude is a sacred space, one to be guarded from the chaos of the world, where the sparks of inspiration can be kindled into fires of creation. But within this quiet also lie loneliness, self-doubt, the danger of collapsing too far inward.

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Asme reported on the beginnings of the war, and what it’s like to be in a city that is being bombed. She described the dangers she faced, and the fear she experienced when her hotel was bombed, and other reporters were killed or wounded. I also learned about incidents with American soldiers that I did not hear about in the US. Many innocent civilians were killed as the bombs were often released far from military targets. Iraqi reactions were mixed. While some were happy the Americans were there, others were very fearful. As more civilians, especially children were killed, the fear and anger grew. As we know, there was much more anger in the months and years to follow. My debut children's novel, I, Cosmo, is narrated from the perspective of a golden retriever who is desperately trying to keep his human family together when everything around them is falling apart. After slogging my way through Lincoln in the Bardo and putting aside Rudyard Kipling's Kim for a time when I'm less mentally tired, reading The Good Dog was incredibly refreshing. As strange as it felt to be reading a book with such large font compared to my usual fare, I really got into this story. The plot is quite straightforward and simple, but the pacing and the way the dogs view and interact with the human world are done so well. I liked the way the dogs had to understand human speech in bits and pieces based on word association and context, rather than understanding every word like in most stories from an animal's perspective. While I wouldn't classify Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone as a 'dog book', I would also be remiss if I didn't mention Fang - and, frankly, all the overlooked superstar dogs of children's books. Is it too much to wish, somewhere down the line, that Fang will tell his own tale? Because surely he is braver than J. K. Rowling has portrayed him (or possibly not!)

Khan's nineteen-year-old daughter, Leila, was responsible for ensuring Seierstad's needs were met. Leila was also responsible for cooking, cleaning, and taking care of thirteen members of the family.This was an interesting read, in which Helen Humphreys relates the story of her life as a writer through the lens of the dogs she's owned over the years, as well as the troublemaking puppy that is her current companion. Interspersed amongst the chapters are anecdotes about other famous writers and their dogs (most of which sounded to be plentiful in personality and honestly quite horrible for anyone other than that particular author to be around). Seierstad, Åsne; Death, Sarah (2015). One of us: the story of Anders Breivik and the massacre in Norway. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-27789-5. OCLC 879582758. Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.