Full Product Details
Author: Åsne Seierstad
Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
Imprint: Virago Press Ltd
Edition: Digital original
Dimensions:
Width: 12.90cm
, Height: 1.90cm
, Length: 19.80cm
Weight: 0.226kg
ISBN: 9781844080472
ISBN 10: 1844080471
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 04 March 2004
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
'A remarkable portrait, with deftly woven accounts of weddings and journeys, books and bookselling, relations and squabbles, firmly anchored by pleasing details about food and customs, all set against the backdrop of a derelict city, filthy and crammed bu
Written sometimes more like fiction than fact ... this is a remarkable portrait, with deftly woven accounts of weddings and journeys, books and bookselling, relations and squabbles, firmly anchored by pleasing details about food and customs, all set against the backdrop of a derelict city, filthy and crammed but not defeated Independent Remarkable ... honestly and intelligently written Isabel Hilton, Daily Telegraph Fascinating ... a colourful portrait of people struggling to survive in the most brutal circumstances ... bear[s] witness to the power of literature to withstand even the most repressive regime Michael Arditti, Daily Mail An intimate portrait of Afghani people quite unlike any other book available on the country. It is a compelling read Sunday Times A unique insight into another world as the Norwegian answer to Kate Adie shares the life of a family in Kabul Daily Mirror A compelling picture of a country Sunday Telegraph ...she wrote about this family simply because it interested her. This interest leaps from the pages. Seierstad's great strength lies in bringing all the characters to life with wonderful dialogue ... reads much like a novel ... there are vivid descriptio 'Seierstad's compelling family portrait is the heart of the book. Full of gossipy, jokey, intimate moments, sniffing the dust beneath the carpets, it shines it own fascinated gaze on rites of courtship and strictures of duty, kinship and protocol ... but
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)
Author Information
Asne Seierstad (born 1970) has reported from Russia, China, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, amongst many other countries. She has received numerous awards for her journalism.
