250 pages
This is a collection of stories gathered for "Afghan Women's Hour," a weekly BBC program that ran from 2005-2o12. Kargar, who grew up in Afghanistan before moving to the United Kingdom, used the connections she had there to find women with interesting, inspiring, and often heartbreaking stories and shared them on the program. There's a child bride given as payment to settle a family feud. One woman spent nearly every day of her life in a dark room weaving carpets. One girl was raised as a boy because her family couldn't handle the shame of being son-less. Many of the Afghan women women featured had to tell their stories anonymously because revealing their identities would endanger them.
I think I got a lot out of this book. I knew things were bad for women in Afghanistan, but hearing individuals' stories, in their own voices, made it really feel real. That many of these women were able to overcome such insane obstacles is a huge inspiration, and it makes me realize that if they can do that, I can do much more in my more secure environment. Their stories put my problems in perspective.
600 pages
Almost everyone's heard of baseball legend Hank Aaron, but few really know much about Henry Aaron--the real man behind the icon. This biography, however, digs below the surface. Based on interviews with former teammates, family, and Aaron himself, it chronicles Aaron's journey from his childhood in segregated Alabama to his brief stardom in the Negro leagues all the way to his demolition of Babe Ruth's home run record, plus everything in between. The story isn't limited to baseball, though. Howard portrays Aaron as a complicated person who loved his sport but also wanted to leave behind a legacy off the field, particularly in the area of civil rights and equality for African Americans.
I picked this book up because I like Howard Bryant's column in ESPN: The Magazine, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. It's one of the best biographies I've read in a while. Bryant got some great interviews with Aaron and people close to him. He did his historical research as well, which allowed him to put Aaron's life in context. The storytelling really brings the exciting baseball stories to life, and the issues of racism and segregation are covered well also. It's hard to believe that such blatant discrimination took place just decades ago, and even superstars were not immune to it. After reading this, I feel like I not only know a lot more about Henry Aaron but also understand his impact on the world, on the field and off. And it was just plain interesting and enjoyable.
