"Dear Zari: The Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan" by Zarghuna Kargar

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. 

Decision Points

George W. Bush
491 pages

This is Bush's autobiography, and it mainly deals with the major decisions he faced before and during the presidency.  The decisions he made about Afghanistan, Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the financial meltdown. He also highlights his administrations work on Medicare reform and HIV/AIDs prevention in Africa.  Overall, this was insightful.  Bush made the politics and issues he was discussing easy to understand, which I appreciated.

I did not read this book because I am a huge Bush supporter.  I read it to gain insight on this period of time.  I think it's important to hear both sides before you make judgments about what really happened, and this book allowed me to hear the other side of the story.  A president's shoes are hard to fill, and I don't envy anyone who attempts the job.

"Farishta" by Patricia McArdle

368 pages

Twenty-one years ago, diplomat Angela Morgan witnessed the death of her husband during the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Devastated by her loss, she fled back to America, where she hid in desk jobs at the State Department and avoided the high-profile postings that would advance her career. Now, with that career about to dead-end, she must take the one assignment available-at a remote British army outpost in northern Afghanistan. After her arrival, Angela finds that she has to fight to earn the respect of her colleagues, especially Mark Davies, a British major who turns out to be both her most loyal ally and her fiercest critic. Frustrated at her inability to contribute to the nation's reconstruction, Angela slips out of camp disguised in a burka to provide aid to the refugees in the war-torn region. She becomes their farishta--or "angel," in the local Dari language-and discovers a new purpose for her life.

This book sounded really interesting to me before I read it, and it had a lot of potential. It just sort of fell flat to me, though. I never felt like I really got below the surface of Angela's character, so I didn't feel a connection with her at all. Some parts of the story are slow and seem to drag on and on, and then all of a sudden a bunch of stuff would happen at once. I did enjoy getting a glimpse of what life as a diplomat is like, but I wish there was a better-developed story to go along with that.

"Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way" by Jon Krakauer

77 pages

Greg Mortenson, author of "Three Cups of Tea" and "Stones Into Schools," has built a global reputation as a selfless humanitarian and children’s crusader and been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Here, Krakauer claims that Mortenson is not what he appears to be. He writes Mortenson has not only fabricated substantial parts of his bestselling books but has also misused millions of dollars donated by unsuspecting admirers like Krakauer himself.

I loved the inspiring story Mortenson shared in his books, so I was terribly disappointed when I first heard of the allegations Krakauer was bringing against Mortenson. I read the book because I wanted to hear what Krakauer had to say and try to figure out if they had merit. After reading this book, I'm still not sure. Krakauer accused Mortenson of some pretty serious things, and it seems that he's done his research. However, he doesn't cite all of his sources (there are a lot of quotes from "anonymous"), so it seems like it's Krakauer's word against Mortenson's. There doesn't seem that there's any reason for Krakauer to make these things up. I assume that at some point some third party will investigate all of the allegations, and I'll reserve my final judgment until then.

"The Kite Runner Graphic Novel" by Khaled Hosseini;

136 pages

In this graphic novel, which is adapted from the bestselling book of the same title, Amir grows up in Afghanistan in the closing years of the monarchy and the first years of the short-lived republic. His most faithful friend, Hassan, is the son of his family's servant. One day, when Hassan is assaulted by bullies, Amir witnesses the attack but is too stunned and frightened to do anything to stop it. Overwhelmed by guilt, he doesn't want to be around Hassan anymore, as his friend reminds him of his betrayal. He shuns Hassan, leaving his friend wondering why Amir is angry with him. Then Amir´s relatively priviledged life in Kabul comes to a sudden end when the communist regime comes to power and his father takes him to the U.S. There Amir grows up, finishes school, and gets married. Through it all, he never forgets Hassan or lets go of regret for the way he left things with his childhood friend. After his father's death, Amir receives a letter from his father's most trusted business partner with news that makes him go back to Taliban-dominated Afghanistan in search of redemption.

"The Kite Runner" is one of my favorite books, so I had to grab this graphic novel when I saw it on the shelf. I love it when books I like come out in graphic novel format because they're a way for me to experience the story in a different way and to get a refresher in a time-efficient manner. This book definitely didn't disappoint me. I wasn't particularly impressed with the artwork, but that didn't bother me at all in this case. The story is so fantastic that I really didn't notice that the art isn't spectacular; in a way, the plain drawings allow the story to take center stage. And while some graphic novel adaptations lose something in the abbreviated format, this book sums up the plot of the original novel very well.