Around the World - Bookseller of Kabul

Author Seierstad moves in with an Afghanistan family to write about life there. She follows Sultan Khan's quest to become a successful bookseller. He does attain that goal and although he is a liberal man politically he reigns the family as a dictator in true Taliban fashion. I took heart with the women in this book as they were/are treated so much like nothing more than vessel bearing women and maids. For the most part at least. Leila is nothing more than someone to use and belittle as she tries desperately to find a way out of a life of dust, endless chores, not much female companionship and plans to arrange her marriage to men not to her liking or of her choosing. It is even frowned upon for a woman to go shopping that is usually the man's or old women's task. This is because women are not trusted and there is always a suspicion that they are breaking the "code" of not speaking to, being seen with or anything of the kind with the opposite sex. On the other hand men take wives at their whim. These new wives may very well live a life of no responsibility for taking care of the home as they are the younger, newer wives. This is one of many outrageous rules the Afghans adhere to.

I was left feeling no respect for Sultan even though he managed to keep his bookselling intact through three generations. As a book lover I will have to give him credit for diligence. It's funny though he was such a lover of the written word but wouldn't allow his own children an education. Many times during this book I felt that their lifestyle was just plain ridiculous. So many rules even after our country went in and started their path to freedom. Rules so ingrained that many just cannot let go and start anew.

This book would be a great one for discussion. I do follow politics but it was rather confusing at times as I have not delved that deeply into this culture. It is a shocking portrayal of a way of life that we as Americans cannot imagine without the help of a book like this. I gave it a 5/5 stars rating (you have to read this book to get the full force of it all and it is well worth the effort)