It is not every day that I come across a book that is both intellectually insightful and emotionally
gripping. The author provides enough distance to give the reader a knowledgeable understanding of the
issues, yet is personally engaged with the subjects' stories. She intersperses personal narrative pieces with the
interviewee's stories. The author doesn’t just scratch the surface of Afghan society, she writes deeply
about the lives of Afghan women and at times offers a refreshingly feminist critique. Several case
studies are presented, including the practice of Pacha Posh and of the child laborer, who must work
long hours weaving carpets in order to support her male sibling’s education. Pacha Posh is practiced
in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where a girl dresses up and behaves as a boy to become the
breadwinner of the family. Part memoir and journalism, this collection gives voice to a multitude of
voices in Afghan society. The author describes the hardships many of these women face through the
decades, from the Taliban dictatorship to the American occupation. It is a collective representation of
strength, the voice of women we often don't hear about in the mainstream media. But it also has heart.
The author cries and laments along with the subjects, feeling their heartfelt sorrows and longings. For
some of these women, it will be the first time, they will confide in a trusted soul and tell tales of their
struggle, who have managed to find their stories in a cracked fault line and system. In a world that
silences them all too often, Kargar's BBC radio show and book is one of the rare stages where their
voices are finally humanized.
