"An astonishing feat of writing and reporting and one of the finest books written on Afghanistan in a generation."
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Eliza Griswold, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of
Amity and Prosperity
“A valuable addition to the canon of literature on the country . . . [
Seierstad
] manages to achieve a rare intimacy."
New York Times Book Review
From the internationally bestselling author of
The Bookseller of Kabul,
an expansive, deeply felt portrait of Afghanistan, examining the human cost of wars fought, lost, and won.
From Soviet occupation to the rise of the Taliban, from the outbreak of the War on Terror to its disastrous fallout,
The Afghans
is an extraordinary journey told over the course of three lives. Since she was a girl, Jamila fought tirelessly for her education. At 25, strengthened by the Quran and supported by the flow of international aid that accompanied U.S. invasion, she set off on a campaign to lead Afghanistan to a better future. Meanwhile, teenager Bashir joined the Taliban, eager to kill infidels in a holy war he would one day lead. In their crosshairs, Ariana grew up with hopes of becoming a lawyer-only to have them dashed in 2021 as the U.S. military pulled out and the Taliban retook Kabul, shuttered schools, and wiped the country clean of Western influence.
Taking us through the Taliban's first year in power,
is an essential contribution to the American reckoning with our longest war and a profound work of empathy for three people shaped by a ruinous battle for the soul of their nation.