And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is a brilliant storyteller and in the “And the Mountains Echoed”, he does not disappoint.  The book which spans several generations and 3 continents, follows Pari’s journey through a life that is defined by a decision her father took when she was a very young child. The book’s theme is about choices and the far reaching consequences they have on the future as well as the propensity they have to influence the generations to come. 

On the first page, the first sentence reads, ”So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one” and the stage for Pari's story is set.   As Pari and her brother, Abdullah travel with their father from a small village in Afghanistan and across the desert to Kabul, they are oblivious to the underlying forces that will shape their destiny and ultimately seal their fate. 

However, towards the middle (about half way through the book), it all gets very confusing. As new characters are introduced, it is unclear who they are and what their connection, if any, is to the main characters and to the story. There are also a couple of shock factors thrown in that don’t quite work with the story line and could have just as easily been left out.

In the latter part of the book, the clarity is back and the story sprints towards an awesome ending as the main characters, Pari and Abdullah, take centre stage once again…58 years later.

I was particularly impressed with Hosseini’s compassion and caring when writing about Abdullah’s mental illness. It is a condition that many of us with aging parents and /or grandparents are familiar with; I recognised and related to the anguish and sorrow felt by Abdullah’s daughter, also called Pari, as she came to terms and dealt with her father’s condition. 

I loved “The Kite Runner” and while “And The Mountains Echoed” is not as captivating, it is still a very good book. 

My rating for And The Mountains Echoed  - 4

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul had previously been published under the title A Cup of Friendship. The Little Coffee Shop was the first book I read by Deborah Rodriguez. It claims that it is fiction, and probably so, as some of the stories seem a bit unrealistic. But then truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.  

The book is set in modern day Kabul, in a coffee shop run by an American woman called Sunny, who is dating some kind of secret agent (the handsome kind named Jack) who keeps mysteriously disappearing on dangerous missions. Sunny spends her time rescuing Afghan women who are in perilous situations, driving her broken down Mercedes through the local markets and organising Christmas, complete with tree, lights, gifts and American style Christmas dinner at her coffee shop.