Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story
by Said Hyder Akbar, Susan Burton
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Book Summary Information
Author: Said Hyder Akbar, Susan BurtonEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Published)
Format: Bargain Price
Published: 2006-10-31
ISBN: N/A
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Book Reviews of Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story
Book Review: A fascinating an accessable story of the rebuilding of Afghanistan
Summary: 5 Stars
This book will take its place among my favorite books about Afghanistan. The author has an amazing story of three summers spent helping his father in Afghanistan after September 11th and the fall of the Taliban. Said Hyder Akbar's father brought his family to Pakistan and then America after the Soviet invasion but worked with the Mujahudeen during the Soviet occupation. His father knew Hamid Karzai and worked as his press secretary (2002) and then governor of Kunar (2003-2004). Said Hyder Akbar started coming over to work with his father starting the summer of his junior year in High School.
Being raised in America allows him to communicate the unique culture of Afghanistan to a US audience in a very accessible way. Having spent a year working with the Afghan Army I was fascinated to hear the perspective of someone would could articulate the perspective of ordinary Afghans interacting with US Soldiers and trying to rebuild their country.
Said Hyder Akbar's writing has great humor and candidness about it. His descriptions of the complex issues his father faced in governing a remote province on the Pakistan border are fascinating and illuminating of the problems that face rebuilding all of Afghanistan. He brings out the struggle and weariness of the people who have fought for over two decades and just want to have life without war. As noted above his description of the difficulties faced by US soldiers in interacting with an unfamiliar culture are spot on and very perceptive.
This book was written with Susan Burton of This American Life and anyone who likes this radio (and now TV) program will recognize the wit and power of that show in this book. It is a must read for any westerner who wishes to have a better understanding of the Afghan culture.
Summary of Come Back to Afghanistan: A California Teenager's Story
The beautifully and prominently reviewed memoir by an extraordinarily courageous Afghan-American teenager, (now a student at Yale), coming of age in post 9/11 Afghanistan.
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