SYNOPSIS:
In present-day Afghanistan, Fatima is a Hazara girl, raised to be obedient and dutiful. Samiullah is a Pashtun boy raised to defend the traditions of his tribe. They were not meant to fall in love. But they do. And the story that follows shows both the beauty and the violence in current-day Afghanistan as Fatima and Samiullah fight their families, their cultures and the Taliban to stay together.
Based on the people Atia Abawi met and the events she covered during her nearly five years in Afghanistan, this stunning novel is a must-read for anyone who has lived during America’s War in Afghanistan.
This is an absolute must read not just for teens but for anyone who has lived during the time of America’s War in Afghanistan.
WHY SHOULD YOU CHECK IT OUT?
Let’s be blunt: we need books like this one, humanizing people in countries that are far away from our American experiences, people who have the same struggles as anyone else, but whom the media might otherwise demonize. Fatima and Samiullah’s story is likely to be a Romeo & Juliet of the modern age, though hopefully with a happier ending.
The cover is sweet and romantic, with the intricate scroll-work, brilliant sunset, and the two young hearts walking hand in hand across a field. In another setting, they might be almost kissing–and so this handholding is especially noteworthy as a proud but soft nod to their forbidden love including such acts we might otherwise take for granted.
This is foreign news correspondent Atia Abawi’s debut young adult novel. Stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan for nearly five years, Atia is especially prepared to bring us this story: born to Afghan parents in West Germany and raised in the United States, she currently lives in Jerusalem with her husband. Find her on facebook.com/AtiaAbawi!
EARLY REVIEWS SAY…
First-person, present-tense narration confines the story to the here and now, yet that immediacy brings closer this ancient, complicated country bound to ours. Riveting plot, sympathetic characters and straightforward narration studded with vivid, authentic detail: a top choice. (Kirkus Reviews)
Disturbing depictions of physical, emotional, and sexual violence against women, men, and children, both within families and between different groups, contrast with extravagant acts of courage, kindness, and sacrifice. … A suspenseful, enlightening, and hopeful love story. (Publishers Weekly)
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
NECESSARY DETAILS
YA Romance
Hardcover & ebook, 304 pages
Published on September 2nd 2014 by Philomel (ISBN 0399160787)
http://www.penguin.com/book/the-secret-sky-by-atia-abawi/9780399160783
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