A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story

A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family StoryTwenty three years ago after the Soviets left and before the Taliban came to power Kabul was a garden where seven year old Qais Akbar Omar flew kites from the roof of his grandfather's house. Then came the hollow sounds of rocket fire as the Mujahedin, self proclaimed holy warriors, took over Afghanistan, and the country erupted in civil war. Omar's family fled, leaving everything behind to take shelter in an old fort. But after a narrow escape from

Twenty-three years ago--after the Soviets left and before the Taliban came to power--Kabul was a garden where seven-year-old Qais Akbar Omar flew kites from the roof of his grandfather's house. Then came the hollow sounds of rocket fire as the Mujahedin, self-proclaimed holy warriors, took over Afghanistan, and the country erupted in civil war. Omar's family fled, leaving everything behind to take shelter in an old fort. But after a narrow escape from death, his father decided that the family must leave the country.

Yet the journey proved more difficult than anticipated, and in this stunning coming-of-age memoir, Omar offers a moving recollection of these events--a story of daily hardships, relieved by moments of joy and immense beauty. Inflected with folktales and steeped in poetry, A Fort of Nine Towers is a life-affirming triumph.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Picador USA
Published: 04/08/2014
ISBN: 9781250043658
Pages: 416
Weight: 0.71lbs
Size: 8.22h x 5.76w x 0.73d

Review Citations: New York Times Book Review 06/01/2014 pg. 60