APRIL 2021 - AudioFile
Narrators Sneha Mathan and Neil Shah work together to recount the harrowing events that take place as an Afghan family attempts to find a peaceful place to live. Fereiba must flee with her three children when the Taliban murder her educated husband. Mathan captures the constant worry and fears plaguing the distressed mother on her journey from Kabul to the streets of Europe. Shah evokes the growing desperation of Saleem, Fereiba’s teenage son, who is accidentally separated from his family in Greece. In alternating sections, listeners are drawn into this ever changing story of family, danger, and loss by the performances of this talented pair. Mathan and Shah keep us on the edge of our seats to see if, against all odds, the family will be reunited. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
From the Publisher
Expertly depicting the anxiety and excitement that accompanies a new life, Hashimi’s gripping page-turner is perfect for book clubs.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“A must-read saga about borders, barriers, and the resolve of one courageous mother fighting to cross over.” — O, the Oprah Magazine
the Oprah Magazine O
A must-read saga about borders, barriers, and the resolve of one courageous mother fighting to cross over.
O: the Oprah Magazine
A must-read saga about borders, barriers, and the resolve of one courageous mother fighting to cross over.
Library Journal
★ 07/01/2015
Returning to the setting of contemporary Afghanistan, Hashimi (The Pearl That Broke Its Shell) follows the childhood and maturity of Fereiba after her mother died in childbirth and her father remarries a woman who favors her own daughters. Perceived by neighbors as bad luck, Fereiba struggles to find a suitor. An unknown, Mahmood Waziri, enters the picture, and over time, the Waziri family comes to include son Saleem and daughter Samira. Fereiba relays the devastating effects the Taliban has on daily life in Kabul, especially after Mahmood is captured. Shortly after giving birth to a son, Aziz, an impoverished Fereiba, and her three children trek to Iran, then onward to Turkey attempting to join her stepsister Najiba in England. Later chapters are narrated by a teenage Saleem as he endures menial labor to support his family, notably an ailing Aziz. Through the kindness of locals, the family's journey takes them to Greece, where Saleem is detained, as the rest of the family continues. Hashimi masterfully captures Saleem's moving story as he squats in refugee camps, stealthily makes his way to Italy, and unexpectedly finds transport to France, all while haunted by loving memories of Mahmood. VERDICT Expertly depicting the anxiety and excitement that accompanies a new life, Hashimi's gripping page-turner is perfect for book clubs. [See Prepub Alert, 1/5/15.]—Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal
APRIL 2021 - AudioFile
Narrators Sneha Mathan and Neil Shah work together to recount the harrowing events that take place as an Afghan family attempts to find a peaceful place to live. Fereiba must flee with her three children when the Taliban murder her educated husband. Mathan captures the constant worry and fears plaguing the distressed mother on her journey from Kabul to the streets of Europe. Shah evokes the growing desperation of Saleem, Fereiba’s teenage son, who is accidentally separated from his family in Greece. In alternating sections, listeners are drawn into this ever changing story of family, danger, and loss by the performances of this talented pair. Mathan and Shah keep us on the edge of our seats to see if, against all odds, the family will be reunited. M.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
