"The Bookseller of Kabul" by Asne Seierstad

As one naturally interested in books, I found the concept of a single man, in poverty-stricken Afghanistan, enduring the persecutions of both the Soviets and the Taliban to continue spreading his love for books an endearing tale.  I expected a story centered upon such a theme; but after Sultan Khan is introduced the impetus for this love affair does not become apparent.  He desires to convey the Afghan culture to the people, but after reading the book, which conveys to my Western mind the culture, the question I find myself asking is why.  

The story of Sultan, his two wives, his sons and daughters, and the people they know is one where fear overshadows joy and fate cancels out any hope.  The people introduced to a reader are just as real and vibrant, with the same dreams as any soul from the West, but absent the faith to believe an ascendancy beyond their dire circumstances would ever work.  How anyone who loves books as much as Sultan apparently does cannot understand the freedom books hold to release the soul from oppression, so as to free his own family, it’s a mystery.

This is not a book for everyone.  Agreed.  It will not appeal to every seeker of literature on other cultures.  I indulged myself in it simply on the basis of the main character recognizing the importance of books in an individual's life.  He assumes the typical character of men from Middle Eastern countries, viewing the role of women in disparaging terms.  It surprised me to see someone so blind to how connected books are with one's culture.  So I drifted my focus moreso to the relaying of a story to contemporary Afghan culture, which was a stark picture.  While empathy for "the bookseller of Kabul" resonates slight to not, empathy for the Afghan people is strong.  This is not a 'happy ending' story; but much like the fictionalized stories "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns", it is an important story to relay a tale of their life to those of us in the West who are centuries removed from such an existence.