Sewing Circles of Herat: A Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan by Christina Lamb

Former British journalist Christina Lamb return to Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks to observe the land and its people firsthand. Because of her previous experiences in Afghanistan she is able to interview locals, Afghan warlords, former members of the Taliban and other influential personalities ignored by the Western media. Lamb paints a vivid picture of Taliban rule and offers a broader sense of life devastated by two decades of war. Her well-written and moving account also reveals the heroism of the Afghans, who not only survived but also resisted their Soviet occupiers; clandestine literary circles and art preservation techniques, for example, helped Afghans salvage their education and history from total destruction.

It offers a very interesting perspective and one I did not expect to have. I think for the first time there is a face on the people of this wartorn country and I can't help but feel empathy for a country that will never be the same again. The photos are truly amazing as there are photos she took during her time there in the 1990's and post-911. Such destruction and so much history and literature lost forever. Personally I am not a non-fiction reader but I found this book fascinating.