A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story

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