FICTION
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Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
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Land Cruiser
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Taliban
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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Born Under A Million Shadows
by Andrea Busfield
Fawad
is an 11 year old boy living in Afghanistan. He has grown up in
poverty, losing all but his mother to the Taliban and the wars that
have ravaged Afghanistan. His world changes when his mother takes a job
washing clothes for one of the foreigners, a woman named Georgie and
her two roommates, May and James. Georgie, James, and May are very
different from the individuals Fawad has grown up with and he struggles
to understand their views. How will Georgie’s relationship with Haji
Khan, a famous Afghan warlord, affect them all?
BORN UNDER A MILLION SHADOWS is a beautiful portrayal of how life
continues on amidst poverty, war, and pain. Fawad’s voice shines
through as a beacon of hope. He doesn’t minimize the suffering he sees
but he also doesn’t dwell on it either. Fawad is a survivor and his
sense of humor permeates the story, keeping a thread of optimism even
among the deaths, kidnappings, bombings, and threats that exist in his
world. It is his very innocence that makes BORN UNDER A MILLION SHADOWS
work so perfectly as he embodies that phrase, “out of the mouths of
babes.”
Andrea Busfield shows what happens when two very different cultures
intersect, particularly in the romance between Georgie and Haji Khan.
BORN UNDER A MILLION SHADOWS doesn’t veer off into making political or
religious statements but rather portrays a world caught in between
different mores and traditions. Fawad’s narration and Andrea Busfield’s
ability to keep his voice consistent are paramount for depicting such a
societal clash without becoming judgmental in tone.
BORN UNDER A MILLION SHADOWS is an absorbing and enjoyable tale. From
Fawad’s viewpoint on May’s challenges to finding a marriage partner to
his encounter with Philippe, there are some scenes that are simply
priceless. These scenes are interspersed with the issues of the woman’s
role in Afghanistan and the poverty that endangers the lives of the
Afghans, showing a world in which hope exists even in the midst of
chaos and oppression. Brilliantly done!
Publisher: Henry
Holt and Company (February 2010)
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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