On My Bookshelf

Nadia Hashimi is an Afghan American pediatrician and author. She is best known for her debut novel, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, which I have had on my "want to read" list for quite a while, but once again, it was not available on a recent visit to the library. Instead I picked up her second book, When The Moon Is Low.  
Synopsis from the book jacket: "In Kabul, we meet Fereiba, a schoolteacher who puts her troubled childhood behind her when she finds love in an arranged marriage. But Fereiba's comfortable life implodes when the Taliban rises to power and her family becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime. Forced to flee with her three children, Fereiba has one hope for survival: to seek refuge with her sister's family in London.
Traveling with forged papers and depending on the kindness of strangers, Fereiba and the children begin a harrowing journey as refugees. In the shadowy world of the undocumented who live on the streets of Europe's cities, their fate takes a frightening turn when Fereiba's teenage son, Saleem, becomes separated from the rest of the family.
Heartbroken, Fereiba has no choice but to continue on with only her daughter and baby- but mother and son will cross border after perilous border, risking their lives in hope of finding a place where they can be reunited."
Although this story and the characters are fictional, it is a realistic portrayal of what many refugees go through and certainly made me think twice about their plight. Their journey is not only a physical one, but an emotional one as well; this is a story of love and determination, which is no doubt true for most refugee families. The bonds between family members must be strong for them to endure so many hardships and setbacks, yet remain steadfast in their goal of reaching a better life. A good read!

Peace,
Linda

"The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it." ~ James Bryce