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Liz Phair recommended The Places in Between in Books (curated)

 
The Places in Between
The Places in Between
Rory Stewart | 2014 | History & Politics
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"An American man walks across Afghanistan by himself, equipped with nothing but a rucksack, a walking stick and an enormous Kurdish dog. Who hasn’t dreamed of setting off into the unknown? Of risking certain danger to explore the other side of the earth, both geographically and metaphorically? Few people have the guts to trek unarmed through hostile, war-torn foreign territory, relying upon the aid of often isolated, tribal communities, but the rewards of seeing a landscape from that personal and vulnerable perspective are manifold. It heartens the soul to believe that we can depend upon one another as human beings, that we can subsist upon such accessible and un-rarified values as family, hospitality and respect. Be prepared to cry, though."

Source
  
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Hazel (1853 KP) rated Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul (The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul #2) in Books

Dec 14, 2018  
RT
Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul (The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul #2)
Deborah Rodriguez | 2016
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>

Five years since the publication of her fictional debut, fans of Deoborah Rodriguez will be pleased to know they can finally get their hands on the sequel: Return to the <i>Little Coffee Shop of Kabul</i>. In the first book (<i>The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul</i>) we are introduced to Sunny, a 38-year-old American, who has set up a coffee shop in the heart of Afghanistan. Now she has returned to the US, after the unfortunate death of her boyfriend, to a house on an island she did not really want. Meanwhile, her coffee shop struggles to continue in the hands of her Afghan friends.

The narrative alternates between the USA and Afghanistan, keeping the reader informed of two completely different scenarios. Sunny is dealing with the loss of Jack and her conflicted feelings over whether she should stay and live Jack’s dream lifestyle or return to her beloved Kabul. On the other hand, Yazmina and the others reveal to the reader how difficult and dangerous life is for the Afghanistan natives, especially for the women who have very little rights.

As well as the original characters, there are a number of new names introduced to the story. In Afghanistan a young girl is trying to escape an arranged marriage to an evil, rich man – something that has disastrous consequences for herself and her newfound friends. On the other side of the world, Layla, Yazmina’s sister, is experiencing Western culture living with Sunny, and is shocked at how friendly men and women are with each other.

Another new face to add to the mix is Kat, a young woman who escaped to America as a child and has turned her back on the traditions of Islam and the Afghan culture. Despite her growing friendship with Layla, she refuses to agree with Layla’s beliefs, particularly in regards to the <i>hijab</i>. Neither girl’s opinion is more valid than the other however, as they have both had completely different upbringings. Kat has spent the better part of her life relishing in the freedom of Western culture, whereas Layla finds comfort in her traditions.

<i>Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul </i>contains a couple of powerful messages. Firstly, as Sunny realizes, you need to be thankful for what you have got and not assume that going back to a lifestyle you used to follow would be the same as it once was. On the flip side, the Muslim family in Kabul begins to learn that they do not have to put up with the strict, unfairness in the treatment of women, and can strive to do something about it.

It is not necessary to have read the previous book, as there is enough character description and history mentioned within the narrative for new readers to be able to follow along. It is also suitable for book groups as it contains a series of reading group questions at the end of the novel.

Despite its upsetting scenes,<i> Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul </i>is essentially a happy book. The character Sunny, definitely lives up to her name; there is no over emphasis on any of the negative situations she or her friends find themselves in. In a world where it would be easy to fall into despair, Rodriguez has written a story with a positive outlook on life and hope for the future.
  
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Awix (3310 KP) rated A Private War (2018) in Movies

Feb 23, 2019 (Updated Feb 24, 2019)  
A Private War (2018)
A Private War (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama, War
7
8.2 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating Watch
Solid biopic detailing the last years of the celebrated war correspondent Marie Colvin, including visits to Sri Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. To some extent it constitutes a catalogue of recent sources of liberal shame, and there are moments when the film threatens to become sanctimonious, trite, and portentous, but the performances from Pike and Dornan are strong and keep it authentic.

Obviously the film is about the role of war correspondents and the role they play in our society, but the film also works on a more personal level, about what exactly it was that drove someone like Colvin to put her life in danger time after time. If it never quite gets to the bottom of this, that's probably excusable as she herself probably couldn't have said. A serious, well-made film.