Synopses & Reviews
“It's difficult to imagine a more welcoming entry into northern Afghan culture, or a more touching set of relationships formed, and maintained, under horrific circumstances.”—Publishers Weekly
“There is drama here, and much suffering, persistence and hope as well as moments of humor. However exotic the external circumstances may seem, every reader will recognize their common humanity.” —Lakhdar Brahimi, Under Secretary-General of the UN
Love and War in Afghanistan presents true stories of fourteen ordinary men and women living in Northern Afghanistan. In a quarter-century of uninterrupted war, the people of Afghanistan have endured foreign invasions, ethnic strife, a fundamentalist Islamic totalitarian regime, and the unending crossfire of rival warlord factions. The country remains an object of fascination for journalists, academics, and filmmakers from around the world. In the midst of it all it is a startlingly powerful experience to discover, here, the voices of the Afghan people themselves.
Young lovers who elope against the wishes of their kin; a mullah whose wit is his only defense against his armed captors; a defector from the soviet army; a woman who is forced to stand up to gangsters in Tajikistan—the real focus of these narratives is the strength of solitary individuals faced daily with their own vulnerability.
Alex Klaits has worked in for several international aid organizations in northeastern Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Washington, DC.
Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits holds a BA in economics from a university in Dushanbe, Tajikistan although her studies were interrupted when she fled her hometown to escape the country’s civil war.
Synopsis
Ordinary Afghans tell their incredible stories of life in a land torn apart by war.
Synopsis
Love and War in Afghanistan presents true stories of fourteen ordinary men and women living in Northern Afghanistan. In a quarter-century of uninterrupted war, the people of Afghanistan have endured foreign invasions, ethnic strife, a fundamentalist Islamic totalitarian regime, and the unending crossfire of rival warlord factions. The country remains an object of fascination for journalists, academics, and filmmakers from around the world. In the midst of it all it is a startlingly powerful experience to discover, here, the voices of the Afghan people themselves.
Young lovers who elope against the wishes of their kin; a mullah whose wit is his only defense against his armed captors; a defector from the Soviet army; a woman who is forced to stand up to gangsters in Tajikistan—their dramatic stories emerge in their own unforgettable words. Whether in the sudden awakening of mercy in a Taliban militiaman, the lingering contempt of a woman for her husbands first wife, the pain and confusion of flight into exile, or the resourcefulness of a child who must provide for an entire family, the real focus of these narratives is the strength of solitary individuals faced daily with their own vulnerability.
Men, women, orphans, widows, widowers, Tajiks, Pashtuns, Uzbeks, Turkmens, schoolteachers, mullahs, former Taliban, mujahideen, big brothers, little sisters, captive wives, lovers in flight: Love and War in Afghanistan tells their stories, putting human faces onto a country torn by war.
About the Author
Alex Klaits worked in northeastern Afghanistan from December 2001 to September 2003 undertaking humanitarian and reconstruction programs with Child Fund Afghanistan or Christian Children's Fund. In addition, Alex has worked for several international aid organizations in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Washington, DC in the fields of education, reconstruction and the environment. Gulchin Gulmamadova-Klaits has worked for international aid organizations in her native Tajikistan, including CARE International, Central Asian American Enterprise Fund and the Asian Development Bank. She holds a BA in economics from a university in Dushanbe, Tajikistan although her studies were interrupted when she fled her hometown to escape the country's civil war.