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The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul #1
The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
From the author of the memoir Kabul Beauty School comes a fiction debut as compelling as real life: the story of a remarkable coffee shop in the heart of Afghanistan, and the men and women who meet there — thrown together by circumstance, bonded by secrets, and united in an extraordinary friendship.
After hard luck and some bad choices, Sunny has finally found a place to call home — it just happens to be in the middle of a war zone.
The thirty-eight-year-old American’s pride and joy is the Kabul Coffee House, where she brings hospitality to the expatriates, misfits, missionaries, and mercenaries who stroll through its doors. She’s especially grateful that the busy days allow her to forget Tommy, the love of her life, who left her in pursuit of money and adventure.
Working alongside Sunny is the maternal Halajan, who vividly recalls the days before the Taliban and now must hide a modern romance from her ultratraditional son — who, unbeknownst to her, is facing his own religious doubts. Into the café come Isabel, a British journalist on the trail of a risky story; Jack, who left his family back home in Michigan to earn “danger pay” as a consultant; and Candace, a wealthy and well-connected American whose desire to help threatens to cloud her judgment.
When Yazmina, a young Afghan from a remote village, is kidnapped and left on a city street pregnant and alone, Sunny welcomes her into the café and gives her a home — but Yazmina hides a secret that could put all their lives in jeopardy.
As this group of men and women discover that there’s more to one another than meets the eye, they’ll form an unlikely friendship that will change not only their own lives but the lives of an entire country.
Brimming with Deborah Rodriguez’s remarkable gift for depicting the nuances of life in Kabul, and filled with vibrant characters that readers will truly care about, A Cup of Friendship is the best kind of fiction—full of heart yet smart and thought-provoking.
After hard luck and some bad choices, Sunny has finally found a place to call home — it just happens to be in the middle of a war zone.
The thirty-eight-year-old American’s pride and joy is the Kabul Coffee House, where she brings hospitality to the expatriates, misfits, missionaries, and mercenaries who stroll through its doors. She’s especially grateful that the busy days allow her to forget Tommy, the love of her life, who left her in pursuit of money and adventure.
Working alongside Sunny is the maternal Halajan, who vividly recalls the days before the Taliban and now must hide a modern romance from her ultratraditional son — who, unbeknownst to her, is facing his own religious doubts. Into the café come Isabel, a British journalist on the trail of a risky story; Jack, who left his family back home in Michigan to earn “danger pay” as a consultant; and Candace, a wealthy and well-connected American whose desire to help threatens to cloud her judgment.
When Yazmina, a young Afghan from a remote village, is kidnapped and left on a city street pregnant and alone, Sunny welcomes her into the café and gives her a home — but Yazmina hides a secret that could put all their lives in jeopardy.
As this group of men and women discover that there’s more to one another than meets the eye, they’ll form an unlikely friendship that will change not only their own lives but the lives of an entire country.
Brimming with Deborah Rodriguez’s remarkable gift for depicting the nuances of life in Kabul, and filled with vibrant characters that readers will truly care about, A Cup of Friendship is the best kind of fiction—full of heart yet smart and thought-provoking.
317 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
1699 people are currently reading
17821 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Rodriguez
26 books763 followersDeborah Rodriguez is a hairdresser, a motivational speaker, and the author of the bestselling memoir Kabul Beauty School.
She spent five years teaching at and later directing the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan. Rodriguez also owned the Oasis Salon and the Cabul Coffee House.
She currently lives in Mexico.
She spent five years teaching at and later directing the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan. Rodriguez also owned the Oasis Salon and the Cabul Coffee House.
She currently lives in Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,884 reviews
September 20, 2012
I HATE chick-lit, to me it is not a genre, its an insult. The rampant vapid female consumerism, "frothy" plots, whiny heroines and stereotypes drive me mad. A Cup of Friendship or The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is not the worst kind of chick-lit. It does attempt to have an interesting storyline, an exotic but gritty setting and female characters who are not obsessed with shoes and brand names. However, it is full of stereotypes, poorly fleshed out characters and implausible ending. The plot constantly threatens to become interesting, a tragedy is always imminent, something of consequence could actually happen...but it never does. Characters never blossom as the book shuffles to its tedious Hallmark card ending. Halajan is the only character of interest with her no bullshit attitude, long hidden forbidden love story and passion for Rumi, but she alone is not enough to save this book from saccharine tedium. This book could have been so much more, a celebration of the power of the feminine to triumph, to bloom and blossom in the harshest of circumstances, instead it was a ho-hum book of very little brain or heart. Another literary cheeseburger instead of a feast.
November 13, 2013
This has to be one of the worst books I've ever had the displeasure of reading.
I started reading it knowing it was written by an American woman who had spent many years in Afghanistan, so hoping the story would sound authentic- not westernised. I was wrong. It is a westernised novel- if you can call it that- centred around an American woman looking to have fun in a foreign country.
If you're after a quick read- something that doesn't make you think- this is the one for you.
Personally, I think that anyone from Asia or the Middle East will be able to see through the propaganda this book is. In short, the author is an American woman looking to cash in on her foreign holiday experience.
I actually can't believe I purchased this book, after seeing it be compared to books by Khaled Hosseini. I have to say, if you want to read a book about Afghani culture- this couldn't be further from the realities of it. It's an American woman's interpretation of the country, as well as being poorly researched.
I understand why this book made it to the top of best sellers- the people reading it are the ones that do not know much about Afghani- or any Middle Eastern or Asian culture.
I started reading it knowing it was written by an American woman who had spent many years in Afghanistan, so hoping the story would sound authentic- not westernised. I was wrong. It is a westernised novel- if you can call it that- centred around an American woman looking to have fun in a foreign country.
If you're after a quick read- something that doesn't make you think- this is the one for you.
Personally, I think that anyone from Asia or the Middle East will be able to see through the propaganda this book is. In short, the author is an American woman looking to cash in on her foreign holiday experience.
I actually can't believe I purchased this book, after seeing it be compared to books by Khaled Hosseini. I have to say, if you want to read a book about Afghani culture- this couldn't be further from the realities of it. It's an American woman's interpretation of the country, as well as being poorly researched.
I understand why this book made it to the top of best sellers- the people reading it are the ones that do not know much about Afghani- or any Middle Eastern or Asian culture.
November 14, 2014
I'm only writing this review to clear one thing up, though there are so many stereotypical inaccuracies in this book its ridiculous. Muhammad (upon him be peace) is not to Islam or Muslims what Jesus (upon him be peace) is to Christianity or Christians. Muhammad (upon him be peace) is not a deity nor is he treated as such by Muslims. He is the last and final messenger of God. Just as Islam treats Jesus as a prophet and Abraham and Noah and Adam.
Going back to the book itself, it had good intentions but they just didn't emerge. The ideas were absolutely imperialistic, at some points I wanted to cry with rage and misery. Why can't we accept the norms and societal cultures of others? Why do we have this viewpoint of 'our way or no way'? It's infuriating to find complex issues treated with the simplistic framework of tradition verses modernity. I just didn't believe the writing of this author, she lost me when she didn't take the time to understand the Afghans she was trying to portray. Very disappointing read. I'd recommend the works of Khaled Hosseini if you want to visit Afghanistan and her people in your literary travels.
Going back to the book itself, it had good intentions but they just didn't emerge. The ideas were absolutely imperialistic, at some points I wanted to cry with rage and misery. Why can't we accept the norms and societal cultures of others? Why do we have this viewpoint of 'our way or no way'? It's infuriating to find complex issues treated with the simplistic framework of tradition verses modernity. I just didn't believe the writing of this author, she lost me when she didn't take the time to understand the Afghans she was trying to portray. Very disappointing read. I'd recommend the works of Khaled Hosseini if you want to visit Afghanistan and her people in your literary travels.
August 23, 2017
Afghanistan has long been a place where wars are waged, power fought over, while its people are left uneducated, illiterate, and impoverished. This is where Deborah Rodriguez has set her book, The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, her fictional debut. She has previously published a memoir, The Kabul Beauty School.
In her words '...in Kabul people get close quickly, bound together by experience, fear and loneliness. Time is compressed, relationships move fast, and the normal patterns of waiting before you talk intimately are foregone. ' And. ...'Life here is horrible. It's wonderful. It's dangerous.'
I was expecting something with a little more depth than what I read. Rodriguez does address many of the issues facing the people of Afghanistan - the political instability, the appalling treatment of women, terrorism, the need for practical foreign aid that doesn't involve weapons. But it is all rather like a fairy tale where, in the end, everyone gets their 'happily ever after'.
It was a case of the ending being anticlimactic after the main body of the book being reasonably good reading - it could easily have earned another star had it had an ending with more impact. I felt disappointed. I felt let down.
I am aware that there is a sequel, Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, it is sitting on my desk waiting to be read. I hope for greater things from this.
In her words '...in Kabul people get close quickly, bound together by experience, fear and loneliness. Time is compressed, relationships move fast, and the normal patterns of waiting before you talk intimately are foregone. ' And. ...'Life here is horrible. It's wonderful. It's dangerous.'
I was expecting something with a little more depth than what I read. Rodriguez does address many of the issues facing the people of Afghanistan - the political instability, the appalling treatment of women, terrorism, the need for practical foreign aid that doesn't involve weapons. But it is all rather like a fairy tale where, in the end, everyone gets their 'happily ever after'.
It was a case of the ending being anticlimactic after the main body of the book being reasonably good reading - it could easily have earned another star had it had an ending with more impact. I felt disappointed. I felt let down.
I am aware that there is a sequel, Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, it is sitting on my desk waiting to be read. I hope for greater things from this.
August 14, 2025
Book One of the series is an above average read. It tells the story of an American woman who sets up a coffee shop in Kabul. Her clients are mostly expatriates while her staff is primarily Afghan. The intersections between the two groups and cultures leads to a very interesting, if somewhat predictable, storyline. No regrets reading it, won't read it again.
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Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
March 7, 2017
One thing I liked about this novel: an ordinary American woman who has extraordinary gumption wrote it. The author's life as an American hairdresser was changed by 9/11. Deborah Rodriguez is an amazing person. She finagled her way onto a medical mission to Afghanistan although she was a hairdresser and not a doctor. Despite incredible risk to herself, she started the Kabul Beauty School for women. Because of her life in Kabul and her marriage to a Muslim Afghan, she is able to expose, to some degree, the intimate lives of simple ordinary Afghan women in her writing. I have read other books about Afghanistan, written by literary men, but this one is not an intellectual, meta-fictional product. As an author, she writes novels reflecting her experience from being on the inside as a plain Western worker in a foreign country. The details in this book are vivid, realistic and reveal the workaday Afghanistan people.
I cannot reconcile my personal reactions to the dreadful horrors of being a female in Afghanistan and the author's 'Pollyanna' view of ordinary Afghan life (despite an on-going war, episodic as it appears to be). The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is a shallow, chicken-soup-for-the-soul, Harlequin-style novel. The tone is laughable even when the subject matter is not. The author describes, as far as I can tell from reading the news, quite accurately the dangers of attack by Islamic terrorists, the various and not always noble NGO volunteers, and, initially, a startling view of ordinary Afghans. I think Rodriguez was going for a plucky, resilient atmosphere, where loving friendships quickly develop among those Westerners who want to give something worthwhile to humanity and Afghans who choose friendly tolerance over intolerance.
As a sampling of the odd emotional tones, on a shopping trip that involves Sunny, the main character, hair and body all covered up and passing armed male guards everywhere, and passing through dangerous checkpoints, I quote, "Some had even bigger guns, bigger knives. She laughed to herself. These chikidor are competing with another, she thought, like the schoolgirls back home with their cellphones, handbags and jewelry." Or, after describing how women in burqas meekly follow their men, eyes down and silent in a market, "The disparity between men's and women's lives here was something she'd never get used to." and "The smells of dung and sweat and spices and diesel exhaust fumes merged into a heady mix that reminded Sunny why she loved Kabul and why she'd chosen to stay." and, "She was one of the few foreigners not afraid to shop there since business had been beaten down by recent suicide bombings. Everyone in Kabul was affected by the blasts, including Sunny. But shopping made her feel that her life had some normalcy." "On Flower Street itself, her breath caught in her throat. Amid the rubble and pale beige stone, and sitting next to an open sewer, there were the roses. In pink and peach, in red and white and yellow, roses everywhere....glorious and life affirming. Hope grew in Sunny..." I'm afraid these descriptions did not win me over to Kabul's charms.
When the novel introduces Sunny in the second section of the first chapter, after introducing us to Yazmina first (who is sold to a drug lord intending to rape her in his car and then put her into a brothel), Sunny is worrying about her annual Christmas party that she needs to prepare her restaurant for soon. She has hired Afghan men and women as workers, but despite the conditions of Kabul, they are tolerant of the Westerners, to a point. They like Sunny, and don't mind her boyfriends, although her Western customers bother the Afghans culturally. As the plot evolves, Rodriguez has some of her female Western characters, Sunny's friends, visit Afghan women who are in prison with their babies incarcerated alongside them. These Muslim females were convicted by Afghan judges of the crimes of being widows, or from running away from husbands who beat them or from family members who threw acid in their faces. So, the jailers sell them to men for the night, pocketing the money. Meanwhile, Sunny can't decide which of two men, one a journalist and the other a black-ops guy, she wants to date.
Really! Really, Deborah?
I guess if you are a Romance reader that enjoys a book about Western women finding true love with war camp followers of the military or learning a life lesson about advancing their own careers and usefulness without a boyfriend's love, depending on the character while experiencing exotic sights and sounds that lightly touch their conscious minds so that sometimes they want to organize a meeting, this will be a five star read for you.
I cannot reconcile my personal reactions to the dreadful horrors of being a female in Afghanistan and the author's 'Pollyanna' view of ordinary Afghan life (despite an on-going war, episodic as it appears to be). The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is a shallow, chicken-soup-for-the-soul, Harlequin-style novel. The tone is laughable even when the subject matter is not. The author describes, as far as I can tell from reading the news, quite accurately the dangers of attack by Islamic terrorists, the various and not always noble NGO volunteers, and, initially, a startling view of ordinary Afghans. I think Rodriguez was going for a plucky, resilient atmosphere, where loving friendships quickly develop among those Westerners who want to give something worthwhile to humanity and Afghans who choose friendly tolerance over intolerance.
As a sampling of the odd emotional tones, on a shopping trip that involves Sunny, the main character, hair and body all covered up and passing armed male guards everywhere, and passing through dangerous checkpoints, I quote, "Some had even bigger guns, bigger knives. She laughed to herself. These chikidor are competing with another, she thought, like the schoolgirls back home with their cellphones, handbags and jewelry." Or, after describing how women in burqas meekly follow their men, eyes down and silent in a market, "The disparity between men's and women's lives here was something she'd never get used to." and "The smells of dung and sweat and spices and diesel exhaust fumes merged into a heady mix that reminded Sunny why she loved Kabul and why she'd chosen to stay." and, "She was one of the few foreigners not afraid to shop there since business had been beaten down by recent suicide bombings. Everyone in Kabul was affected by the blasts, including Sunny. But shopping made her feel that her life had some normalcy." "On Flower Street itself, her breath caught in her throat. Amid the rubble and pale beige stone, and sitting next to an open sewer, there were the roses. In pink and peach, in red and white and yellow, roses everywhere....glorious and life affirming. Hope grew in Sunny..." I'm afraid these descriptions did not win me over to Kabul's charms.
When the novel introduces Sunny in the second section of the first chapter, after introducing us to Yazmina first (who is sold to a drug lord intending to rape her in his car and then put her into a brothel), Sunny is worrying about her annual Christmas party that she needs to prepare her restaurant for soon. She has hired Afghan men and women as workers, but despite the conditions of Kabul, they are tolerant of the Westerners, to a point. They like Sunny, and don't mind her boyfriends, although her Western customers bother the Afghans culturally. As the plot evolves, Rodriguez has some of her female Western characters, Sunny's friends, visit Afghan women who are in prison with their babies incarcerated alongside them. These Muslim females were convicted by Afghan judges of the crimes of being widows, or from running away from husbands who beat them or from family members who threw acid in their faces. So, the jailers sell them to men for the night, pocketing the money. Meanwhile, Sunny can't decide which of two men, one a journalist and the other a black-ops guy, she wants to date.
Really! Really, Deborah?
I guess if you are a Romance reader that enjoys a book about Western women finding true love with war camp followers of the military or learning a life lesson about advancing their own careers and usefulness without a boyfriend's love, depending on the character while experiencing exotic sights and sounds that lightly touch their conscious minds so that sometimes they want to organize a meeting, this will be a five star read for you.
November 28, 2021
Popsugar Challenge 2021 - A book set in a restaurant
I will read anything Afghanistan however I am always more wary of books written by westerners, the white saviour trope is uncomfortable at best. While this isn't the best written book I do appreciate that the author has done a good job of acknowledging that the only people who know what's best for Afghans is Afghans themselves. Sounds simple but we all know the West fails year after year in understanding this when dealing with the Middle East & Asia.
It's worth checking out the authors Wikipedia page to understand how she came to be in Afghanistan and the controversy her books caused, she does however acknowledge this in the authors note in this book.
Set in a coffee shop in Kabul this fictional story is set around five women, two afghan nationals and three westerners. While I didn't learn anything new about Afghanistan or feel any cultural vibes from the pages it was an OK read, cute, hopeful.
Three stars. An easy coffee shop read, the bright breeziness of this story probably doesn't reflect Afghanistan in anyway today but a nice fictional story to pass an afternoon.
I will read anything Afghanistan however I am always more wary of books written by westerners, the white saviour trope is uncomfortable at best. While this isn't the best written book I do appreciate that the author has done a good job of acknowledging that the only people who know what's best for Afghans is Afghans themselves. Sounds simple but we all know the West fails year after year in understanding this when dealing with the Middle East & Asia.
It's worth checking out the authors Wikipedia page to understand how she came to be in Afghanistan and the controversy her books caused, she does however acknowledge this in the authors note in this book.
Set in a coffee shop in Kabul this fictional story is set around five women, two afghan nationals and three westerners. While I didn't learn anything new about Afghanistan or feel any cultural vibes from the pages it was an OK read, cute, hopeful.
Three stars. An easy coffee shop read, the bright breeziness of this story probably doesn't reflect Afghanistan in anyway today but a nice fictional story to pass an afternoon.
November 1, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed the little coffee shop of kabul! This is a gorgeous read around 5 women and there experience/family living in Afghanistan's kabul.
This in no way shys away from the reality of people's lifes and the treatment in which women are living in. This is very honest and some of the issues raised tell the reader about the extremes to which women are treated and the punishments , about the risk of death and abduction to slavery.
It does however have a very comforting vibe throughout which shows us the love,kindness and family spirit of afghan way of life and culture. There strengh is honourable. This isnt a full on heavy read it has a relaxed feel regarding what is mentioned but it is hard to put down.
I will definatly read another from deborah Rodriguez. She also has a small interview section at the end which adds to how she came to write this book and how she came to stay and also flee Afghanistan.
It produces all emotions throughout and i am so soppy i had a tear in my eye❤
This in no way shys away from the reality of people's lifes and the treatment in which women are living in. This is very honest and some of the issues raised tell the reader about the extremes to which women are treated and the punishments , about the risk of death and abduction to slavery.
It does however have a very comforting vibe throughout which shows us the love,kindness and family spirit of afghan way of life and culture. There strengh is honourable. This isnt a full on heavy read it has a relaxed feel regarding what is mentioned but it is hard to put down.
I will definatly read another from deborah Rodriguez. She also has a small interview section at the end which adds to how she came to write this book and how she came to stay and also flee Afghanistan.
It produces all emotions throughout and i am so soppy i had a tear in my eye❤
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June 3, 2024I am not rating the narration was hard to understand seeing it’s set in afghanistan 🇦🇫the pronunciation was poor as I could not understand the narrator.
January 26, 2020
I'll be clear up front: I did not finish this book. A few chapters in it became apparent that, instead of being an immersive experience about a different country, culture, and people, it was simply another presumptuous American cashing in on the current trend of cultural appropriation. Rodriguez writes like an American who arrogantly assumes that because she lived in Afghanistan for a while, she understands their culture better than they do. I'm sure other readers, equally obtuse, will enjoy the vicarious voyeurism of reading about how an American swoops in and rescues people from themselves while educating them on the marvels of western civilization and converting them into true 21st century participants in the capitalization of the world, but it's not for me.
April 5, 2014
Having read a number of fiction books about Afghanistan (A Thousand Splendid Suns being my favourite) I was keen to read this book following five women in Kabul. However I came away disappointed and frustrated with the book and the author.
The first mistake the author made was taking on the challenge of trying to write five believable, well-rounded characters each with interesting and individual stories in a book of less than 400 pages. The author has seriously over-estimated their skills as a writer in my opinion. I found two of the characters, Candace and Isabelle, astonishingly pointless as they added nothing to the plot. Their own storylines seemed under-developed and crude. Isabelle in particular seemed like a character 'taped-on' to the book and the mention of her rape and visit to the "Only Jew in Kabul" was obviously the author separately trying to give the character some legotimacy. Candace came across as deeply unlikeable and jaw-droppingly naive. It was obvious from the first page of her introduction that Wakil was only using her for money yet the author stretched out this thinner than crepe paper story till the end of the book.
I found myself only caring about the Afghan characters of the book, I would flick through the pages until the plot returned to their stories. It felt like the author had no faith in her Afghan characters so introduced the pointless European and American characters to appeal to a Western audience. If she had concentrated on only the afghan characters (including the Hazari coffee house worker who I felt could have been a much more central character wit more of a story line) the book would have been richer, deeper and more interesting.
The authors writing style was irritating, as she's an American I can almost forgive her for the inaccurate use of 'bloody hell' by the British character, but found the use of the term 'thick British accent' annoying. What the hell is a thick British accent? Geordie, Cockney, Scouse? Turns out it was Middle-Class Southern accent, the accent all British characters have in American film and TV. Also I lost count of the times the women touched each other's arms. Isabelle touched Candace's arm, Sunny touched Isabelle's arm etc etc. Bizarrely one of the women but the back of their hand on the others shoulder at one point (why?).
Overall I found this book in need of at least half a dozen rewrites and a removal of two characters at least to be classed as a good read.
The first mistake the author made was taking on the challenge of trying to write five believable, well-rounded characters each with interesting and individual stories in a book of less than 400 pages. The author has seriously over-estimated their skills as a writer in my opinion. I found two of the characters, Candace and Isabelle, astonishingly pointless as they added nothing to the plot. Their own storylines seemed under-developed and crude. Isabelle in particular seemed like a character 'taped-on' to the book and the mention of her rape and visit to the "Only Jew in Kabul" was obviously the author separately trying to give the character some legotimacy. Candace came across as deeply unlikeable and jaw-droppingly naive. It was obvious from the first page of her introduction that Wakil was only using her for money yet the author stretched out this thinner than crepe paper story till the end of the book.
I found myself only caring about the Afghan characters of the book, I would flick through the pages until the plot returned to their stories. It felt like the author had no faith in her Afghan characters so introduced the pointless European and American characters to appeal to a Western audience. If she had concentrated on only the afghan characters (including the Hazari coffee house worker who I felt could have been a much more central character wit more of a story line) the book would have been richer, deeper and more interesting.
The authors writing style was irritating, as she's an American I can almost forgive her for the inaccurate use of 'bloody hell' by the British character, but found the use of the term 'thick British accent' annoying. What the hell is a thick British accent? Geordie, Cockney, Scouse? Turns out it was Middle-Class Southern accent, the accent all British characters have in American film and TV. Also I lost count of the times the women touched each other's arms. Isabelle touched Candace's arm, Sunny touched Isabelle's arm etc etc. Bizarrely one of the women but the back of their hand on the others shoulder at one point (why?).
Overall I found this book in need of at least half a dozen rewrites and a removal of two characters at least to be classed as a good read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2025
What a throughly enjoyable book. The paths of five incredible women in Afghanistan crossed at the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. Each set of problems, came in undulations of tension and release. I had a feeling that everything was hopefully going to turn out well, but there was a touch of uncertainty throughout keeping me fully invested.
One of my first observations was how pointed the tone and messages were, to the extent I wondered whether the book was censored in Afghanistan (quick search = no). But…by the time you get to the end, it felt like more of a promotion of the place. Great job.
The traditions played a big role with some being fastidious, some begrudgingly compliant, and others outright unobservant. Women’s rights are rightly an ongoing topic of discussion. And when I think about women’s rights, these are the first ones that come to mind.
Apart from being pro-women, the male characters didn’t come off too badly. A couple fell by the wayside but enough “followed their heart” and made a well-balanced view that human kindness can permeate through conservative regimes.
An outstanding piece of writing.
One of my first observations was how pointed the tone and messages were, to the extent I wondered whether the book was censored in Afghanistan (quick search = no). But…by the time you get to the end, it felt like more of a promotion of the place. Great job.
The traditions played a big role with some being fastidious, some begrudgingly compliant, and others outright unobservant. Women’s rights are rightly an ongoing topic of discussion. And when I think about women’s rights, these are the first ones that come to mind.
Apart from being pro-women, the male characters didn’t come off too badly. A couple fell by the wayside but enough “followed their heart” and made a well-balanced view that human kindness can permeate through conservative regimes.
An outstanding piece of writing.
October 15, 2013
I gave this book two stars rather than one because I did at least finish it. On the cover it is described as Maeve Binchy meets the Kite Runner. I do not think this is a compliment. The story itself is lightweight romantic fiction with happy endings for most of the main characters and one death as an acknowledgement of the setting which is war torn Afghanistan. The author has lived there herself and her poliitical views are voiced through some of the characters in a very unrealistic way. Overall I did not think the setting was appropriate for the idealised story line.
August 21, 2015
This book grabbed my interest when I read a review of it in my paper...They offer discounted prices on the book they review, I went the Kindle route instead and it was still cheaper.
How can I give my review....I...Hmm..
I wanted to love this book but couldn't....It has an okay background but the characters seem a bit "fluffy" and they don't have much behind them though they "pretend" too. If this was just a romantic romp then I could say 'Fine' and be happy with the flat characters but in this book they screamed for more building.
Personally, you know when there is a book that has too many characters? I think this is the book for me. Too many people who seem to have important roles besides the main character (Sunny in this case) who just seem to mill about and do 'surface' things without really scratching much.
If you wanna go blunt...This book basically focuses on Sunny and her coffee shop...It's like watching someone's life that isn't all that exciting either. She is torn between two guys (okay, it's bloody obvious who she goes with) and then there are her friends who are all submains without much about them. I mean there are smatterings but not enough to make me feel happy...Again they feel fluffy.
I sorta feel like this book had different motives...Like the author wanted a way of spouting and did it through characters but just in an unfinished way.
How can I give my review....I...Hmm..
I wanted to love this book but couldn't....It has an okay background but the characters seem a bit "fluffy" and they don't have much behind them though they "pretend" too. If this was just a romantic romp then I could say 'Fine' and be happy with the flat characters but in this book they screamed for more building.
Personally, you know when there is a book that has too many characters? I think this is the book for me. Too many people who seem to have important roles besides the main character (Sunny in this case) who just seem to mill about and do 'surface' things without really scratching much.
If you wanna go blunt...This book basically focuses on Sunny and her coffee shop...It's like watching someone's life that isn't all that exciting either. She is torn between two guys (okay, it's bloody obvious who she goes with) and then there are her friends who are all submains without much about them. I mean there are smatterings but not enough to make me feel happy...Again they feel fluffy.
I sorta feel like this book had different motives...Like the author wanted a way of spouting and did it through characters but just in an unfinished way.
February 5, 2017
This has been a wonderful read. I found myself completey immersed in another world and felt as though I came to know the characters of this story intimately.
Sunny is an American from Missouri trying to make a new life in Afghanistan. She's runs a coffee house that welcomes Afghans, Americans, UN workers, and employs a fascinating mixture of people. She loves Afghanistan, but the rise in violence and possible re emergence of the Taliban is making the country unsafe for her and her coffee shop. She is also torn between the love of two men.
Yazmina was taken from her home in order to pay off her uncle's debt to some seedy men. She must leave behind her twelve year old sister and is thrown on the streets of Kabul. She begins to work in the coffee shop, all the while worrying over her sister Layla because the men that took her, want to take Layla too. As soon as the snow surrounding her mountain village melts, Layla may be facing a life of prostitution. Yazmina is also pregnant. It doesn't matter that the baby is her dead husband's. By Afghan law, she is no better than a whore and her baby shall be taken from her upon its birth. Her growing belly can be hid for only so long.
Halajan is a widow who is in love with a childhood sweetheart, also widowed, but her son, Ahmed is very stuck on tradition and if he finds out about this secret love affair going on behind his back...yikes. Ahmed is fighting a battle deep inside himself. He believes strongly in the teachings of the Koran, but traditions of Afghanistan, and peer pressure from the country's ways have him confused. Where does the Koran's teachings end and the simple fears of men begin?
Isabel is a journalist from England. Her penchant for uncovering stories may be her undoing. She aims to rescue the women of Afghanistan that are being thrown in prison for crimes such as denying men sex or looking at the wrong man in the wrong way.
Candance is in love with an Afghanistan man. She came all the way from America to raise money for an orphanage that could very well be a front for something sinister. Her love blinds her and it may take her friends to show her the truth.
So Candace, Isabel, Sunny, Halajan, and Yazmina all share one goal. Whether it is to save Layla from prostitution, put a stop to poppy growing and distribution, or save the women behind bars of Afghanistan prisons, they are all out to save someone. But will they remember to save themselves?
I was sucked into each woman's story and rooted and cheered for each one. Throughout the story, they are trying to raise money to add four feet onto a wall surrounding the coffeehouse in order to comply with UN regulations and obtain more business. I was touched by the significance of this. While they build this wall, their own personal walls come down.
The ending was both sad and happy because there is no way that these characters, strong though they may be, can save all the women of Afghanistan and themselves.
A beautiful book and I apologize for making too long of a review but I had much to say about it.
Sunny is an American from Missouri trying to make a new life in Afghanistan. She's runs a coffee house that welcomes Afghans, Americans, UN workers, and employs a fascinating mixture of people. She loves Afghanistan, but the rise in violence and possible re emergence of the Taliban is making the country unsafe for her and her coffee shop. She is also torn between the love of two men.
Yazmina was taken from her home in order to pay off her uncle's debt to some seedy men. She must leave behind her twelve year old sister and is thrown on the streets of Kabul. She begins to work in the coffee shop, all the while worrying over her sister Layla because the men that took her, want to take Layla too. As soon as the snow surrounding her mountain village melts, Layla may be facing a life of prostitution. Yazmina is also pregnant. It doesn't matter that the baby is her dead husband's. By Afghan law, she is no better than a whore and her baby shall be taken from her upon its birth. Her growing belly can be hid for only so long.
Halajan is a widow who is in love with a childhood sweetheart, also widowed, but her son, Ahmed is very stuck on tradition and if he finds out about this secret love affair going on behind his back...yikes. Ahmed is fighting a battle deep inside himself. He believes strongly in the teachings of the Koran, but traditions of Afghanistan, and peer pressure from the country's ways have him confused. Where does the Koran's teachings end and the simple fears of men begin?
Isabel is a journalist from England. Her penchant for uncovering stories may be her undoing. She aims to rescue the women of Afghanistan that are being thrown in prison for crimes such as denying men sex or looking at the wrong man in the wrong way.
Candance is in love with an Afghanistan man. She came all the way from America to raise money for an orphanage that could very well be a front for something sinister. Her love blinds her and it may take her friends to show her the truth.
So Candace, Isabel, Sunny, Halajan, and Yazmina all share one goal. Whether it is to save Layla from prostitution, put a stop to poppy growing and distribution, or save the women behind bars of Afghanistan prisons, they are all out to save someone. But will they remember to save themselves?
I was sucked into each woman's story and rooted and cheered for each one. Throughout the story, they are trying to raise money to add four feet onto a wall surrounding the coffeehouse in order to comply with UN regulations and obtain more business. I was touched by the significance of this. While they build this wall, their own personal walls come down.
The ending was both sad and happy because there is no way that these characters, strong though they may be, can save all the women of Afghanistan and themselves.
A beautiful book and I apologize for making too long of a review but I had much to say about it.
February 10, 2017
Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer yes to a question, proceed to the next question. If you answer no at any time, drop this book immediately and find a clerk to direct you to nonfiction or action/adventure books.
1. Do you need a book for your next business trip/vacation/weekend retreat?
2. Do you prefer fiction over nonfiction?
3. Do you like exotic locations for your stories?
4. Do you now or have you ever in the past watched daytime soaps?
5. Are you a woman?
Are you with me so far? Okay, here is the deal breaker:
6. Do you like your main characters to be women who break down their own doors when necessary, women-who-don't-put-up-with-bad-stuff, women who don't wait for Prince Charming to come visit their castle but who may actually ride out and knock on castle doors themselves?
If you have made it all the way through question six and you are still nodding your head, then A Cup of Friendship is the book for you. It will be out January 25, 2011, so be patient.
And thank you to Ballantine for my advance reader copy of this book.
1. Do you need a book for your next business trip/vacation/weekend retreat?
2. Do you prefer fiction over nonfiction?
3. Do you like exotic locations for your stories?
4. Do you now or have you ever in the past watched daytime soaps?
5. Are you a woman?
Are you with me so far? Okay, here is the deal breaker:
6. Do you like your main characters to be women who break down their own doors when necessary, women-who-don't-put-up-with-bad-stuff, women who don't wait for Prince Charming to come visit their castle but who may actually ride out and knock on castle doors themselves?
If you have made it all the way through question six and you are still nodding your head, then A Cup of Friendship is the book for you. It will be out January 25, 2011, so be patient.
And thank you to Ballantine for my advance reader copy of this book.
January 6, 2014
Knowing how much I adored The Kite Runner my lovely husband chose The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul for me as a Christmas present as it is compared with Hosseini's masterpiece on the cover. Unfortunately, he didn't realise that what the caption actually says is "As if Maeve Binchy had written the Kite Runner". So I approached this cautiously, it screams "Chick-Lit" but it is set in contemporary Afghanistan. Interesting mixture!
The central character of the novel is Sunny, a native of the American South who has found herself in Afghanistan running the eponymous coffee shop and having to deal with all the issues that throws up, particularly security with a spate of recent bomb attacks. She takes in Yazmina, who is pregnant with her dead husband's child and had been sold to traffickers to pay her uncle's debt but they threw her onto the streets when her condition was discovered. As it is shameful in this society to be an unmarried mother she has to keep her baby secret. The other main characters are; Halajan, a widowed older woman who owns the building and privately rails against the conservative regime and hankers after the liberal years of her youth, pre-Taliban, so she can publicly have a relationship with the man she has always loved; Ahmet, Halajan's conservative son who, in spite of himself, falls in love with Yazmina; Candace, a brash American who has left her husband for a mysterious wealthy Afghan who runs a school for orphans and wants her money for his cause; Isabel, a British journalist; and Jack, an American security expert who, quite obviously, has feelings for Sunny. Not an awful lot happens apart from revealing these characters stories and following Sunny as she tries to drum up more custom for her cafe in order to have the money to build a better security wall and struggles with her feelings for her on-off boyfriend Tommy compared to the sensible, older Jack. There is some insight into life for women in Afghanistan and the struggle between liberal and conservative Islam, but as you might expect for what is essentially chick-lit, it is dealt with rather superficially.
It is a very easy read and the author, Deborah Rodriguez, has lived and run a cafe in Kabul herself so you can have some confidence that she probably knows what she is writing about. However, you do feel constantly that it is written from a Western perspective and that all the characters, Western and Afghan, men and women, are incredibly stereotypical.
In short, it won't challenge you but if you like your chick-lit with a social conscious then this isn't a bad effort!
2.5 stars
The central character of the novel is Sunny, a native of the American South who has found herself in Afghanistan running the eponymous coffee shop and having to deal with all the issues that throws up, particularly security with a spate of recent bomb attacks. She takes in Yazmina, who is pregnant with her dead husband's child and had been sold to traffickers to pay her uncle's debt but they threw her onto the streets when her condition was discovered. As it is shameful in this society to be an unmarried mother she has to keep her baby secret. The other main characters are; Halajan, a widowed older woman who owns the building and privately rails against the conservative regime and hankers after the liberal years of her youth, pre-Taliban, so she can publicly have a relationship with the man she has always loved; Ahmet, Halajan's conservative son who, in spite of himself, falls in love with Yazmina; Candace, a brash American who has left her husband for a mysterious wealthy Afghan who runs a school for orphans and wants her money for his cause; Isabel, a British journalist; and Jack, an American security expert who, quite obviously, has feelings for Sunny. Not an awful lot happens apart from revealing these characters stories and following Sunny as she tries to drum up more custom for her cafe in order to have the money to build a better security wall and struggles with her feelings for her on-off boyfriend Tommy compared to the sensible, older Jack. There is some insight into life for women in Afghanistan and the struggle between liberal and conservative Islam, but as you might expect for what is essentially chick-lit, it is dealt with rather superficially.
It is a very easy read and the author, Deborah Rodriguez, has lived and run a cafe in Kabul herself so you can have some confidence that she probably knows what she is writing about. However, you do feel constantly that it is written from a Western perspective and that all the characters, Western and Afghan, men and women, are incredibly stereotypical.
In short, it won't challenge you but if you like your chick-lit with a social conscious then this isn't a bad effort!
2.5 stars
November 13, 2011
This book didn't really work for me. At first I was irritated by the 'let me work in lots of foreign words and explain these different cultural viewpoints to you' tone. Then I couldn't get into the characters, since they didn't seem to bond with each other, and then were shown working together as very close friends quite suddenly. Actually, several plotlines seemed to drag on and then suddenly resolve themselves, often outside the story. Issues with the young woman's sister, and adult son's internal dialogue about what is right, and the safety of a fatherless infant. The thread about frustration with corruption lost its power when she herself used bribes and connections and broke laws herself- working the corrupt system. I did not feel satisfied at the ending, as things had been challenging in Kabul at the open of the story, and seemed to improve as the story went off, and then she decided to leave.
One part of the voice I felt was imprtant was that the author expressed the frustrations of the Afghan people being 'helped' and treated like children by other countries and foreign based NGOs.
One part of the voice I felt was imprtant was that the author expressed the frustrations of the Afghan people being 'helped' and treated like children by other countries and foreign based NGOs.
March 16, 2016
This book turned out to be a much lighter affair than I was expecting. It is more like a romantic chick lit story albeit set in the troubled city of Kabul. Sunny, a heartbroken American, runs the eponymous coffee shop which is visited by a range of characters from an American consultant, British journalist etc.. There are Afghan characters like Halajan who helps to run the cafe and a pregnant Yazmina, who makes the cafe her home.
The most interesting characters are the Afghans but their character development feels thin at best. I started enjoying the book more once I began to see it as an entertaining read. However, I can't help feeling it could have been so much more with focus, and details of the Afghan side of things and more depth to the characters. Overall, an enjoyable and light read. Thanks to Little, Brown, the publishers for a copy of the book.
The most interesting characters are the Afghans but their character development feels thin at best. I started enjoying the book more once I began to see it as an entertaining read. However, I can't help feeling it could have been so much more with focus, and details of the Afghan side of things and more depth to the characters. Overall, an enjoyable and light read. Thanks to Little, Brown, the publishers for a copy of the book.
November 16, 2014
This is a warm romantic novel set in a harsh county. Like the main character, the author had a successful enterprise in Kabul and knew what a job it was to get a generator and keep it running.
The main character’s name is “Sunny” and despite the recurring and wide spread abuse of women depicted in many parts of this novel, it has a sunny feel. It not a page turner, but it is a fast read. The content makes it something like chick lit with in “exotic” locale. The story is simple, and sweet. By the middle, you will know how it will end.
The characters have a stock quality. The dialog is not personalized in any way, so that Bashir Hadi and Candace, while they say different things, have the same speech patterns and vocabulary usage. Some characterizations are sacrificed for the plot, for instance, Halajan who grew up in the freer Afghanistan could not read while Yazamina, who was of school age under the Taliban could. Regardless, you like these characters and care what happens to them.
One interesting element is the story of Halajan and Rashif, both who lived as adults before the fundamentalists took over the country.
In summary, this is simple, sweet and enjoyable, light reading about a heavy situation. It has the authority of being written by someone who lived and ran a successful business in Kabul for 5 years.
The main character’s name is “Sunny” and despite the recurring and wide spread abuse of women depicted in many parts of this novel, it has a sunny feel. It not a page turner, but it is a fast read. The content makes it something like chick lit with in “exotic” locale. The story is simple, and sweet. By the middle, you will know how it will end.
The characters have a stock quality. The dialog is not personalized in any way, so that Bashir Hadi and Candace, while they say different things, have the same speech patterns and vocabulary usage. Some characterizations are sacrificed for the plot, for instance, Halajan who grew up in the freer Afghanistan could not read while Yazamina, who was of school age under the Taliban could. Regardless, you like these characters and care what happens to them.
One interesting element is the story of Halajan and Rashif, both who lived as adults before the fundamentalists took over the country.
In summary, this is simple, sweet and enjoyable, light reading about a heavy situation. It has the authority of being written by someone who lived and ran a successful business in Kabul for 5 years.
Read
March 14, 2016My thoughts:
The story is located in the heart of Kabul, during war time and narrates the story of five different women. They have almost nothing in common, nothing but the fact that they all hang out at the same coffee shop in Kabul. Some of the events that take place during the novel will bring them all together and as the story unfolds we witness secrets being revealed, fear and anger take over, issues of heart being solved or not, all in the heart of war.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was how the author introduced us to a new (to me) culture. She explains along the book the customs of Afghanistan, traditions and their unwritten rules, in order to explain why our characters act the way they do. It was so interesting learning about so many different traditions that they have, so different than mine. It also made me angry, to read how unfair and cruel the men acted towards women. It is a well-known factor, but being unfamiliar with the subject, it made me uncomfortable and sad at times, yet intruiged to learn more.
On the other hand, what I didn't like much about it was that the characters were too many and for that, I guess, the author didn't pay the ammount of attention needed for me to bond with any of them. There wasn't any depth in their stories, though I thought there would be. Such a superficial approach to the character made it so dissapointing.
Overall, it was a fun read, I learned a thing or two about Afghanistan but it wasn't the intriguing story that I was so anxious about reading in the first place and for that, I was dissatisfied. Hope there was more about the fictional people that would spice up the book and make it memorable. If you want to pass some free time of yours though, i reccomend it. It just didn't cut it to be awesome, as I thought it would be...
more available on: bookboxbykat.wordpress.com
The story is located in the heart of Kabul, during war time and narrates the story of five different women. They have almost nothing in common, nothing but the fact that they all hang out at the same coffee shop in Kabul. Some of the events that take place during the novel will bring them all together and as the story unfolds we witness secrets being revealed, fear and anger take over, issues of heart being solved or not, all in the heart of war.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was how the author introduced us to a new (to me) culture. She explains along the book the customs of Afghanistan, traditions and their unwritten rules, in order to explain why our characters act the way they do. It was so interesting learning about so many different traditions that they have, so different than mine. It also made me angry, to read how unfair and cruel the men acted towards women. It is a well-known factor, but being unfamiliar with the subject, it made me uncomfortable and sad at times, yet intruiged to learn more.
On the other hand, what I didn't like much about it was that the characters were too many and for that, I guess, the author didn't pay the ammount of attention needed for me to bond with any of them. There wasn't any depth in their stories, though I thought there would be. Such a superficial approach to the character made it so dissapointing.
Overall, it was a fun read, I learned a thing or two about Afghanistan but it wasn't the intriguing story that I was so anxious about reading in the first place and for that, I was dissatisfied. Hope there was more about the fictional people that would spice up the book and make it memorable. If you want to pass some free time of yours though, i reccomend it. It just didn't cut it to be awesome, as I thought it would be...
more available on: bookboxbykat.wordpress.com
April 7, 2025
Character-driven story, in a war-torn setting. Exploring the interplay between personal and political struggles
August 21, 2011
Even though it was set in the middle east and tried to incorporate the very real dangers women (and men) face the book felt like a 'soap opera' to me. The dialogue was outright corny at times and it did feel very 'westernised'and watered down so as not to be too graphic or controversial.
My favourite character was probably Halajan, although I did also like Yasmina. But I really didn't believe the 'metamorphosis' of some of the characters, particalarly one who had been set in the traditional ways for so long...
The character I couldn't stand was the blonde who was dating 'the prince/terrorist' (I've forgotten her name). She was just too sterotypical-privileged-bimbo and felt like an igloo in the middle of the Sahara. I also felt the death of one of the characters was made to feel almost inconsequential...
The ending was also unrealistic and too 'happy happy' with everything being wrapped up neatly.
I thought it would be a more realistic account of what life is like for women in the middle east but it was all too 'lifetime movie of the week' for me...
My favourite character was probably Halajan, although I did also like Yasmina. But I really didn't believe the 'metamorphosis' of some of the characters, particalarly one who had been set in the traditional ways for so long...
The character I couldn't stand was the blonde who was dating 'the prince/terrorist' (I've forgotten her name). She was just too sterotypical-privileged-bimbo and felt like an igloo in the middle of the Sahara. I also felt the death of one of the characters was made to feel almost inconsequential...
The ending was also unrealistic and too 'happy happy' with everything being wrapped up neatly.
I thought it would be a more realistic account of what life is like for women in the middle east but it was all too 'lifetime movie of the week' for me...
September 27, 2014
Even though I enjoyed reading this book which talks about the lives of 5 women from different nationality and religion in a café shop in Kabul owned by one of them getting us through their stories in a smooth lovey story line, yet I was nothing about Kabul or what was really happening at the time the story was suppose to take place.
It was a Western style novel trying to get a bit different background through using the situation in Afghanistan to give if more “flavor” if I may say so!
I am not really surprised of the many comments/feedback who were disappointed that there wasn’t any depth to the Afghani culture
I would give it 2.5/5
It was a Western style novel trying to get a bit different background through using the situation in Afghanistan to give if more “flavor” if I may say so!
I am not really surprised of the many comments/feedback who were disappointed that there wasn’t any depth to the Afghani culture
I would give it 2.5/5
August 17, 2020
A schmaltzy and saccharine observation on women’s lives in Afghanistan with a definite American flavour. There’s a pleasing warmth to the storytelling and the premise is interesting but it really does begin and end there. After enjoying ‘The Kite Runner’ quite a few years ago now, I really hoped that reading this would be equally rewarding but it’s far too kittenish for the serious subject matter it purports to tackle. Sorry.
August 29, 2022
Given recent events in Afghanistan, this was an interesting read from a historical point of view, but the story was quite slow and didn't always tie up loose ends.
February 3, 2025
Book on CD narrated by Mozhan Marnò
3***
Also issued as The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
Sunny is a 38-year-old American woman who has run from her bad choices, and found a “home” in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan, running The Coffee Shop and (sort of) living with her boyfriend Tommy, who is a mercenary. She has collected a group of locals around her to help run the business, and whom she, in turn, helps, sometimes in defiance of long-held religious and cultural beliefs.
This is the author’s fiction debut, after her memoir Kabul Beauty School . I found it more engaging than the memoir, though Sunny displays some of the same faults the author had in her own memoir – being willfully blind to local customs, beliefs, traditions. Yes, the traditional treatment of women is appalling, but running headlong into the fray seemed not only naïve but extremely dangerous. That her business thrives is mostly due to the ex-pat community that she serves.
I did love Yazmina and Halajan, two of the women who work with Sunny in the coffee shop, and especially Halajan’s forbidden love story. However, one character’s complete turnaround was totally unrealistic.
There are two sequels, but I’m in no hurry to read them.
Mozhan Marnò does a fine job narrating the audiobook. I really liked the way she interpreted Halajan and Yazmina.
3***
Also issued as The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
Sunny is a 38-year-old American woman who has run from her bad choices, and found a “home” in war-torn Kabul, Afghanistan, running The Coffee Shop and (sort of) living with her boyfriend Tommy, who is a mercenary. She has collected a group of locals around her to help run the business, and whom she, in turn, helps, sometimes in defiance of long-held religious and cultural beliefs.
This is the author’s fiction debut, after her memoir Kabul Beauty School . I found it more engaging than the memoir, though Sunny displays some of the same faults the author had in her own memoir – being willfully blind to local customs, beliefs, traditions. Yes, the traditional treatment of women is appalling, but running headlong into the fray seemed not only naïve but extremely dangerous. That her business thrives is mostly due to the ex-pat community that she serves.
I did love Yazmina and Halajan, two of the women who work with Sunny in the coffee shop, and especially Halajan’s forbidden love story. However, one character’s complete turnaround was totally unrealistic.
There are two sequels, but I’m in no hurry to read them.
Mozhan Marnò does a fine job narrating the audiobook. I really liked the way she interpreted Halajan and Yazmina.
December 29, 2016
There were some interesting and deep concepts in this book (treatment of women in Afghanistan, terrorism, the tension between old faith and modern times, to name a few), but it isn’t written in a way that is deep and profound. The overall tone of the book is light and it feels like there is no earth-shattering events happening - although there is, at times literally earth-shattering! It was a pleasant read, although I’m not sure whether I’d continue on with the sequel.
November 26, 2024
This was a good story but in the back of my head I just kept thinking about what Afghanistan has become and how horrible it must be for women now with the Taliban in control. In this story, Sunny is an American who runs a coffee shop in the city of Kabul. She is doing everything in her power to keep her coffee shop open in the midst of bombings and declining customers. There are several other characters that have a big impact on the story. One woman Yazmina was saved by Sunny after being left for dead but now she has a secret that she is afraid will get her kicked out of the coffee shop. Another woman Halajan is in love with a shop owner but she cannot act on her love due to the rules of her culture. Candace is trying to make a difference and help others but things may not be what they seem. Lastly, Isabel is a journalist who has been through some hard times but is trying desperately to make a difference and help women in Afghanistan.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Many of the characters were strong female characters and it broke my heart what they had to endure as women. I thought the story was well written. I liked the romance aspects and learning more about the culture. I was just extremely sad as I finished this because it was fiction and I know in real life things would have turned out differently and are much, much worse.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Many of the characters were strong female characters and it broke my heart what they had to endure as women. I thought the story was well written. I liked the romance aspects and learning more about the culture. I was just extremely sad as I finished this because it was fiction and I know in real life things would have turned out differently and are much, much worse.
June 8, 2017
“You will find that thing that makes you unafraid to die. That important thing that makes your life of value.”
Damn, it feels really good to finish a book (blame uni).
Do you ever read a book and feel neutral about it even though you really enjoyed it? For starter, it was nice to read about something different for change; different traditions, country, etc, but i think my lack of knowledge about Afghanistan prevented me from enjoying the book more than i did. There are things, though, that i loved about this story. One of them was how diversity was so prominent in the book. Another is how it showed blossoming relationships between people who are so different from one another: different backgrounds, nationalities, religions even. Lastly, what i loved the most was the history buried between the pages of The Little Coffeeshop of Kabul. So many things that i never knew about, so much history.
And honestly, i do believe that the world needs more Middle Eastern based books like these to show and teach people-regardless of how little-about Middle Eastern cultures and history.
Damn, it feels really good to finish a book (blame uni).
Do you ever read a book and feel neutral about it even though you really enjoyed it? For starter, it was nice to read about something different for change; different traditions, country, etc, but i think my lack of knowledge about Afghanistan prevented me from enjoying the book more than i did. There are things, though, that i loved about this story. One of them was how diversity was so prominent in the book. Another is how it showed blossoming relationships between people who are so different from one another: different backgrounds, nationalities, religions even. Lastly, what i loved the most was the history buried between the pages of The Little Coffeeshop of Kabul. So many things that i never knew about, so much history.
And honestly, i do believe that the world needs more Middle Eastern based books like these to show and teach people-regardless of how little-about Middle Eastern cultures and history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,884 reviews