Searching for Saleem is a first-person account—written by a wife, mother, and professional—of a national tragedy that interrupted daily life in Afghanistan after the communist coup of April 1978. Farooka Gauhari tells of her desperate attempts to find out what happened to her missing husband, Saleem, and her gradual, painful decision to leave the country with her three children. In a broader sense, her story reflects the harrowing experiences of countless Afghan their sufferings and their struggles to maintain their identities under totalitarian rule. It typifies the kinds of human rights violations practiced against scores of Afghans who disappeared into dark cells or were executed without trials by successions of communist governments.
This is SUCH a good book! I was only 3 when the Afghan uprising began, so I admittedly didn’t know a lot about it. It’s also easy to pretend bad things don’t happen when you’re a world away. Mrs. Gauhari’s words put me in the midst of the action, and taught me the history…while it showed me what a strong and brave woman she was! I definitely recommend this!