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Thunder Over Kandahar
“I wish with all my heart that you were in school. I love
my country, Daughter, but here we have been robbed of
our most precious gifts: thought and imagination. Only in an atmosphere of peace and security can artists, poets, and writers flourish. Without our artists and storytellers, we have
no history, and without history our future is unmoored—we drift. It is art, never war, that carries culture forward.”
my country, Daughter, but here we have been robbed of
our most precious gifts: thought and imagination. Only in an atmosphere of peace and security can artists, poets, and writers flourish. Without our artists and storytellers, we have
no history, and without history our future is unmoored—we drift. It is art, never war, that carries culture forward.”
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
30 people are currently reading
569 people want to read
About the author
Sharon E. McKay
35 books52 followersSharon E. McKay was born in 1954 in Montreal, Quebec, and earned a B.A. from York University in 1978. She lives in Prince Edward Island.
Series:
* Our Canadian Girl: Penelope
* Charlie Wilcox
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2009): War Brothers - Winner
Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award: Fiction
◊ 2002 – Charlie Wilcox – Winner
Series:
* Our Canadian Girl: Penelope
* Charlie Wilcox
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2009): War Brothers - Winner
Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award: Fiction
◊ 2002 – Charlie Wilcox – Winner
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
July 12, 2011
"Thunder Over Kandahar" is often recommended in reviews to be used in Social Studies classes to teach current events. For those who might find "A Thousand Splendid Suns" or "The Kite Runner" too long, too intense, too violent, "Thunder Over Kandahar" might be a more appropriate choice. The 247 page book, though not strong in the writing department, is a fast read, features a compelling story, and includes much important information on the history of Afghanistan and the current situation there (including a timeline and a glossary of terminology used), as well as placing focus on the important issue of the treatment of women in this region. It is highly recommended for male and female teen readers.
The story focuses on two teen Afghan girls, Yasmine and Tamanna. Yasmine was born and raised in Great Britain. Her parents, both highly educated and respected, feel the call to return to their homeland of Afghanistan. Yasmine, however, at first does not see the allure of Herat and her parents' homeland. The idea expressed on page 225 is often repeated throughout the story: "'We are young, we are educated, we are strong. If we too run away, what hope is there for our country? It is not the West that the old mullahs fear. It is modernity. Anything modern or new is a challenge to their way of thinking. Education is our only hope....We are all Afghans first.'" In Herat, Tamanna is hired to be Yasmine's companion. Tamanna, who has been raised in Afgahnistan, has been subjected to loss, violence, and cruel sexism. Because of the loss of both her father and her brother,she and her mother live with the brutal Uncle Zaman. The relationship between the two girls provides the foundation for the novel. When Yasmine's parent's are shot and Uncle sells Tamanna to be married, the two girls flee into the Afghan mountains with the goal of crossing the border into Pakistan.
The writing in "Thunder over Kandahar" is somewhat lacking, beginning with the confusing use of point of view. The author uses a somewhat omniscient point-of-view, switching back and forth between the two girls - sometimes in the middle of a chapter. The writing is choppy as well. Despite this, Sharon Mckay creates a compelling story and gives us what seems to be an accurate depiction of the extremely difficult circumstances under which Afghan women live.
McKay also succeeds at creating memorable, compelling characters. Yasmine and Tamanna are unforgettable, as is their sister-like comittment to one another. Despite the fact that many of the men clearly operate in a male dominant, uneducated, violent, fanatical fashion, there are male characters who are clearly "good guys," such as Yasmine's father and Babrack. And there are others who are not so clearly good, like Noor. Through him and, to a certain extent through Tamanna's twin brother, Kabeer, we see how difficult it is for males in this culture as well. What is "right" is not always so clear. Obama says American soldiers will be out of Afghanistan soon. One can see clearly through "Thunder over Kandahar" the complexity of the situation in which these soldiers find themselves.
The novel provides great thematic material for thought and discussion: education as power, friendship, family, sexism, endurance, strength, love of country, paying it forward, war, religious fanaticism, violence, and on and on. "Thunder over Kandahar" would indeed be a great piece to use in the classroom!
The story focuses on two teen Afghan girls, Yasmine and Tamanna. Yasmine was born and raised in Great Britain. Her parents, both highly educated and respected, feel the call to return to their homeland of Afghanistan. Yasmine, however, at first does not see the allure of Herat and her parents' homeland. The idea expressed on page 225 is often repeated throughout the story: "'We are young, we are educated, we are strong. If we too run away, what hope is there for our country? It is not the West that the old mullahs fear. It is modernity. Anything modern or new is a challenge to their way of thinking. Education is our only hope....We are all Afghans first.'" In Herat, Tamanna is hired to be Yasmine's companion. Tamanna, who has been raised in Afgahnistan, has been subjected to loss, violence, and cruel sexism. Because of the loss of both her father and her brother,she and her mother live with the brutal Uncle Zaman. The relationship between the two girls provides the foundation for the novel. When Yasmine's parent's are shot and Uncle sells Tamanna to be married, the two girls flee into the Afghan mountains with the goal of crossing the border into Pakistan.
The writing in "Thunder over Kandahar" is somewhat lacking, beginning with the confusing use of point of view. The author uses a somewhat omniscient point-of-view, switching back and forth between the two girls - sometimes in the middle of a chapter. The writing is choppy as well. Despite this, Sharon Mckay creates a compelling story and gives us what seems to be an accurate depiction of the extremely difficult circumstances under which Afghan women live.
McKay also succeeds at creating memorable, compelling characters. Yasmine and Tamanna are unforgettable, as is their sister-like comittment to one another. Despite the fact that many of the men clearly operate in a male dominant, uneducated, violent, fanatical fashion, there are male characters who are clearly "good guys," such as Yasmine's father and Babrack. And there are others who are not so clearly good, like Noor. Through him and, to a certain extent through Tamanna's twin brother, Kabeer, we see how difficult it is for males in this culture as well. What is "right" is not always so clear. Obama says American soldiers will be out of Afghanistan soon. One can see clearly through "Thunder over Kandahar" the complexity of the situation in which these soldiers find themselves.
The novel provides great thematic material for thought and discussion: education as power, friendship, family, sexism, endurance, strength, love of country, paying it forward, war, religious fanaticism, violence, and on and on. "Thunder over Kandahar" would indeed be a great piece to use in the classroom!
July 13, 2010
Sharon McKay's new novel set in Afghanistan packs an emotional punch. Full of horror and hope at the same time, readers gain insight into the conditions in Afghanistan, and an understanding of their culture and people. While there are violent events, it's not a graphic book, and it's more about the human story. Absolutely worth the read, and a different perspective on a hot-button topic.
April 19, 2012
The book Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. Mckay is a very interesting book with many twists and turn as you read.I give thunder Over Kandahar a four star rating. I would recomend it to everyone. It is a realistic fiction because it talks about real life of people in Afghanistan. What they do everyday and why. Pretty much what life is like there being a girl.
This book focuses on a story about two thirteen year old girls, Tamanna and Yasmine. Yasmine’s parents are originally from Afghanistan but moved to England and the story starts when they move back. in this story Yasmine faces difficulties in the culture of Afghanistan. For example, “girls are not allowed to go to school because people think that they need to stay home and clean and cook”, where as in England she was allowed to go to school. In Afghanistan, “She is not allowed to leave the house without a male accompanying her, in England, she was free to do anything. Although, things do get alot better for Yasmine when she meets her new best friend, Tamanna. They share their knowledge and stories of home with each other and form and amazing friendship. But things go down hill when Tamanna has an arranged marriage with an older man, and Yasmine’s parents are accused as being spy's. Tamanna and Yasmine decide they have to leave. And getting to Pakistan may not be as easy as it seamed before.
I think this book is a well writing realistic fiction book about life in Afghanistan. It was fun to read this book because the things that go on in the book really do happen in Afghanistan which makes it very interesting. Although at one point in the beginning of the book, it got a little bit confusing but as soon as the story picked up it was very much interesting. I would rate it a 4 out of 5 over all.
The thing that made this book very interesting was the literary devices they used. Ex, Similes, Metaphors and imagery language. For Example, on page 165 the book states “”Her eyes, as black as pebbles under water, glistened.” , “”a great plug of chewing tobacco lay like donkey turd in the middle of the path.” and “”Khariji soldiers manning long, thin machine guns and wearing black helmets and menacing-looking masks bore down upon them.” These are just a few examples of Thunder Over Kandahar’s literary devices.
November 28, 2010
Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. McKay is a thought provoking book that tells the story of two girls living in Afghanistan. In the book, there is a clash of cultures. Yasmine was raised in London, England, but her family returns to Afghanistan to try to improve conditions there. She must adjust to a country where women have fewer rights and freedoms. The other main character Tamanna has lived in Afghanistan all her life. She is used to living under threat from the Taliban and her uncle. The girls meet and become friends, facing many dangers together.
I particularly like this book because of its realism. It is set in modern day Afghanistan, where Canadian and American forces are trying to set up democratic government, while being challenged by the Taliban. The lives of Afghan people are clearly illustrated. Women still have few freedoms in this country. Their lives are often controlled by their male relatives. Boys are in danger of being kidnapped by terrorists or blown up by landmines. It is a very different world, and it was interested being immersed in it when reading the book.
The only thing I disliked about the book was the ending. The book itself realistically shows the lives of people in Afghanistan, who often deal with harsh realities. However, the end seems a bit too positive. Almost everything seems to work out for the characters, which in reality probably wouldn't be the case. I think I would like a bit more uncertainty in the ending. However, it is nice to think that conditions in the countries will become more positive, so perhaps the overly happy ending is forgivable.
I particularly like this book because of its realism. It is set in modern day Afghanistan, where Canadian and American forces are trying to set up democratic government, while being challenged by the Taliban. The lives of Afghan people are clearly illustrated. Women still have few freedoms in this country. Their lives are often controlled by their male relatives. Boys are in danger of being kidnapped by terrorists or blown up by landmines. It is a very different world, and it was interested being immersed in it when reading the book.
The only thing I disliked about the book was the ending. The book itself realistically shows the lives of people in Afghanistan, who often deal with harsh realities. However, the end seems a bit too positive. Almost everything seems to work out for the characters, which in reality probably wouldn't be the case. I think I would like a bit more uncertainty in the ending. However, it is nice to think that conditions in the countries will become more positive, so perhaps the overly happy ending is forgivable.
March 22, 2012
After reading Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. McKay, I decided that overall it was a pretty good book. It started out pretty quickly when Yasmines' mother was beaten by members of the Taliban. I enjoyed how it instantly got the reader to understand how hard life in Afghanistan would be, especially for women. Seeing as this was the message of the book, I thought this aspect was very important.
The author helped you to really get to know the characters and about their lives, which was important because if not, the reader probably wouldn't have as much sympathy for them, making the book less intriguing and ruining the message.
A few things I didn't like about the book were how they made Tammanas' brother Kabeer seem very important to her and even after he joined the Taliban and almost killed her best friend she was able to forgive him. I didn't like this because the author didn't tell anything about the brother and sisters relationship before he joined the Taliban, therefore in the readers eyes he was just evil, and Tammanas' forgiveness seemed foolish.
Another thing I didn't like was how Yasmine and Tammanas' friendship was practicaly bought by Yasmines' parents, and if they hadn't paid Tammana to play with their daughter they probably never would have been friends. I thought it would have been a much deeper friendship if against everything that was happening in their lives they became friends without one of them having to be paid.
Overall I would have to say Thunder Over Kandahar was a good book and sent an important message to readers. I would definitely recommend it to other people. I would rate it 3/5 stars because although it was good, there were a few confusing and uninteresting parts of the story.
The author helped you to really get to know the characters and about their lives, which was important because if not, the reader probably wouldn't have as much sympathy for them, making the book less intriguing and ruining the message.
A few things I didn't like about the book were how they made Tammanas' brother Kabeer seem very important to her and even after he joined the Taliban and almost killed her best friend she was able to forgive him. I didn't like this because the author didn't tell anything about the brother and sisters relationship before he joined the Taliban, therefore in the readers eyes he was just evil, and Tammanas' forgiveness seemed foolish.
Another thing I didn't like was how Yasmine and Tammanas' friendship was practicaly bought by Yasmines' parents, and if they hadn't paid Tammana to play with their daughter they probably never would have been friends. I thought it would have been a much deeper friendship if against everything that was happening in their lives they became friends without one of them having to be paid.
Overall I would have to say Thunder Over Kandahar was a good book and sent an important message to readers. I would definitely recommend it to other people. I would rate it 3/5 stars because although it was good, there were a few confusing and uninteresting parts of the story.
November 27, 2015
I thought this was a well written novel about the history of Afghanistan and how the Taliban took over and how much daily life changed under their control. The two main characters Tamanna and Yasmine come from 2 different walks of life but grow to become best friends. Tamanna born and raised in Afghanistan her and her mother often gets beaten by her uncle. Yasmine was born in England after her parent fled Afghanistan when the Taliban first started. They decided to go back they thought they thought the Taliban were defeated and wanted to help rebuild but they were wrong. Eventually both of Yasmine's parents were stuck injured and sick in hospitals. So she was alone to try and escape the Taliban. She met up with Tamana and together they tried to escape through the heart of Taliban territory, until they got separated by the Taliban.
You can learn in this novel things you cant in history textbooks, the fear of the citizens of Afghanistan who's lives are at risk every single day and are trying desperately to flee the country. It showed truly how bad the Taliban really was and it made the reader feel bad for all the innocent people whose lives were ruined by the Taliban.
The part that grabbed my attention most about this book is the struggle and how hard people tried to get away from the Taliban. The novel made me feel like I was in the situation and how desperate people were to leaving for a better life.
the part I disliked about this book was that the somewhat confusing point of view. It switches back and forth between Tamanna and Yasmine even throughout chapters. It was sometimes confusing to know who's view I was reading at certain points along the story.
You can learn in this novel things you cant in history textbooks, the fear of the citizens of Afghanistan who's lives are at risk every single day and are trying desperately to flee the country. It showed truly how bad the Taliban really was and it made the reader feel bad for all the innocent people whose lives were ruined by the Taliban.
The part that grabbed my attention most about this book is the struggle and how hard people tried to get away from the Taliban. The novel made me feel like I was in the situation and how desperate people were to leaving for a better life.
the part I disliked about this book was that the somewhat confusing point of view. It switches back and forth between Tamanna and Yasmine even throughout chapters. It was sometimes confusing to know who's view I was reading at certain points along the story.
April 18, 2017
This one kept me awake all night as I couldn't stand the suspense and had to read on. Yasmine, born and raised in Britain of Afghani parents, finds herself reluctantly in a village in Afghanistan with them, and is having a hard time adjusting to the traditional restrictions placed upon women. She befriends an an Afghani teen girl from a poor family, and the two become like sisters. However, when the new school opens and the two try to attend, tragedy strikes. The two girls find themselves fleeing for their lives toward the Pakistani border, through hills swarming with Taliban soldiers. Will they reach safety? Will Yasmine ever see her parents again? The author lived in Afghanistan, so the details of life there ring true. I can't imagine living in such a culture of fear. It made me appreciate the peace I have here in the US. I wish more teens would read this, so that they could understand what is happening in Afghanistan even today and so that they could appreciate more their own country. Combine it with Deborah Ellis' trilogy (The Breadwinner, Parvana's Journey, and Mud City), Suzanne Fisher Staples' Under the Persimmon Tree, and Rukhsana Khan's Wanting Mor. Very highly recommended!
November 15, 2010
Realistic fiction, survival, family, friendship.
Yasmine, along with her father and mother, have moved to Afhganistan, the birthplace of her parents. The book takes place after September 11th and the UN has entered the country. Yasmine's family has returned to Afhganistan to be help the country rebuild. Unfortunately early in the book Yasmine's mother is attacked by men in black turbans with clubs because she is not accompanied by a man and does not wear a burka. The father is asked to take a leave of absence from his university position because his lectures on world religion discuss that Christians, Jews and Muslims are all connected to Abraham. Even though the Taliban are not ruling Afhganistan they still try to keep their rules.
Yasmine has a difficult time adjusting to Afhganistan's "do nots" such as not meeting a man's gaze, being alone with a boy or man who is not a relative, not showing any skin, not attending school, etc.
Yasmine, along with her father and mother, have moved to Afhganistan, the birthplace of her parents. The book takes place after September 11th and the UN has entered the country. Yasmine's family has returned to Afhganistan to be help the country rebuild. Unfortunately early in the book Yasmine's mother is attacked by men in black turbans with clubs because she is not accompanied by a man and does not wear a burka. The father is asked to take a leave of absence from his university position because his lectures on world religion discuss that Christians, Jews and Muslims are all connected to Abraham. Even though the Taliban are not ruling Afhganistan they still try to keep their rules.
Yasmine has a difficult time adjusting to Afhganistan's "do nots" such as not meeting a man's gaze, being alone with a boy or man who is not a relative, not showing any skin, not attending school, etc.
March 19, 2012
Thunder Over Kandahar by Sharon E. Mckay is an amazing book that grabed my attention all the way through the book! It was an insparational book that taught me never to leave anybody behind ever.
In this story 14 year old Yasmin went for a walk with her mother who started singing a lulaby to her. but mid song the taliban came from nowhere and almost beat her mother to death. But luckily enough they stopped before she was dead and left her with a warning where soon after Yasmin had called 911 where her mother had been rusher to the hospital. This is just the first 2 chapters of a great book.
In my opinion this book was awesome. I loved the whole thing especially when Yasmiun faked her death to save her best friend and family. Great book overall!
In this story 14 year old Yasmin went for a walk with her mother who started singing a lulaby to her. but mid song the taliban came from nowhere and almost beat her mother to death. But luckily enough they stopped before she was dead and left her with a warning where soon after Yasmin had called 911 where her mother had been rusher to the hospital. This is just the first 2 chapters of a great book.
In my opinion this book was awesome. I loved the whole thing especially when Yasmiun faked her death to save her best friend and family. Great book overall!
December 28, 2010
This is a pretty quick read about two friends in modern day Afghanistan. It is a pretty realistic book but for some reason didn't keep my interest for very long. At one point when Yasmine lost her memory, I thought that was so out of the blue and random, I think the author could have worked that into the story a little more smoothly.
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October 7, 2016I thought this book will be bad till i got to the end war broke out sad book but i loved it. Favorite character is yasmine
July 6, 2017
Totally enjoyed this book. The reason I gave this a five star is because it was a book I couldn't wait to get back to. It did not take long to read.
January 14, 2019
Book review: Thunder Over Kandahar
Ken Perry
01/04/19
Mrs.Crocker
A Muslim family finds themselves missing home after leaving to England as refugees, after the chaos has supposedly calmed down they return to their home land of Afghanistan. Hit the hardest was the daughter Yasmine as she left her we old life at 8 living a life of gender equality has come to a country where the education for women was poor and they were not adjusted. As the father baba tries to keep him family together, most of the day he is at work so, the mother and daughter must tend to themselves. In a country full of terrorists, that punish those who don’t follow their Muslim laws ,the mother and daughter fending for themselves doesn’t come with good outcomes for them. As the daughter began to set up life again she continues to be faced with crisis, but the family holds strong.
In the book Yasmine was my favorite character she was young at the beginning and positive not letting the conditions get to her later as she gets older she is a little more affected. The story kept the element of surprise there would be a good 3 chapters with nothing happening and just Yasmine making friends, the father working and the mother tending to the house then a catastrophe happens. My favorite part was in chapter 6 once Yasmine made it to school half way through the year the taliban attacked a boys and girls school because that was not allowed but the whole time Yasmine was thinking they don’t know what it’s like to have a friend. The scene where Yasmin's mother was attacked out of a terrorist truck and was rushed to the hospital but could not receive male doctor care was written especially well it was extremely sad. Especially toward the end of the story their resilience kept me intrigued as they had suffered so much but still wanted to stay in their land. The book was definitely a sad one there were some positives but there were some laughs.
One part of the book I didn’t care for was there reluctance to leave sure it was their home land but at a certain point you have to admit things have changed too much to stay. The book also saved moments of tragedy right when they just got everything together there wasn’t enough duration between the hardships. The book was a little too sad for my taste there weren’t enough laughs. The ending never told of her meeting her parents again after the explosion so we were left to wonder. Close to the end the explosion that came wasn’t too good for everyone’s mental health and left them waiting for a year thinking they killed their own daughter was not how I would’ve liked the books ending I would want something more rebuilding the ending still showed her love for Afghanistan witch I don’t think is very smart.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was well written but the tone wasn’t to my liking or the ending. I did like the book and I do recommend it , the book is touching and heartfelt to the love of a place you call home. I did deduct a star because it was a little too emotional for me. The other stars came because the story was told well from 3rd person and kept a good track of the events with little bias. I also deducted a star because at points I would want to know what’s going through the family’s brain. Overall this was a good read and a good story.
Ken Perry
01/04/19
Mrs.Crocker
A Muslim family finds themselves missing home after leaving to England as refugees, after the chaos has supposedly calmed down they return to their home land of Afghanistan. Hit the hardest was the daughter Yasmine as she left her we old life at 8 living a life of gender equality has come to a country where the education for women was poor and they were not adjusted. As the father baba tries to keep him family together, most of the day he is at work so, the mother and daughter must tend to themselves. In a country full of terrorists, that punish those who don’t follow their Muslim laws ,the mother and daughter fending for themselves doesn’t come with good outcomes for them. As the daughter began to set up life again she continues to be faced with crisis, but the family holds strong.
In the book Yasmine was my favorite character she was young at the beginning and positive not letting the conditions get to her later as she gets older she is a little more affected. The story kept the element of surprise there would be a good 3 chapters with nothing happening and just Yasmine making friends, the father working and the mother tending to the house then a catastrophe happens. My favorite part was in chapter 6 once Yasmine made it to school half way through the year the taliban attacked a boys and girls school because that was not allowed but the whole time Yasmine was thinking they don’t know what it’s like to have a friend. The scene where Yasmin's mother was attacked out of a terrorist truck and was rushed to the hospital but could not receive male doctor care was written especially well it was extremely sad. Especially toward the end of the story their resilience kept me intrigued as they had suffered so much but still wanted to stay in their land. The book was definitely a sad one there were some positives but there were some laughs.
One part of the book I didn’t care for was there reluctance to leave sure it was their home land but at a certain point you have to admit things have changed too much to stay. The book also saved moments of tragedy right when they just got everything together there wasn’t enough duration between the hardships. The book was a little too sad for my taste there weren’t enough laughs. The ending never told of her meeting her parents again after the explosion so we were left to wonder. Close to the end the explosion that came wasn’t too good for everyone’s mental health and left them waiting for a year thinking they killed their own daughter was not how I would’ve liked the books ending I would want something more rebuilding the ending still showed her love for Afghanistan witch I don’t think is very smart.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was well written but the tone wasn’t to my liking or the ending. I did like the book and I do recommend it , the book is touching and heartfelt to the love of a place you call home. I did deduct a star because it was a little too emotional for me. The other stars came because the story was told well from 3rd person and kept a good track of the events with little bias. I also deducted a star because at points I would want to know what’s going through the family’s brain. Overall this was a good read and a good story.
February 24, 2020
I read this book as a part of a novel study and review in my grade 8 classroom. It is not something I would have originally chosen for myself but I was willing to give it a try. I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. When the two main characters (Tamanna and Yasmine) met it was interesting and offered many details into their connection to each other. This book is written in alternating perspectives of Tamanna and Yasmine and this offered insight into each girl’s personality and struggles. Thunder over Kandahar is full of terms and situations that are realistic to the current climate of Afghanistan and the characters thoughts, feelings, and decisions seem realistic to someone in their situation. Unfortunately at the end it fell apart. The author added a twist that was not necessary. I feel that it was an insult to the integrity of her characters for McKay to end it the way she did. Also, at the end of this book there is a postscript. A postscript can be an effective tool to round off the storylines of your more minor characters but McKay did not use this one effectively. It felt like a cop out to throw in the endings of her main characters into a few paragraphs. The events could have worked if it was paced better. The main issue happens with four chapters left and did not give McKay an opportunity to adequately round off her character arcs in a satisfying way. I would not recommend this book. It had ample potential but was not executed properly. I might try some of her other books and will remain hopeful that this was just not the one.
June 18, 2018
A powerful novel of enduring friendship set amid the terror and chaos of present-day Afghanistan. Best friends Tamanna and Yasmine cannot believe their good fortune when a school is set up in their Afghan village; however, their dreams for the future are shattered when the Taliban burns down the school and threatens the teacher and students with death. As Tamanna faces an arranged marriage to an older man, and the Taliban targets Yasmine’s western-educated family, the girls realize they must flee. Traveling through the heart of Taliban territory, the two unaccompanied young women find themselves in mortal danger. After suffering grave injuries—Tamanna from a fall and Yasmine from a suicide bombing—the girls are left without the one thing that has helped them survive—each other. The book features stunning photographs by award-winning photojournalist Rafal Gerszak (The New York Times, BBC World News) that bring readers an immediate sense of the faces and landscape of Afghanistan. Filled with tension and drama, Thunder Over Kandahar paints a vivid portrait of the perils of contemporary Afghanistan.
June 26, 2018
Thunder Over Kandahar is a really interesting book, one that keeps you awake and does not let you go. It was hard for me to imagine the situation those two girls were living in. It's inspiring how the girls decided to take their fates into their own hands, to risk their lives and escape. They were scared but they never gave up and looked back.
I liked the story but sometimes something happened too all of a sudden. That isn't necessary a bad thing but personally I would like the story to flow a little smoother. Sometimes it made me feel like the writer got a random idea and decided to include it into the story.
Nevertheless, I don't regret reading it at all. It's a good, interesting and inspirational book about bravery and sacrifice.
I liked the story but sometimes something happened too all of a sudden. That isn't necessary a bad thing but personally I would like the story to flow a little smoother. Sometimes it made me feel like the writer got a random idea and decided to include it into the story.
Nevertheless, I don't regret reading it at all. It's a good, interesting and inspirational book about bravery and sacrifice.
November 14, 2019
The writing was nothing special or especially interesting, but you can tell that the story was very well researched. The story is more of a look into contemporary afghan life. It personally wasn't my thing, but it's a pretty good read.
March 15, 2024
A powerful novel of friendship between two girls set amid the terror and chaos of present-day Afghanistan. This story is heart-breaking, full of horrors the Afghans are going through, but also a tale of friendship full of hope, love and endurance.
January 1, 2018
Poignant story of a young girl born in Britain and then taken to Afghanistan by her Afghani parents who thought it was safe for them to return.
June 3, 2018
Really compelling true life story of two friends trying to escape the violence in Afghanistan. Writing could have been less fictionalized and told directly as an autobiography
June 29, 2018
The constant referral of calling one of the characters "Dan/Danny" was patronizing. Of course the main character would not have called him that. She was an intelligent girl who understood English.
February 26, 2019
I liked this book
May 28, 2019
Such an interesting way to look at a different culture and how youth live.
July 6, 2021
Beautiful story.
July 31, 2021
4.5 stars. Fantastic book. I finished it in about 24 hours. It was slightly soul crushing but worth the read.
March 2, 2023
Read for school
May 18, 2011
Hi Mme. Charbona! It's Chris and I'm going to write my book review of Thunder Over Kandahar, written by Sharon McKay, starting now.
Well, for starters, I thought this book was really good! It deals with all sorts of things that actually happen in real life like Taliban attacks and families getting forced apart. I will now give a short preview of the book. (SPOILERS!)
The book begins when Yasmine and her mother and father, move to a small town in afghanistan. Yasmine is slowly getting over her longing for England (her previous home) and is adapting to the different life stlye. Her mother and her are going for an afternoon walk, when a vehicle full of Talbian appear! Yasmines mother pushes her into some bushes, but sacrifices herself and is nearly beat to death. Now in the hospital, Yasmine hears her father talking to a doctor who is telling him to take his family and move, beacuse the Taliban think they are spies. Yasmines father agrees, and when her mother gets better, the family is off to Kandahar, an even more dangerous city even closer to major Taliban activity. Upon entering the town, Yamsine notices a girl with a limp staring at the vehicle.
The girl with the limp, Tamanna, the other main character, lives in a very poor family with her kind mother, and her abusive uncle. Her uncle generaly runs the family and is an obsesive voter, so saying, he forces Tamanna to marry someone she doesnt know to settle som gambling bets. Tamanna is still working a job though, and delivers bread to Yasmines house, where they meet and become best friends over the course of a couple of months. Better yet, a school for girls is built in with the boys school and Yasmine and Tamanna begin to attend, but only to be stopped by the Taliban, who come in to the school to convince boys to join them. Tamanna notices one of the Taliban as her long lost twin brother Kabeer, and tries to talk to him, but for doing that, is almost to be killed by the Taliban. They leave, but Yasmines family goes in to hiding again, never leaving the house. Worse of all, Yasmines mother has grown deathly sick right after she had become to recover. Then one day they do decide to go outside and are attacked by the Taliban. Yasmine had not been there for the attack but noticed the all the commotion and figured out what happened. Yasmine is taken to the army base and watch her parents lives slowly drain out of them. They have to be flown out to a more distant base for a special surgery. Yasmine is told to go home, and check her fathers office to find out for sure if her father actually was a spy, then take a taxi to the city her parents will be in. She destroys his office and only finds passports and some money. She then realises that Tamanna should come with her, and races to her house. Tamannas wedding had also been that day and had not turned out well. Her would have been husband saw that she had a limp, and did not want to marry her, thinking that their babies wouldnt be born right.
That's around the first 12 chapters. If you want to find out more, read the whole book!
I thought the best thing about this book was that the friendship between Tamanna and Yasmine was very beautiful to watch grow. They were two very different people who came together and became the best of friends by chance.
There were a few things that I didn't like about this book though. First of all, the pacing is very slow during the middle of the books. Also, they randomly talk about the most random things, for example, Babar the Elephant, and talk about him for the rest of the book, for absolutely no reason. Also, when Yasmine loses her memory, why does she remember random, small details, but nothing else? Things like that annoyed me through the whole book.
Back to the positive stuff, I want to talk about the characters, but mainly Yasmine. She was the best character in the whole book, in my point of view. She was akward, daring, and not afraid to speak her mind, which almost got her killed in several cases, but made me enjoy the book more.
In conclusion, despite it's minor flaws, this was a very good book. I give it four out of five stars
Well, for starters, I thought this book was really good! It deals with all sorts of things that actually happen in real life like Taliban attacks and families getting forced apart. I will now give a short preview of the book. (SPOILERS!)
The book begins when Yasmine and her mother and father, move to a small town in afghanistan. Yasmine is slowly getting over her longing for England (her previous home) and is adapting to the different life stlye. Her mother and her are going for an afternoon walk, when a vehicle full of Talbian appear! Yasmines mother pushes her into some bushes, but sacrifices herself and is nearly beat to death. Now in the hospital, Yasmine hears her father talking to a doctor who is telling him to take his family and move, beacuse the Taliban think they are spies. Yasmines father agrees, and when her mother gets better, the family is off to Kandahar, an even more dangerous city even closer to major Taliban activity. Upon entering the town, Yamsine notices a girl with a limp staring at the vehicle.
The girl with the limp, Tamanna, the other main character, lives in a very poor family with her kind mother, and her abusive uncle. Her uncle generaly runs the family and is an obsesive voter, so saying, he forces Tamanna to marry someone she doesnt know to settle som gambling bets. Tamanna is still working a job though, and delivers bread to Yasmines house, where they meet and become best friends over the course of a couple of months. Better yet, a school for girls is built in with the boys school and Yasmine and Tamanna begin to attend, but only to be stopped by the Taliban, who come in to the school to convince boys to join them. Tamanna notices one of the Taliban as her long lost twin brother Kabeer, and tries to talk to him, but for doing that, is almost to be killed by the Taliban. They leave, but Yasmines family goes in to hiding again, never leaving the house. Worse of all, Yasmines mother has grown deathly sick right after she had become to recover. Then one day they do decide to go outside and are attacked by the Taliban. Yasmine had not been there for the attack but noticed the all the commotion and figured out what happened. Yasmine is taken to the army base and watch her parents lives slowly drain out of them. They have to be flown out to a more distant base for a special surgery. Yasmine is told to go home, and check her fathers office to find out for sure if her father actually was a spy, then take a taxi to the city her parents will be in. She destroys his office and only finds passports and some money. She then realises that Tamanna should come with her, and races to her house. Tamannas wedding had also been that day and had not turned out well. Her would have been husband saw that she had a limp, and did not want to marry her, thinking that their babies wouldnt be born right.
That's around the first 12 chapters. If you want to find out more, read the whole book!
I thought the best thing about this book was that the friendship between Tamanna and Yasmine was very beautiful to watch grow. They were two very different people who came together and became the best of friends by chance.
There were a few things that I didn't like about this book though. First of all, the pacing is very slow during the middle of the books. Also, they randomly talk about the most random things, for example, Babar the Elephant, and talk about him for the rest of the book, for absolutely no reason. Also, when Yasmine loses her memory, why does she remember random, small details, but nothing else? Things like that annoyed me through the whole book.
Back to the positive stuff, I want to talk about the characters, but mainly Yasmine. She was the best character in the whole book, in my point of view. She was akward, daring, and not afraid to speak her mind, which almost got her killed in several cases, but made me enjoy the book more.
In conclusion, despite it's minor flaws, this was a very good book. I give it four out of five stars
December 27, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book. First, it was difficult to stay committed to it at first because the characters are so unrealistic (to me, anyway; I couldn't relate to either of the two protagonists AT ALL). The girls are 14, but they are model children, always acting and thinking exactly as an adult would want a child to act, let alone a teenager. The dialogue was like, "Let us go walking through the park, my daughter, and after we will 'drink sweet tea sprinkled with sugar and cardamom'." "Yes, mother, that would be a delight for us both!" And the girls are perfect, selfless, loyal, best friends who repeatedly sacrifice their own lives for the other. There's no petty jealousy, conflicting emotions, internal conflict, or any of the normal things that teenagers experience, and it seems that it's because portraying realistic characters to which teens can relate was not at all the point of this book. In the forced dialog above, for example, the point was to convey that in Afghanistan, people drink sweet tea sprinkled with sugar and cardamom. The point is more to portray the culture of Afghanistan, the awful conditions of the conflict/war/idk what you call it that was happening at this time, and to, I guess, show that there's hope for a completely screwed up country. Except that I don't buy it. At all.
This is quite a bit easier to handle than The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, as this was written for a YA audience (maybe even 7th grade) as opposed to Khaled Hosseini's adult audience, but it was just as disturbing to know about. I can't stand Afghani culture, and I loathe their politics, and I think that living there or experiencing the events or circumstances from this book are akin to Hell on Earth, so it's just...uncomfortable and unnecessarily upsetting. Ironically, I think McKay may be trying to spread a message that there's hope, but again, I don't buy it and I feel little hope for women (and children) in the Middle East.
So with the unrelatable characters, poor dialogue, and loathsome setting, why did I give it a 3 instead of a 1? I suppose it's because I believe that it's making some truths about these events and Afghani culture accessible to teens and tweens, and the plot at times really was interesting enough for me to read eagerly (the middle, only--slow start and slow finish). However, if I could have believed that Yasmine and Tamanna represented REAL people (this is a characterization problem, definitely), I may have cared more. In the end, my takeaway thought was, "I hate Afghanistan. How can anyone live there?" Probably not what she was going for. The cardamom sweet tea and delicious naan could never outweigh the horror of a society in which human females are less than dogs, ignorance reigns with terror tactics, boys are kidnapped to become sex slaves to fascists (or are sold/given away by their parents for the same purposes), girls are sold to old men to become one of multiple "wives" (slaves), life-expectancy appears to be 25, and to a good amount of citizens, the thought of blowing oneself up seems like a better deal than what they have. Really, I think the author was TRYING to say that these problems can't be solved if everyone who can help just flees, but when (spoiler alert) one of them decides to stay, I was unaffected because I thought the characters weren't realistic people at all, anyway. The horrors seemed real, the hope and goodness came across as contrived.
I wouldn't discourage a student who was interested, but I'd never point it out. It MAY appeal to students who really liked A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story.
This is quite a bit easier to handle than The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, as this was written for a YA audience (maybe even 7th grade) as opposed to Khaled Hosseini's adult audience, but it was just as disturbing to know about. I can't stand Afghani culture, and I loathe their politics, and I think that living there or experiencing the events or circumstances from this book are akin to Hell on Earth, so it's just...uncomfortable and unnecessarily upsetting. Ironically, I think McKay may be trying to spread a message that there's hope, but again, I don't buy it and I feel little hope for women (and children) in the Middle East.
So with the unrelatable characters, poor dialogue, and loathsome setting, why did I give it a 3 instead of a 1? I suppose it's because I believe that it's making some truths about these events and Afghani culture accessible to teens and tweens, and the plot at times really was interesting enough for me to read eagerly (the middle, only--slow start and slow finish). However, if I could have believed that Yasmine and Tamanna represented REAL people (this is a characterization problem, definitely), I may have cared more. In the end, my takeaway thought was, "I hate Afghanistan. How can anyone live there?" Probably not what she was going for. The cardamom sweet tea and delicious naan could never outweigh the horror of a society in which human females are less than dogs, ignorance reigns with terror tactics, boys are kidnapped to become sex slaves to fascists (or are sold/given away by their parents for the same purposes), girls are sold to old men to become one of multiple "wives" (slaves), life-expectancy appears to be 25, and to a good amount of citizens, the thought of blowing oneself up seems like a better deal than what they have. Really, I think the author was TRYING to say that these problems can't be solved if everyone who can help just flees, but when (spoiler alert) one of them decides to stay, I was unaffected because I thought the characters weren't realistic people at all, anyway. The horrors seemed real, the hope and goodness came across as contrived.
I wouldn't discourage a student who was interested, but I'd never point it out. It MAY appeal to students who really liked A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story.
June 16, 2013
Yasmine is very unhappy about her parent's decision to return to Afghanistan. Having been raised in England her whole life, teenaged Yasmine finds the idea of leaving Britain daunting. Her parents still have so much love in their hearts for the beautiful mountains of Afghanistan, though, and they feel that it's up to people like them: educated, liberal, native Afghans, to reclaim their country and help rebuild it.
On the whole, this is a fairly unsympathetic look at the culture of Afghanistan. Yasmine's complete ignorance of local customs provides the perfect excuse to give readers plenty of exposition. Living in a city, the family suffers the claustrophobic effects of coping with Taliban edicts, enforced by brute squads of local bullies. Yasmine is initially dismayed that she must cover her hair at all times. Soon though, she misses her old veil, when the new restrictive burka, allowing only a narrow strip for her eyes to peep through, is demanded. Before she knows it, her pretty blue burka with silver thread is also considered "too immodest" and she is forced to trade with an old beggar woman for a plain yet filthy burka.
When her mother is beaten within an inch of her life for singing in the street (women are supposed to be silent) and no doctor will see her, the family decides to retreat to the Afghani countryside. It's extremely lonely there for Yasmine, and her father hires a local village girl, Tamanna, to be her companion. Tamanna leads a difficult life, with a brute of a father. Yasmine teaches her to read. The girls are excited that a new school is being built, and here the fast-pace and melodramatic events truly start to pick up. No sooner do they meet with some friendly American soldiers who are setting up the school, but they are intercepted by a Taliban raid... led by no other than Tamanna's long-lost twin brother. Dramalicious enough for you? It gets better.
Tamanna wants to escape her arranged marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather and in all the confusion and fighting, the girls try to make an escape. Friendly French forces are delighted to meet a "local" who speaks perfect English and carries a British passport. They put the girls in a cab, and the sexist cabdriver decides not to take them to their location. Instead, the girls are faced with an incredible journey through the mountains, on foot. They are once again reunited with Tamanna's brother, who confesses that he was forced by the Taliban to serve as a "dancing boy" - sort of a male prostitute - but he's working his way back to respectability with the military missions they're giving him now, including a possible suicide mission. All of this backstory with the brother was a bit of a throw-away, and honestly deserved some more thought or attention.
Yasmine hits her head and has amnesia. She is taken in by a nice family and changes her name. In the meantime, Tamanna uses Yasmine's passport to escape to England to be reunited with her "parents." Obviously, there is a lot here that stretches credulity with the twists and turns of this soap-opera plotline. I found it interesting that Yasmine, the only person seriously arguing that it would be a good idea to leave Afghanistan, is the only one who ends up staying.
While the break-neck pace this book may draw in reluctant readers, on the whole, the flat characterization and lack of warmth or good sense from many of the adults in the novel make this a tough read to get through. For a more sensitively drawn portrait of a girl struggling with an arranged marriage in Pakistan I'd recommend Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples, as well as the sequel, Haveli. For another recent take on modern-day Afghanistan, I'd recommend Words In The Dust by Trent Reedy.
On the whole, this is a fairly unsympathetic look at the culture of Afghanistan. Yasmine's complete ignorance of local customs provides the perfect excuse to give readers plenty of exposition. Living in a city, the family suffers the claustrophobic effects of coping with Taliban edicts, enforced by brute squads of local bullies. Yasmine is initially dismayed that she must cover her hair at all times. Soon though, she misses her old veil, when the new restrictive burka, allowing only a narrow strip for her eyes to peep through, is demanded. Before she knows it, her pretty blue burka with silver thread is also considered "too immodest" and she is forced to trade with an old beggar woman for a plain yet filthy burka.
When her mother is beaten within an inch of her life for singing in the street (women are supposed to be silent) and no doctor will see her, the family decides to retreat to the Afghani countryside. It's extremely lonely there for Yasmine, and her father hires a local village girl, Tamanna, to be her companion. Tamanna leads a difficult life, with a brute of a father. Yasmine teaches her to read. The girls are excited that a new school is being built, and here the fast-pace and melodramatic events truly start to pick up. No sooner do they meet with some friendly American soldiers who are setting up the school, but they are intercepted by a Taliban raid... led by no other than Tamanna's long-lost twin brother. Dramalicious enough for you? It gets better.
Tamanna wants to escape her arranged marriage to a man old enough to be her grandfather and in all the confusion and fighting, the girls try to make an escape. Friendly French forces are delighted to meet a "local" who speaks perfect English and carries a British passport. They put the girls in a cab, and the sexist cabdriver decides not to take them to their location. Instead, the girls are faced with an incredible journey through the mountains, on foot. They are once again reunited with Tamanna's brother, who confesses that he was forced by the Taliban to serve as a "dancing boy" - sort of a male prostitute - but he's working his way back to respectability with the military missions they're giving him now, including a possible suicide mission. All of this backstory with the brother was a bit of a throw-away, and honestly deserved some more thought or attention.
Yasmine hits her head and has amnesia. She is taken in by a nice family and changes her name. In the meantime, Tamanna uses Yasmine's passport to escape to England to be reunited with her "parents." Obviously, there is a lot here that stretches credulity with the twists and turns of this soap-opera plotline. I found it interesting that Yasmine, the only person seriously arguing that it would be a good idea to leave Afghanistan, is the only one who ends up staying.
While the break-neck pace this book may draw in reluctant readers, on the whole, the flat characterization and lack of warmth or good sense from many of the adults in the novel make this a tough read to get through. For a more sensitively drawn portrait of a girl struggling with an arranged marriage in Pakistan I'd recommend Shabanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples, as well as the sequel, Haveli. For another recent take on modern-day Afghanistan, I'd recommend Words In The Dust by Trent Reedy.
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