From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…

The Honey Thief

Najaf Mazari,

Robert Hillman

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Dec 06, 2014 Oana rated it really liked it

Shelves: central-asia

A book I picked up on a whim while at the library, it turned out to be really fun and charming. Yes, there was a big patch with the genocidal massacres of the Hazara (remember them from The Kite Runner?) and the really sad deaths of the nice guy who was hanged on his doorstep, poor Konrad and the bus of innocent travellers.

Yet there are glimpses of magic: "He told Abdullah of a great master of the tula from the land of Iraq who could make stones rise from the ground and float in the air with hi A book I picked up on a whim while at the library, it turned out to be really fun and charming. Yes, there was a big patch with the genocidal massacres of the Hazara (remember them from The Kite Runner?) and the really sad deaths of the nice guy who was hanged on his doorstep, poor Konrad and the bus of innocent travellers.

Yet there are glimpses of magic: "He told Abdullah of a great master of the tula from the land of Iraq who could make stones rise from the ground and float in the air with his music," and "...victims died not by digesting his poisons only; Nightfall fashioned mists that drifted on the breeze and sought out one man alone in a gathering of a thousand."

Best of all is that we learn about the nice Afghans, something rather lacking in most books about the country. One of my favourite parts are when a Hazara character and a British visitor decide, after their failed attempt to find and photograph a snow leopard, that the expedition helped them become friends and that that was of itself the reward. As parting gifts, one gives a stone to the other and the other gives the first a sports medal and teaches him a football song.

The book is jointly written by an Australian-born novelist, Robert Hillman, and a Hazara-Australian immigrant. As I read it, I wondered how much of the novelist's voice came through as opposed to Najaf Mazari's. The end of the book has an appendix of spice descriptions and recipes, and here was where I think Mazari's voice comes more fully. I suspect that the recipes were recorded and transcribed, as the tone is conversational and quite hilarious. That part alone makes me recommend this book to anyone to pick up and at least read that part. For example:

"Add the spring onions to the bowl, and the coriander. Did you know that the leaves of the coriander bush are spoken of in in the stories of Scheherazade - in One Thousand and One Nights? Yes, they are said to have the power to arouse in those who eat them thoughts of romance. If you wish to be aroused in this way, my best advice is to eat a great deal of coriander. Back to business. You add the arousing coriander, cut very finely as I say, and the ground pepper..."

Or:

"The dough is going to develop its flavour over the period of an hour under the damp cloth. Do not be tempted to hurry this process along. Have a book to read, or a magazine. Not a magazine about film stars and diets and scandals. A sensible magazine. Not too many pictures."

Overall, very recommended, especially with the holidays coming up if you need something charming, yet not saccharine. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2013 Laura marked it as to-watch

May 06, 2013 Rakisha marked it as wishlist

May 01, 2014 Vesra (When She Reads) marked it as to-read

Shelves: c-brown, short-stories, e-book, author-m, h, fiction, pub-viking-adult, pc-300-399, tbr-2014

Aug 15, 2014 Mansir marked it as to-read

Group Home Bookshelf Discussions

Photos Videos

Send invite Members Polls