And the Mountains Echoed in Womankind Worldwide Book Group

May 07, 2013 Suzanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: love-it, fiction

I can't even describe...I loved it. Sometimes, the passages would be so lovely that I had to touch them. I was sitting there, stroking a page in this book, looking like a crazy person whom you'd expect to whisper, "My precious!" And I didn't even care. I love this book so much I will look crazy in public for it. ...more

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Dec 03, 2013 Kathy rated it it was amazing

An extended family in Afghanistan......through the years. This book starts in 1952 and jumps back and forth in time. So we go from 1952 to 2002 to 1974 and then lands in 2010.

The first story alone could have stood by itself and was excellent. This was the story of a rich employer and his loyal servant and the complications that happened. Add in an adopted daughter and a disloyal poet wife who was 1/2 French and very modern in her ways and world views (women's rights).

Jump to 2002 and the 2 child An extended family in Afghanistan......through the years. This book starts in 1952 and jumps back and forth in time. So we go from 1952 to 2002 to 1974 and then lands in 2010.

The first story alone could have stood by itself and was excellent. This was the story of a rich employer and his loyal servant and the complications that happened. Add in an adopted daughter and a disloyal poet wife who was 1/2 French and very modern in her ways and world views (women's rights).

Jump to 2002 and the 2 children who escaped Afghanistan when the Russians arrived and are now in America, wealthy but guilty. The guilt ensues when they visit war-torn Afghanistan and see the devastation. These two boys are relatives of the others btw and "Abe" (their other relative) is actually the brother of Pari who is the adopted daughter of the rich man and his poet wife. (Complications which I am sure will be tied up by book's end). Pari does not know her biological family, only her adopted one. She forgets her background but has flickers of knowledge that something is amiss and she also has a feeling of longing here and there. She knows something is missing but can't quite recall who/what it was she is missing.

Jump back to 1974 and we go to Paris and visit with the poet wife who took the adopted daughter Pari out of Afghanistan when her husband had a stroke and was taken care of by his loyal employee (love story, albeit one sided here).

There are a lot of stories in this book that could stand alone but they tie together by book's end.....I do want to read Splendid Suns as well....I love this author's writing!

I love the writing in this book and I love the sadness interpersed here and there. It is not a happy book per se but it does cast a spotlight on the country of Afghanistan and how history has been unkind to it and it also highlights the poor fundamentally religious people and contrasts them with the rich city folk who have more modern ways. I think this is basically the story of Iran as well. Maybe more countries in the Middle East? It shows the split between Eastern and Western ways, mores, outlooks, styles of dress, the role of women, the role of education and worldview.

Five star book in my opinion! Haunting is another word I'd use to describe this book.

Finished...this book has made me curious about Afghanistan. ...more

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May 28, 2013 Sandy (WI girl at heart) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-barn-burner-rereads

Finished Khaled Hosseini's book "And the Mountains Echoed". All I can say is EXCELLENT BOOK!!

This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and he is worth the wait I had to endure to get the book on my "read-list" at the library. Such vivid detail and descriptions in his storytelling that I could see and feel what he wrote about.

This book was a tear jerk-er and made me at time cheer for the people in the book.

Would I recommend it to others: yes. Would I read it again: yes! ...more

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