The Broken Circle: A Memoir of Escaping Afghanistan by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller - 3 stars

[Ellen]

When Enjeela was only 6 years old in 1980, her pleasant life with her parents and 7 siblings came to a sudden halt. Kabul, Afghanistan, was now full of Soviet soldiers, tanks and weapons causing great fear for Enjeela's family. Her father had been working at the American Embassy for years and was able to provide a more than comfortable living for his family. Now, he will be considered a traitor to his country and could possibly be imprisoned or worse. Enjeela's mother had always suffered from a heart condition and needed surgery. She took 2 of her daughters and left the family for India. The rest of the family would not see her for 5 years. Enjeela's father hired a kindly guide to bring his remaining children through the Afghan wilderness to Pakistan where he would meet them once he was able to take care of issues in Kabul. They walked with other refugees through war-torn areas for more than 6 months, sleeping on the ground and seeing the poorest people of the area. Once reunited with their father they still faced years of travel through Bangladesh, Nepal and India to reach Enjeela's mother in New Delhi.

The family definitely faced harrowing challenges on their escape from Afghanistan. Having been raised in a fairly wealthy household they were shocked by the living conditions in the tiny villages they passed through. All around them the war waged and they often saw cloth-wrapped bodies being watched over by families. Although their escape was enormously difficult I can't help but feel that they were rather fortunate in the long run. They never ran out of money and their lifestyle in New Delhi was just as sumptuous as it had been in Kabul. It was an interesting story.

[Booknblues]

Ellen wrote: "When Enjeela was only 6 years old in 1980, her pleasant life with her parents and 7 siblings came to a sudden halt. Kabul, Afghanistan, was now full of Soviet soldiers, tanks and weapons causing gr..."

I read this as well. I wanted a little more insight from her siblings and about her siblings.

I also wondered how accurate Enjeela's memory was.

Overall, I was interested in the story.