Dear Zari: The Secret Lives of the Women of Afghanistan Paperback – June 1, 2012

Having had a friend recommend this book to me, I downloaded the Kindle version and read it while on vacation. It is a quick read, but the stories of the women stick with you. For those of us that live in the "First World/Developed World" it is hard to comprehend the brutality and discrimination that women and girls experience daily in cultures that are still hanging on to centuries-old, and in some cases, millennia-old concepts of family structure, women's place, etc. based in tribal traditions that are underscored by their religious beliefs and social customs. Afghanistan's women are clearly strong, indefatigable and courageous...even in the face of unspeakable treatment by their own families, people whom they believed loved and cherished them. The stories in "Dear Zari" will touch your heart, underscore your belief in a human being's ability to adapt and withstand inhospitable conditions. The stories will also make you realize how fortunate those of us who live in the USA and Europe really are. Women in this tribal culture are clearly viewed as property, to be dispensed with at will by the male members of their families. I am saddened that a young girl of age 9-11 could be used as barter to settle scores between male members of two families. I am grieved that widows and their children can be treated like disposable objects by their own families. Even women in the higher social strata are subjected to arranged marriages to men they don't want to marry, yet they do so to obey their parents wishes. May God Bless these women and others like them and ease their suffering. Women have come a long way in the last 100 years, but we are still have a long, long way to go.

Highly recommended to those who are interested in reading about pre and post war fallouts on civilians. The book is a collection of incredible stories and real life characters who have gone through tremendous situations and author's attestation to some of which she has personally experienced as an Afghan woman makes this a promising read. For those who have read Khaled Hosseini the content is not alarming but still relevant and real, it essentially confirms and complements Hosseini's The Kite Runner and The Thousand Splendid Suns.

I have always been interested in how others live in different countries. How else am I going to know about women in places like Afghanistan and India if not for great books like this one? This is beautifully written and sucks you in as a reader. I want to think the stories I read in this book belong to long time ago because it is extremely hard to admit this is what is happening at this very minute. Books like this one, take us out of our comfort zone and make us feel for others and hopefully do something positive.

Worth reading. Gives a new perspective on Afghanistan and their politics going back to the 1980's. Paints the Russians in a different color than what was presented by the American government and press over the years. Which also colors how I now perceive the US intervention and who we have supported over the years. The individual stories are interesting and illustrate how evil some people can be and how their victims can work for years to overcome the monsters among us.

I can't say enough wonderful things about the incredible book. I was so impressed, scared, awed, and humbled by these amazing women and their stories. Their stories have remained with me for a long time and will continue to do so. As an American woman with so much in my life, I can't help but think what I my life might have been like if I were born under different circumstances. I highly recommend this book to anyone who in interested in different cultures and/or reading about other women's lives.

This book is simply written and written from the heart. The author originated a former BBC radio show called The Afghan Women's Hour which told the stories of women in Afghanistan. This book contains some of these stories. The stories are so compelling in and of themselves that there is really no need for compelling prose. This is not meant as a criticism - if you are the type of reader who enjoys how a story is told as much as the story itself (like I am), then you might be disappointed a bit that there are no thought-provoking metaphors or lovely turns of a phrase. But, really, these stories do not need that elegance of style. The substance kept me turning the pages. I think it is an important book for all women to read - regardless of ethnicity or religion. And smart men will read it as well.

I enjoy reading and learning about the Afghan people and their customes and traditions. Some of the stories so far are very similar so I am sensing a bit of redundancy so far in what I have read. The book is informative. We all need to have an understanding of what these people have been through and continue to endure.

For a first hand look at how women have been treated in the Middle East in their own words, this is an excellent reference. The author collected these stories from women from Afghanistan particularly to broadcast on a BBC program over several years. I found it very interesting and sad. Hopefully things have and will get better for women in the future.