“Caravans”

As I am not a worldly person, this book intrigued me. What I knew about Afghanistan could fit in a thimble. Now, perhaps, I have two thimbles of knowledge.

1946. Afghanistan became a volleyball to be batted back and forth between the United States and Russia. The fallout from this Cold War game resulted in people torn apart. The caravans of nomads, much like our own Native Americans, roamed freely over the continent. Borders were nonexistent. The cities seemed to be groaning under the weight of modernization. How to move forward without losing the past? Will the struggle for power wipe out what was? The cultural balance was starting to slip.

Such a barren, hostile landscape. Yet, it seems there was much to be gained by possessing these ancient lands. The characters, in the book, were in some ways like Afghanistan itself. Looking for different life paths than what was available to them. Caught between wanting to cling to the “old” life while embracing future “improvements.” In the end, the game continued…