Overview:
A moving tale of the triumph of the human spirit amidst heartbreaking tragedy, told through the eyes of a charming, impish, and wickedly observant Afghan boy.
The Taliban have disappeared from Kabul's streets, but the long shadows of their brutal regime remain. In his short life eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of family to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.
Then Mariya finds a position as housekeeper for a charismatic western woman, Georgie, and Fawad dares to hope for an end to their struggle. He soon discovers that his beloved Georgie is caught up in a dangerous love affair with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, a legendary name on the streets of Kabul. At first resentful of Haji Khan's presence, Fawad learns that love can move a man to act in surprising ways, and an overwhelming act of generosity persuades him of the warlord's good intentions.
But even a man as influential as Haji Khan can't protect Fawad from the next tragedy to blight his young life, a tragedy so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing Fawad thought he could never lose: his love for his country.
"In her indelible first novel, Busfield, a British journalist who has lived in Afghanistan, describes post- Taliban Kabul from the viewpoint of precocious, 11-year-old Fawad.... Poetic, bawdy, hilarious, and achingly wise, Busfield’s debut is a love story many times over: between a man and a woman, the author and Afghanistan, and an irrepressible boy and the wild world at large."—Gillian Engberg, Booklist (starred review)
"In her debut novel [Busfield] does a bang-up job of channeling an 11-year-old boy named Fawad. Born Under a Million Shadows is set in Kabul after the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Fawad's father and brother have been killed and his sister kidnapped by the Taliban.... Fawad—ever resourceful and not above a little chicanery—makes small change by stealing from the foreigners who have flooded the city. Things might be tough for Fawad, but he's filled with an impish optimism. . . . There's much love in this gentle, buoyant tale -- romantic and otherwise. And to experience it through the eyes of a beguiling, mischievous little boy is sheer joy."—Donna Marchetti, Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
"Andrea Busfield’s lyrical novel, Born Under a Million Shadows, chronicles the life of an impish 11-year-old boy in Kabul."—Marie Claire
"Readers who like to explore other cultures and current events through fiction will find here an intriguing picture of contemporary Afghanistan."—Library Journal
"Fawad's observations and concerns about his new experiences living with English-speaking, godless foreigners are told with humor and heartbreak. One of his primary concerns is the poignant love story involving his beloved British landlady and wealthy, yet dangerous Afghan Haji Khan. Busfield tells this story through the eyes of a child, reflecting the optimism and humanity of the resilient people she encountered while she lived in Kabul, a refreshing viewpoint not conveyed in other contemporary novels about Afghanistan."—School Library Journal
"From the first page, this beautifully told tale will capture the reader's heart and imagination.... Powerful and moving."—The Sun (UK)
"Beautifully written, touching and laced throughout with humor.... A stunningly assured debut novel from a writer who looks set to be a big star."—The News of the World (UK)
ENJOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
And Blessed Are The Ones Who Care For Their Fellow Men!
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