Hey, guys!
Sorry that this post is late, but I've been sick with the stomach bug for the last couple of days and wasn't feeling well enough to blog. I'm over it now though, and I owe you guys a review, so here it is.
The Fort of Nine Towers by Qais Akbar Omar was the last book I read for my English class last semester, and it was also one of my favorites.
As the title of this post indicates, this book is a memoir about the author's childhood in war-torn Afghanistan and chronicles events that occurred during the brief time of peace that Omar knew, the civil war between different factions of militia, and the rise of the Taliban.
When the war began, Omar's family first hid in his grandfather's home as rockets bombarded his city. Then as violence intensified, they were forced from their home to stay alive. Not long after that, they sought an escape from their country and the violence, constantly on the run and separated from extended family in order to survive.
And the most unbelievable part? Omar faced threats of death, torture, and rape several times, as was chronicled in the memoir, and he was between the ages of ten and twenty when all of this happened. I commend Omar for his openness and courage, not only to have endured these events, but to be able to write it all down and share it with the world.
The descriptions in the memoir are graphic and horrific: Omar saw corpses lying in the streets of the city he grew up in, witnessed rape, and watched people die at the hands of the factions and the Taliban before his eyes. But he also tells of what a kind and hospitable people Afghans are. The people he ran from were horrible criminals, but there were also many people his family met who were willing to shelter them or offer help in their time of need.
For example, when Omar's family ran out of supplies, his father told Omar to go into a stranger's yard one night and steal some pomegranates to feed them. The next morning, the owner of the house invited them to stay under his roof and eat from his garden. There are few people I know who would do the same.
As an American who never really keeps track of current events, this memoir was a real eye-opener for me. Not only did it make me aware of the war in Afghanistan, but it also eliminated the stereotype that most Americans have - and that I am ashamed to admit that I fell prey to - about the people of Afghanistan.
Maybe it was the media or just plain ignorance about other cultures, but the descriptions in Omar's memoir about his saviors and the people who offered help when his family needed it most reminded me that there is no "they" and "we". There may be different peoples and different cultures around the world, but we're not all that different.
The chapters in this memoir describe events that either reveal the evil ways of mankind or remind us of the good and kindness of mankind. But the descriptions and the tone of the writing are absolutely beautifully wrought.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is willing to broaden their views. But be warned, as I mentioned above, of the content of this memoir. Yes, this memoir is an awesome read, but for the age-appropriate audience. I'd say seventeen years or older would be a fair rule of thumb.
Hope you enjoyed this review and that you'll give Omar's memoir a try. I have more reviews to come in the following weeks, and I'll have a writing prompt ready in the morning. Also, for those of you interested, I am currently reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, so expect that review in the following weeks.
Happy reading!!!
Sorry that this post is late, but I've been sick with the stomach bug for the last couple of days and wasn't feeling well enough to blog. I'm over it now though, and I owe you guys a review, so here it is.
The Fort of Nine Towers by Qais Akbar Omar was the last book I read for my English class last semester, and it was also one of my favorites.
As the title of this post indicates, this book is a memoir about the author's childhood in war-torn Afghanistan and chronicles events that occurred during the brief time of peace that Omar knew, the civil war between different factions of militia, and the rise of the Taliban.
When the war began, Omar's family first hid in his grandfather's home as rockets bombarded his city. Then as violence intensified, they were forced from their home to stay alive. Not long after that, they sought an escape from their country and the violence, constantly on the run and separated from extended family in order to survive.
And the most unbelievable part? Omar faced threats of death, torture, and rape several times, as was chronicled in the memoir, and he was between the ages of ten and twenty when all of this happened. I commend Omar for his openness and courage, not only to have endured these events, but to be able to write it all down and share it with the world.
The descriptions in the memoir are graphic and horrific: Omar saw corpses lying in the streets of the city he grew up in, witnessed rape, and watched people die at the hands of the factions and the Taliban before his eyes. But he also tells of what a kind and hospitable people Afghans are. The people he ran from were horrible criminals, but there were also many people his family met who were willing to shelter them or offer help in their time of need.
For example, when Omar's family ran out of supplies, his father told Omar to go into a stranger's yard one night and steal some pomegranates to feed them. The next morning, the owner of the house invited them to stay under his roof and eat from his garden. There are few people I know who would do the same.
As an American who never really keeps track of current events, this memoir was a real eye-opener for me. Not only did it make me aware of the war in Afghanistan, but it also eliminated the stereotype that most Americans have - and that I am ashamed to admit that I fell prey to - about the people of Afghanistan.
Maybe it was the media or just plain ignorance about other cultures, but the descriptions in Omar's memoir about his saviors and the people who offered help when his family needed it most reminded me that there is no "they" and "we". There may be different peoples and different cultures around the world, but we're not all that different.
The chapters in this memoir describe events that either reveal the evil ways of mankind or remind us of the good and kindness of mankind. But the descriptions and the tone of the writing are absolutely beautifully wrought.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is willing to broaden their views. But be warned, as I mentioned above, of the content of this memoir. Yes, this memoir is an awesome read, but for the age-appropriate audience. I'd say seventeen years or older would be a fair rule of thumb.
Hope you enjoyed this review and that you'll give Omar's memoir a try. I have more reviews to come in the following weeks, and I'll have a writing prompt ready in the morning. Also, for those of you interested, I am currently reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, so expect that review in the following weeks.
Happy reading!!!
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