First published 2016
Aziz and his brother Ali live in a small village nestled in the pine forests of eastern Afghanistan's endless mountains. They have no school, but their mother teaches them to read and write. Their family is poor, yet they find happiness and peace in their mud brick home. One day, a convoy filled with armed men invades their village. War begins its destruction with the most innocent victims first. In this new reality, home becomes a battlefield, fighting becomes work, and revenge becomes a natural right. Aziz must navigate a world where the boundaries of the human spirit are tested and the price of love and loyalty grows steep. Author Elliot Ackerman, who served in the region himself, shapes this story with imagination and empathy, creating a lyrical examination of war's shifting ground and the nature of love, sacrifice, and faith.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Afghanistan, Eastern Afghanistan
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
222 pages · Paperback · April Yayıncılık
Content warnings: death, violence, war