I really enjoyed this book. See different perspectives of the war in Afghanistan between an American soldier and an Afghanistan native. They each learned from each other and exchanged ideas. One of my favorite lines was some thing that Trent wrote “1st they come for the books“. It’s true throughout history books have been destroyed because of people who are against education. If it wasn’t for the education that Jawad was able to glean both from his relationship with Trent and going to school, he would not be a part of the movement to a create better Afghanistan. I am looking forward to interviewing these two authors for the Texas Library Association panel, The power of Friendship. ( )

Whenever an author sets out to write a book, they usually have a goal in mind of what they want the reader to take away from it. Jawad Arash & Trent Reedy tackle an immensely emotional topic, and most certainly achieve their goals of showing readers what life was like for Afghans and members of the U.S. military, shortly after 9/11.

This wonderful novel is from two points of view: Baheer, an Afghan teen, and Joe, a soldier in the U.S. Army, who enlisted at 17-years-old, shortly before 9/11 occurred. Baheer struggles with finding his path in life. While he desperately wants an education, he is often faced with the practical issue of needing to work on his family’s farm to support them financially. After 9/11 Baheer sees an opportunity to improve his English when he meets Joe, but he soon finds out that associating with the U.S. soldiers may come at a higher price than he can sacrifice.

On the other hand, Joe did not expect to be called to war when he enlisted in the Army, but after 9/11 he enthusiastically accepts his orders to go to Afghanistan. He is ready to take revenge on the people who caused 9/11, but when he arrives in Afghanistan and finds out that his mission is not to kill the people who attacked America, but to protect the Afghans and help them resist the Taliban, he is not sure how he should feel.

Trent Reedy was extremely honest about his own prejudices against Afghan people and he portrays these biases through Joe’s character. Arash’s and Reedy’s voices work together throughout the novel to convey a seamlessly genuine narrative. Both of their characters show that a person’s identity cannot be defined by a stereotype.

Honestly, I’ve put off writing this review because I feel as though there are not enough words to describe the profoundness of this book. This beautiful story demolishes so many harmful stereotypes that have been perpetuated throughout the years since 9/11, and the empathy that this book urges people to embrace is potentially world-changing.

So many people have been affected by the war in Afghanistan, Afghans and Americans alike. We all likely have preconceived ideas of what the war is like and how lives are affected, but this book forces us to accept the sometimes painful realization that most of us only know of the stereotypes. It demands that we take a step back to reexamine our beliefs about Afghan people, about the U.S. military, and about war itself.

I’ll be the first to admit that I read a lot of good books, so I end up having a lot of 4-5 star reviews, but once in a while I find a book that truly touches my heart. This book is one of those that will forever be etched into my memory and it will definitely go on my “Books Everyone Should Read” shelf! ( )

I loved this book! I was drawn into the story with its beautiful opening sentence - “Nothing in the world was so comforting or wonderful as the Afghan family.”

I know the book is classified as a Young Adult book, but I think it has an adult appeal also. As I peeled back the layers of the story, I found three elements to explore.

The first element is the story itself. The story is engaging, riveting, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. Based upon the two authors’ true-life experiences, this is the story of an unlikely friendship between a young American soldier from Iowa and a teen Afghan boy. Baheer has studied English and initiates a conversation with Joe.

Told in alternating perspectives between PFC Joe Killian and Baheer, we see the war from both sides and are exposed to opinions Joe and Baheer have of each other. Joe is disappointed that, as an infantryman, he is not “in the field” fighting the enemy but is instead assigned to peacekeeping and reconstruction. From Baheer’s perspective, we get an understanding of life under the Taliban and the war’s devastating impact upon the local people. Basic freedoms are now cherished, and they fight to keep the Taliban from again controlling them. There are a few instances of Baheer explaining why the Taliban are not Muslims. At one point, Baba Jan, Baheer’s grandfather, says “…a good Muslim leader should be lenient, kind-hearted, and forgiving. Not like these monsters.” The descriptions by the authors made me feel as though I was right there with them suffering the unbearable heat and terrified by the Taliban attack upon the soldiers.

The second element is the message of the story, and it is so much more than just a war story. In my opinion, the primary message is that educated people are a threat to totalitarian regimes. In a letter from Joe to Baheer, he writes “War isn’t about religion or resources. It’s about control. And the real battle for control is in the schools and libraries.” And in Jawad’s note at the end of the book, he writes “Throughout history, the Taliban, Nazis, Soviets, and other evil forces have always targeted education because uneducated people are easier to rule.” Because of Baheer’s education, he was able to form the friendship with Joe which resulted in both their lives being changed. I think Joe learned that he had a positive impact on the Afghan people as part of the reconstruction team by learning to understand them, creating trust with the local people, assisting them in stamping out ignorance and furthering education. After becoming friends with the “other”, it becomes impossible to then see them all in the same light. The Afghan people are now differentiated from the Taliban. Joe came to realize just how courageous the Afghan people are, fighting the Taliban day after day in their own way. The initial opinions Joe and Baheer had changed, and the war became their war, Americans and Afghans fighting side by side. Fighting for the freedom of the people and their desire for education.

And the third element is the collaboration of the authors. They not only had the geographic distance between them (Trent in the US and Jawad in Afghanistan), but Jawad had to write in a second language. That is not an easy accomplishment. When I read the notes by each author at the end of this book, I had to agree that they accomplished what they set out to do, namely jointly write a book that not only had the power to pull readers in, but honestly revealed how their lives were changed and enriched by the alliance that was built between the two nations.

As this book releases, we hear in the news of military pulling out of Afghanistan. This is the perfect time to remind people that there were successes during our time there. The Afghan people have hope and will continue to rebuild their country even after we are gone. And after reading this book, we should never again take our education for granted. ( )

When I read the notes by each author at the end of this book, I had to agree that they accomplished what they set out to do, namely jointly write a book that not only had the power to pull readers in, but help them to understand just what both governments hoped to accomplish. While the end result of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan hasn't been what most might have hoped for, the story in this book does give readers a very personal and up close look at some of the successes. More than that, it humanizes people most readers would never meet and does so in a way that eases them into the lives of Baheer, Joe and the other major characters. You come to visualize the fear, hope, despair and occasional triumph as the story moves along. This will be a great addition to any library that cares about expanding the world view of teen readers. ( )