Saturday, October 24, 2009

The Places in Between by Rory Stewart

This is the story of a real-life adventure by a young Scotsman who walked through Afghanistan, “…surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers’ floors, shared their meals and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. . .” (Back cover of Harvest Original Harcourt, Inc. publication.)

This was a fascinating book in every way and gives all of us insight into the tribal mentality of the average Afghan, his loyalties, his rivalries with other tribes, his distrust of his own government and finally, his ancient respect and generosity for the lonely traveler.

No comments:

Post a Comment