Åsne spent four months with the bookseller and his family

Looking forward to the Annual BookCrossing Convention in Dublin!

Thank you so much for this book and all the other lovely goodies in my NSS package! I'm delighted.
See you next year at the Sweden Convention! (I just registered.)

Very interesting account of a bookseller's family in Kabul. It mostly focuses on the role of the women in the family and in society in general.
It's quite a pageturner and gives a huge amount of information about life in Afghanistan in 2001/2002.
But what does it mean for the family?
I had heard about a law suit against Seierstad - and checked it out.
Here's what Wikipedia writes about it:
Following global critical acclaim, many of the book's descriptions have been contested by Rais, who has taken the author to court in Norway for what he says is a defamation and assault on his character, family and country. Seierstad for her part insists on the integrity of her account and asserts that Rais has no grounds for a successful challenge. Throughout the book Rais is depicted as a fairly nonpartisan intellectual who has suffered greatly under different regimes and worked hard all his life, but no different from many Afghans in his horrendous and selfish treatment of women. Rais has claimed to defend women's rights, pointing out his opposition to extremism and his assistance to the author and many other journalists over the years. As Rais is such a well-known figure in Kabul, the author's attempt to anonymize the family by changing their names has been unsuccessful.
On July 24, 2010 Seierstad was found guilty of defamation and “negligent journalistic practices and ordered to pay damages to Suraia Rais, wife of Shah Muhammad Rais”, the Irish Times reported. However, the Guardian reported that the finding was invasion of privacy. An appeal is underway. Seierstad won on appeal and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, which means the appeal court ruling stands.
I can absolutely understand that a book like this that can create many difficulties for the family. Even though it isn't published in Afghanistan sooner or later copies get there and translations are made. Seierstad obviously hasn't thought about this. Changing names doesn't help much - there aren't THAT many booksellers in Kabul.
What, for example, about "Leila", or rather: what about her reputation? She accepted letters from some boy... Things like this can ruin a woman's reputation, i.e. her life.
Even though the family members knew Seierstad would write a book they may not have been aware of what this would entail. And "Sultan" / Shah Muhammad Rais clearly feels cheated, I have the impression he thinks that Seierstad "owes" him to be portrayed in a better light in exchange for his hospitality.
... Just some thoughts.
However, it was an immensely interesting read!

Wishlist surprise

What a surprise! And it arrived on a perfectly blah day, brightening it right up.

Thanks so much to one of my favourite Bookcrossers!

This was such an interesting read, although bleak. Thanks for the extra information too, ApoloniaX, about the aftermath of the book.

Waiting for its next reader in the Little Free Library on North Slocan Street near Eton Street.