Tali Girls

Such an important book that deserves a wide audience - even if it wasn't as literarily powerful for me as I wanted. There's something a bit unsophisticated about the structure and writing, and the length works against the impact of the piece, I felt.

For all my personal reservations, I still think this glimpse into the lives of Afghani women is crucial and important for us as both part of a global response to the rolling back of women's rights everywhere and for the specific insight into that tragic country. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Tali Girls is the kind of book I love reading that makes me realize how lucky I am to be born in the West. Kowsar and Geesu ate not as lucky; the peaceful and lush valley of Tali has turned into a nightmare since the Taliban have taken over the country and are controlling the government. They have closed the local school and children are no longer allowed to enjoy and education. Heaven forbid they learn how to think! Kowsar suffers from fainting spells in times of great stress and that saves her life as the Head of the Department of Religious Education, Khodadad, is looking at making her is third of fourth wife (she is 9, he is in his late 50s). Kowsar's health situation turns him off so he chooses Simin instead.
Kowsar are dealing of a life where they get to marry the man they live, and they live happily and freely. Unfortunately, this book takes us for a walk in a place that is so dangerous, no westerners takes a chance visiting for pure leisure. My heart broke over and over throughout the book. It was a heart read but I loved sitting with these families who, despite the atrocities, many remained so kind, good-hearted and hospitable, it gave me hope. The only part I did not enjoy was the way the story ended. Too brutal, too blunt.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review.

My thoughts echo those of other readers. This is a brutal read that doesn’t pull any punches. But this is nevertheless the reality of a country and people torn apart by extortion, tyranny, persecution and lawlessness. Ignorance, fear, and superstition run rife. Some courageous souls make futile attempts to break free from the shackles of misogyny and patriarchy and instil a modicum of human rights.

Its literary style may appeal more to new adult readers.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for granting this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

“Tali Girls: A Novel of Afghanistan” – Siamek Herawi (translated from Persian by Sara Khalili)

“Outside of this village, there are now many who are quick to issue a fatwa proclaiming you a sinner the moment you talk of books, knowledge and progress. They will make you so loathed that people will even refuse to eat at the same dining cloth as you. Ignore them. Build your own life. Show the world who you are.”

Thanks to @netgalley and @archipelagobooks for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An early warning: this book is a tough read in terms of its content, with several harrowing scenes and tough to read passages. You have been warned.

“Tali Girls” follows the lives of three young girls growing up in the Tali valley of Afghanistan. Kowsar is a young bookworm, one who knows what she wants but also prone to suffer fits due to the intensity of her emotions. Her desire to go to school puts her on the radar of the minister of religious education, Khodadad, who is looking for another wife. Put off by the girl’s medical problems, his focus shifts to Simin, the nine-year-old daughter of a poor sheep herder. Simin is ultimately taken away to a life of servitude and hardship (and worse), as the Taliban starts to gain more influence and spread its doctrine through the nation. This then leads to Geesu, in love with Kowsar’s brother-in-law, being forced to choose between fleeing with her love or accepting a forced marriage.

To say I “enjoyed” this book might be stretching things, just because of how dark things become at points, but it’s an incredibly visceral and intense book that pulls no punches. The author is clearly furious and the corruption and persecution that exists in Afghanistan, to the point of perhaps over-romanticizing the mountainous communities and their more traditional ways, but it’s hard to have your heart broken by the hurdles of misogyny that the characters face, using all of their limited power and ingenuity to try and carve a safe space in a place that seems to be constantly against them.

If you can handle the bleakness, this is a powerful and recommended read, forceful in its views and relentless in its passion. Seek it out.