When the Moon Is Low: A Novel

Fereiba grows up a young woman of Afghanistan. She never knew her mother, who died during her birth, but was left in the care of a loving father who quickly remarried to give his children a mother to care for them. Her step-mother Kokogul cares for her husband's children and is even kind or praising at times, but there is little she does that isn't self-motivated. She's always looking out for her own best interests, or those of her own biological children.

Fereiba is surrounded by a cloud of death. With the loss of her mother, she is viewed as cursed and her community keeps her at arm's length. Fereiba finds solace in her father's orchards, which is where she meets the neighbor boy Hamoud. With the orchard wall separating them and unable to lay eyes on one another, a young love affair blooms through their words. But as always is in Fereiba's life, tragedy strikes and love is taken from her.

But Fereiba eventually rediscovers love with Mahmood, an engineer. Together they grow a deep and tender connection, and a strong foundation for their growing family, all while their world is changing. The Taliban has been taking hold in Afghanistan, offering stability and security to a people who have been ravaged by war for so long. As the Taliban takes control, both men and women begin to bend under their strict laws. Fereiba must cover herself in public, she is forced to give up her job and cannot go out in public alone, and young girls may no longer attend school.

Then tragedy strikes once again as Fereiba loses her beloved Mahmood, and makes the decision to escape Afghanistan in an attempt to save her children and herself. And so begins their long journey to England.

I really liked this story. Your heart yearns for Fereiba to find love and security, and later as they desperately seek to find that in England, you find yourself yearning the same for her eldest child-- her son Saleem.

My final word: I really enjoyed this book. The characters are rich and the author's writing is effortless and beautiful and moving. It is fascinating to watch the world around Fereiba change as the Taliban gains a foothold. She goes from an educated young girl with the world in front of her to a woman hidden from that same world behind fabric and walls. But despite such hardships and tragedies in her life, she is a woman full of love and determination, driven to find safety and opportunity for her children. If you love books that allow you to explore other cultures, if you would like to see how Afghanistan used to be compared to what it has become, if you want to better understand why the Afghanistan people are some of the most loved in the world (known for their hospitality and generosity), this one is for you. Just lovely!

4.5 stars

Oh my goodness, I was actually looking for a different book by this author, The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, but it was out so I got this instead. I loved it. What a beautiful story about one Afghan woman's brave journey to save her family. After the Taliban come to power in Kabul and murder her husband, Fereiba feels she has no choice but to take her 3 children and escape Afghanistan. Fereiba is such a strong woman already as she has overcome her difficult childhood. But this journey to freedom is one she never imagined. They travel from Kabul to Turkey, to Greece, to Italy, and eventually to England where her sister lives. But along the way, they encounter unimaginable hardships and have to rely on the kindness of strangers more than once. When her teenage son, Salem, becomes separated from the family, Fereiba makes the heart wrenching decision to continue traveling without him and pray that he makes it out safely. You see a transformation of Salem from child into young man as he navigates the world of being a refugee on his own. Beautifully written with characters I will not soon forget.

One of the most beautiful, heart wrenching books I've read in a very long while. This is probably the third book I've read about Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban during the 80's. I know I will think about these characters for many days and weeks to come.