Jamil Jan Kochai

Collection of related short stories set in Afghanistan and the US mostly pertaining to war, terrorism, and migration. The first story is outstanding and my favorite of the bunch. It pertains to a young man playing a video game in which the avatars resemble his family members. I found the other stories uneven. Several include elements of magical realism. It is used, I presume, to help convey some of the more brutal content in a manner that does not overwhelm the reader. I liked it enough to read another book by this author.… (more)

Like a cross between the movie "Forbidden Games" and Mark Twain Kochai documents everyday life in Afghanistan. The exploits of a group of young boys as seen by the young protagonist Marwand take us to the periphery of events that tell a story of disruption and devastation in his part of the world. Everything, as always in the mind of a child, whether mundane or deeply significant, is seen as larger-than-life and heroic. Somehow, as a result this captures culture and affecting historical vividly without ever lecturing the reader. Kochai is an insider bequested a great gift. So sad that the country has been again, recently been efectively cut off from the outside world. One can at least hope they've have a reprieve from endless war and factionalism. The people are alive and well if Kochai's narrative is any indication.… (more)