Written in spare, exquisite prose, it is an unforgettable portrait of life under a fascist theocracy. Even though I only rated the book a 3, I still think it is a worthwhile read if you enjoy exposure to various. Already a bestseller in France, THE SWALLOWS OF KABUL brilliantly exposes the differences between religiosity and dangerous religious extremism. In a final act of defiance, Musarrat conceives a plan that will allow her husband to live and to hope again. As Atiq begins to lose all faith in his own ability to survive the arbitrary demands and extreme cruelties of the Taliban, he is drawn to the beautiful Zunaira, now placed in the prison to await public execution. His wife, Musarrat, is suffering from an illness no doctor can cure and even the most fervent prayers cannot alleviate. His home offers little respite from his rage and misery.

The darkness of the prison and the wretchedness of his job have seeped into his soul. Atiq, a veteran of the Russian war, is now a part-time jailer who watches over those condemned to death. The outing turns into a nightmare from which neither can awaken. One day, unable to resist Moshen’s pleas, Zunaira dons her burqa and goes to the market with him. It is only in their own home that they can be themselves, share their thoughts, express their love. Zunaira, formerly a lawyer who worked for women’s rights, can no longer even appear on the streets of Kabul without a veil over her face. The Swallows of Kabul is a dazzling novel written with compassion and exquisite detail by one of the most lucid writers about the mentality of Islamic. But Moshen’s dream of becoming a diplomat, halted by the war with Russia, dies with the ascendancy of the Taliban. Moshen, the scion of a family of successful businessmen, and his wife, Zunaira, the daughter of a prominent man, met at the university and once looked forward to a happy and prosperous life together.

Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra