The Afghans

In ‘The Bookseller of Kabul’, Seierstad studied life in Afghanistan before and after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Now twenty years later, the Taliban is back in power, and Seierstad returns with ‘The Afghans’, a book to help us understand Afghanistan’s past, present and future, told through the lives of three unforgettable people: – Jamila, Bashir and Ariana – as well their families, friends, foes and co-fighters. Jamila is a women’s rights activist; Bashir is a Taliban commander; Ariana is a law student who had one semester left when the Taliban came to power. The stories of these three Afghans encompass love, loss, revolt and war as well as the everyday rhythms of family life. Through them, we experience and come to understand the lead-up to the Taliban retaking power in 2021, how the first year of Taliban rule unfolded, and where this leaves Afghans today, and tomorrow.