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West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story Audiobook
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(3.03) - 592 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The day after the World Trade Center was destroyed, Tamim Ansary sent an anguished e-mail to twenty friends discussing the attack from his perspective as an Afghan American. The message reached millions.
Born to an Afghan father and American mother, Ansary grew up in the intimate world of Afghan family life. When he emigrated to San Francisco, he believed he’d left Afghan culture behind forever. But at the height of the Iranian Revolution, he took a harrowing journey through the Islamic world to rediscover his roots. In the years that followed, he struggled to unite his divided self and to find a place in his imagination where his Afghan and American identities might meet.
Here in his own words is one man’s personal journey through two cultures in conflict.
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"A quick read by an articulate and thoughtful author. This book sheds a different kind of light on Afghanistan and all that has brought the country into American consciousness - and all that went ignored. This is one man's experience as a bi-cultural sometimes participant and sometimes observer in the tumultuous last 30 years of Afghan history. It provides a high-level, brief, but insightful look at Afghanistan as it was, what it became, and some of the factors that took it there."
— Kat (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A book that steadies our skittering compass...It speaks with a modesty of tone and is all the more resonant for that reason[It] sees things we cannot make out and need to.”
— New York Times -
“His descriptions of his Afghan childhood are luxe and delicious—crammed with beautiful textiles and wondrous smells, bazaars, casbahs, compounds with courtyards, servants, strawberry patches, ragged mountains.”
— Esquire -
“[An] emotional and moving memoir, driven by passion and intelligence…It breaks the heart.”
— Times-Picayune (New Orleans) -
“[A] powerful, timely book, written with clarity and eloquence…We come to see the humanity behind the country that has come into the international spotlight.”
— Mercury News (San Jose) -
“Any carping about this being an instant book should be quelled when readers actually encounter Ansary’s considered prose…His descriptions of having lived in and identified alternately with the West and the Islamic world are utterly compelling.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Ansary’s low-key reading adds a humanizing tone.”
— AudioFile -
“[Ansary] tells truths about dislocation, heritage, home, family, and religion that both affirm life and profoundly sadden…Worth any reader’s time.”
— Library Journal -
“Gracefully written and very powerful, Ansary’s meditative memoir reaches deeper and illuminates more brightly than any news report or political analysis.”
— Booklist
West of Kabul, East of New York Listener Reviews
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" Are you interested in learning more about the conflicts in the Middle East but think the subject may be overwhelming? Please pick up this book. A deeply moving and personal story about Afghanistan; told in a way that only an American can tell it - reminding us the blood of ancient lands runs in all of us. An incrediably easy read. Entertaining. Suitable for teens. "
— Rosalia, 2/7/2014 -
" Excellent followup to the Kite Runner - thanks Steph! "
— Anne, 1/25/2014 -
" I liked the descriptions of his early childhood in the lost world of Afghanistan, and found his observations about bicultural identity and having a "divided soul" to be quite interesting. I found his journey through the Islamic world a little disappointing, but his famous e-mail was very eloquent and well worth reading. "
— Katie, 1/23/2014 -
" This book arrived on my doorstep from a dear friend after I told her how much I loved the Kite Runner; this is a compelling memoir about a man who is straddling the line between Afghanistan and America, and struggling to hold his balance. His story is engaging and his writing simple and profound; an easy read for anyone interested in personal memoir/devastation in Afghanistan. "
— Claire, 1/8/2014 -
" I really liked the book - there was some very infrequent language, but otherwise it was really enlightening. "
— Susan, 12/8/2013 -
" What a great education on Afganistan, as told from a personal perspective. It makes me think that the goal of the US (to create a stable, democratic, liberal government there) is a dream. Is it really possible? Surely our government and military officials are listening to people like Ansary?? Someone please tell me yes! "
— V., 11/29/2013 -
" I just read this book for the Gardiner bookclub. I was really disappointed, partly because I thought the author was someone who considered himself to be Afganistan. Although he was raised in Afghanistan, his mother is American, and he considers himself to be American. Learning about how he was raised in Afghanistan is interesting and caught my attention. Then is journey of self-discovery could have been omitted completely. It felt like I was along on someone's bad vacation. The last part, "Forgetting Afganistan" was insightful at times. It was also interesting to learn how each of his siblings had adapted to being in the US, but this theme was not developed very little. "
— Heidi, 11/1/2013 -
" Hurray for Mr Ansary refreshing stark view of his culture, social and economic realities of Afghanistan. A complex country. A dynamic society. A must read! "
— Ana, 10/22/2013 -
" i loved this book...many valuable lessons here "
— Cara, 9/3/2013 -
" Transplanted Afghani and Afghan society in America. You can't go home again. "
— Ted, 6/11/2013 -
" An intimate view on life in Afghanistan, and the power of communication. "
— Ann, 10/28/2012 -
" This book was suggested to me since I loved Kite Runner so much. This book is no Kite Runner. I found some parts interesting, but the book never really grabbed my attention and held it. "
— Breezy, 3/21/2012 -
" I enjoyed this book. The author's quest to learn about Islam and his Afghan roots was fun and realistic. "
— Erin, 2/19/2012 -
" This book does a great job of capturing the basic cultural differences between Afghans and Americans. Having traveled to India, it helps with understanding their society as well. It was a bit long in describing the Muslim faith, but I read it all. "
— Kelli, 6/19/2011 -
" I read this book shortly after 9/11 and it gave me a better understanding of the culture of Afghanistan through the eyes of the writer. Both informative and interesting reading. "
— Elyssa, 2/25/2011 -
" This is a memoir of an Afghan-American journalist based in San Francisco that lived through an interesting time in Afghanistan. The description of the pre-taliban, pre-soviet Afghanistan was pretty interesting, but the rest is similar to travel writing/self-discovery books out there. "
— Tatiana, 7/9/2010 -
" Not life changing, but an interesting read that provides some insight into Afghan culture. Glad I read it. "
— Brooke, 2/23/2009 -
" Great historical context of how the Taliban came to be, how Afghan people live, and their struggles. "
— Troy, 10/5/2008 -
" Ansary illustrates how the changes in Afghani culture over the past 50 years precipitated the rise of the Taliban in the 21st century. "
— Sara, 4/19/2008
About Tamim Ansary
Tamim Ansary is the author of Destiny Disrupted and West of Kabul, East of New York, among other books. For ten years he wrote a monthly column for Encarta and has published essays and commentary in the San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, Alternet, Parade, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. Born in Afghanistan in 1948, he moved to the US in 1964. He lives in San Francisco, where he is director of the San Francisco Writers Workshop.