March 2021

I have been a huge fan of Nadia Hashimi’s earlier books, so I was very excited to read her latest, SPARKS LIKE STARS.

The novel opens in 1978. Sitara Zamani is a 10-year-old Afghan girl living a privileged life in Kabul. Her family is warm and loving. There was sadness in the past, as they lost a daughter before Sitara was born, but these days she lives a happy and carefree life with her mother, father and younger brother.

However, their peaceful existence is upended when a coup takes place, and in one terrifying evening, Sitara's entire family is slain.She is squired away by one of the attackers and left in the hands of an American foreign government worker who assumes the role of getting her to safety.

Flash forward a couple of decades. Sitara has a new name and is working as an oncologist. Sitting in her exam room is the man who facilitated her escape. Looking at him, she has a mission --- to learn where her family is buried. Finding their remains will be healing for her.

There is a well-done undercurrent throughout the book where the power play between the United States and Russia for control of Afghanistan is explored. It had me thinking of an earlier Bets On selection, a graphic novel called THE PHOTOGRAPHER by Emmanuel Guibert, which told the story of the Doctors Without Borders organization that worked in this region. There is so much to reflect on when it comes to this part of the world.

Nadia once again has written a book with a lot of heart that made me think.