Book: The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez
Portrayed as a fluffy coffee shop story, this novel can be surprisingly terrifying with just a page turn. Having said that, it is at the other end of the scale to the harrowing Kite Runner.
This book, the first in a trilogy I now learn, is set in Kabul during the early 2000s. Even with the bombs, the constant threat of violence, the actual violence, and the Taliban moving ever closer, this is ultimately a story about the people living in Kabul and their resilience.
While the central character is Sunny - an American dropout who's in the country with her mostly absent boyfriend, hired by who-knows-who to do who-knows-what - the ensemble cast truly shines. We have the building owner Halajan, her son who keeps armed guard, and the loyal cook. Added to this is the pregnant Yazmina, whose harrowing story of abduction unfolds after Sunny feels sorry for her at the Women's Mission and offers to house her in the apartment above the coffee shop.
Then there are the customers. I'm a sucker for coffee shop-based books because, like this one, they feature a huge cast of characters whose stories unfold across the pages.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the warmth, love and support they show each other, and ultimately, the love-conquers-all mindset that carries through the narrative.
A solid charity shop find.