Jen on Nikki's Middle Eastern Reads

I totally agree with Nikki on these two books. What facinated me was how each one of them gave you a glimpse into the different Middle Eastern Countries of Afghanistan, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and Pakistan, Reluctant Fundamentalist. In my ignorance, I had pictured these countries as always being war torn and violent, that was not always the case.

These countries have rich heritages and both authors do a marvelous job of bringing them to life for the reader. Both of these books deal with some sensitive issues but once again the authors do a really good job of telling the stories of their characters and letting the reader draw their own conclusions.

I was very "reluctant" to purchase The Reluctant Fundamentalist, afraid it would be political propaganda. It was not, the author did a good job of writing about the strong points about America but also gave a pretty accurate view of the weaknesses of this country and how we are preceived by the world. This book was also written in a very unusual way- it is a one-sided conversation, the author pulls it off well.

All said, both of these books deserve to be read and discussed, the writing is good, the story and plots are engaging, it is worth your time.