A Fort of Nine Towers

An Afghan Family Story

By: Qais Akbar Omar

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Twenty-three years ago—after the Soviets left and before the Taliban came to power—Kabul was a garden where seven-year-old Qais Akbar Omar flew kites from the roof of his grandfather's house. Then came the hollow sounds of rocket fire as the Mujahedin, self-proclaimed holy warriors, took over Afghanistan, and the country erupted in civil war. Omar's family fled, leaving everything behind to take shelter in an old fort. But after a narrow escape from death, his father decided that the family must leave the country.

Yet the journey proved more difficult than anticipated, and in this stunning coming-of-age memoir, Omar offers a moving recollection of these events—a story of daily hardships, relieved by moments of joy and immense beauty. Inflected with folktales and steeped in poetry, A Fort of Nine Towers is a life-affirming triumph.

©2013 Qais Akbar Omar (P)2022 Tantor

Beautiful!

The book touched me so much that I felt I was living as the character, days filled with it and nights filled with dreams.

Such an interesting story of the people

Such an interesting story of the people living in Afghanistan, not centered on the military. Very good reader, soothing voice.