Sparks Like Stars

A Novel

By: Nadia Hashimi

Narrated by: Mozhan Marno

“Suspenseful…emotionally compelling. I found myself eagerly following in a way I hadn’t remembered for a long time, impatient for the next twist and turn of the story.""—NPR

An Afghan American woman returns to Kabul to learn the truth about her family and the tragedy that destroyed their lives in this brilliant and compelling novel from the bestselling author of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, The House Without Windows, and When the Moon Is Low.

Kabul, 1978: The daughter of a prominent family, Sitara Zamani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan’s thriving cosmopolitan capital. The 1970s are a time of remarkable promise under the leadership of people like Sardar Daoud, Afghanistan’s progressive president, and Sitara’s beloved father, his right-hand man. But the ten-year-old Sitara’s world is shattered when communists stage a coup, assassinating the president and Sitara’s entire family. Only she survives.

Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America. In her new country, Sitara takes on a new name—Aryana Shepherd—and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. A survivor, Aryana has refused to look back, choosing instead to bury the trauma and devastating loss she endured.

New York, 2008: Thirty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Aryana’s world is rocked again when an elderly patient appears in her examination room—a man she never expected to see again. It is Shair, the soldier who saved her, yet may have murdered her entire family. Seeing him awakens Aryana’s fury and desire for answers—and, perhaps, revenge. Realizing that she cannot go on without finding the truth, Aryana embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul—a battleground between the corrupt government and the fundamentalist Taliban—and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost.

Bold, illuminating, heartbreaking, yet hopeful, Sparks Like Stars is a story of home—of America and Afghanistan, tragedy and survival, reinvention and remembrance, told in Nadia Hashimi’s singular voice.

Outstanding!

I was quickly lost in the story’s search for history and meaning, and the narrator’s voices made this outstanding in audio. My favorite book of the year!

exceptional!

especially given current times with the withdrawal from Afghaniston, it was so good to get a look at the history and the heart of the culture and history off the people . not in a strictly documentary way but through the lives of this books believable characters.

Beautiful Verse

Beautiful written verse and wonderfully told story. Grateful to have been enlightened by it as I enjoy historical fiction.

Quite the story

An amazing story that somehow managed not to stretch credulity. You can feel every character and their stories. Beautiful. Will recommend to others.

Great narration as well.

A very different Afghanistan

The book captured me almost immediately. The reading performance was first class and made a big difference in how easy it was to get into the story. I look forward to reading more by this author.