Author: Nicholas Wild
Pages: 144
How Long it Took Me to Read: 2 hours.
Read on: Paperback
Plot Summary: In 2005, Nicolas Wild, a wandering French writer, found a job and somewhere to live at the same time. The only problem was that the place was Kabul, in Afghanistan, a country left unstable after several destructive years of war. When the carefree young man arrived at a capital in crisis, his first mission was to write a comic book explaining the Afghan constitution to children. His second project was to work on a recruitment campaign for the Afghan army. Consequently, he became a privileged observer of the hesitant reconstruction of the country whilst leading the unusual life of a Western expat in Kabul. Gradually, he fell in love with the country and decided to extend his contract despite the risks of living in Afghanistan. Honest and perceptive, inquisitive and unsettling, this book casts an ironic yet affectionate look at the realities of a country that never strays far from the headlines.
General Thoughts: I am on a graphic novel kick of sorts. I read the wonderful Maus (review coming soon!) and then I pretty much got to this book! I needed a happy book after Maus and this book was a perfect pick. It's sweet, funny and the art is adorable. I don't even know where I heard of this book, but I am glad I came across it!
Review: This book was wonderful. Funny. Yet, heart-felt, poignant and a great look into a country constantly in news for all the wrong reasons. The warmth of Afghan people came through in these pages. Apart from being about the obvious, living in Kabul in a difficult time, it was also a book about working with kooky people and living in impossible situations but still having a sense of humour about it. Trying to live an ordinary life in an extraordinary situation.
The art is great. The writing nice and really, I just can't recommend this book enough. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series!
Rating: 5/5
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