In 2002, a man - with dog - retraces the Emperor Babur's journey between Herat and Kabul. His ability to speak the language brings encounters which illuminate the impact of decades of turmoil and modern Islam on the people's lives. At the end, I understood much better why Afghanistan's 'conquerors' are doomed to fail but it is the human, sometimes funny, realities of a remarkable man's journey which stay in the mind. And there is a stunning surprise at the end.
(Tony Pratt - bwl 57 Summer 2010 ) |
