The Lovers: Afghanistan's Romeo and Juliet, the True Story of How They Defied Their Families - Softcover

Nordland, Rod

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062442163 ISBN 13: 9780062442161

Publisher: HarperLuxe, 2016

Synopsis

Zakia and Ali grew up as neighbors and fell in love from afar. Defying their families and Afghan custom, the young lovers both from different Muslim sects eloped and went into hiding. When Rod Nordland came upon them, he felt obligated, having shared their story in the pages of the New York Times, to help them to safety but there was a limit to how well he could protect them.Despite more than a decade of American good intentions, women in Afghanistan are still subjected to some of the worst human rights violations in the world. Rod Nordland tells a compelling tale of forbidden love, governmental bungling, and reckless disregard for basic human rights, and illustrates the degree to which mysogyny persists in traditional Afghan culture. The Lovers is a story of one couple s unshakable self-determination and the irrepressibility of human feeling in the face of a shockingly repressive society."

About this title

Review:

"A hopeful tale of youthful romance, of passion and perseverance against the backdrop of a war ravaged Afghanistan. . . . [Nordland's] skills as a journalist are evident in his rendering of this love blossoming against all odds."--New York Times Book Review

"A rich account of Zakia and Ali's romance that doubles as an indictment of the Afghan patriarchy's abuse of women and the failures of all those in power, inside and outside the country, to curtail it."--Boston Globe

"Nordland offers a stark, eye-opening look at the deplorable state of women's rights in Afghanistan through the travails of a brave, determined young couple."--Booklist, Starred Review

"From the couple's elopement to their elevation to media prominence, Nordland's storytelling remains gripping, with more than a hint of Shakespearean drama."--Publishers Weekly

"Meticulously reported and written, Nordland's book is an exceptionally well-delineated glimpse into the marriage practices of a closed patriarchal society and the suffering it has caused women. A provocative, well-told story of love . . . and an incisive examination of the continued violation of women's rights in Afghanistan."--Kirkus

"An appealing love story of a young couple from neighboring farming families in mountainous northern Afghanistan. ... A heartfelt, readable account for those interested in the personal impact of a decade of American engagement in Afghanistan."--Library Journal

"A captivating account of forbidden love in one of the world's most conservative countries. Nordland takes the reader on his personal journey to save a couple from the inevitable doom of secret love in Afghanistan and reveals an unprecedented window into the country's cultural constraints.--Lynsey Addario, author of It's What I Do: A Photographer's Life of Love and War

"This sensitive and unblinking portrait of love and injustice somehow encompasses Afghanistan's recent tragedy: hope, suffering, disillusionment, resilience. Rod Nordland has come as close as any Western reporter to the human heart beneath the headlines."--George Packer, author of The Unwinding and The Assassins' Gate

..". a searing analysis of the endemic gender terrorism in a culture where no woman of any age or class . . . is immune from brutality at the hands of her own kinsmen. You will never use the word 'patriarchy' casually after you read it. And read it you must."--Judith Thurman, critic, biographer, and winner of the National Book Award

"Rod Nordland has written a riveting, romantic page-turner about two young people fighting to be together against terrible odds. This is a vitally important book that exposes the abominable treatment of women by a society the U.S., in its ignorance, has fought to preserve."--Susan Adams, senior editor at Forbes

Book Description:

A story of forbidden love. Zakia and Mohammad Ali are a modern day Romeo and Juliet. Two young Afghan lovers who defied their families risking their lives in order to be together.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperLuxe
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0062442163
• ISBN 13: 9780062442161
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 592