Как летят птиците : Моето бягство от Афганистан

by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller, Енжила Ахмади-Милър, Мария Демирева (Translator)

Емоционален и завладяващ мемоар за любовта и оцеляването – и за едно отдадено и отчаяно семейство, насилствено разделено от войната в Афганистан.

Преди съветското нахлуване в Афганистан през 1980 г. Енжила Ахмади-Милър си спомня родния си град Кабул като спокойно, процъфтяващо и изпълнено с живот място. Насред грохота на съветските танкове обаче семейството ѝ е разделено и прогонено от дома си, а родината ѝ е белязана от смърт и разруха.

Епичното бягство на малката Енжила и нейните братя и сестри започва в една ужасяваща нощ и продължава цели пет години. Докато преодоляват опасностите по пътя си към Индия, където ги чака майка им, Енжила открива духовната и физическата сила, които ѝ помагат да не изгуби надежда дори и в най-мрачните мигове.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, History, Middle East, War, Biography Memoir

330 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2019

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my February choice for the 'Amazon Prime first reads' and I chose it because I thought a first person account of escaping from Afghanistan at the time of the Russian invasion was sure to be interesting. Unfortunately I was a bit disappointed by the way in which the tale was delivered.

It's possible to write a great book about a not-so-interesting life but it's also (sadly) very easy to take a fascinating story and deliver it in such a bland way that it fails to hit the target. We learn at the end of the book that Enjeela doesn't seem to have written this herself so much as recounting it to some kind of ghost writer and it has a real 'ghosted' feel about it.

Sometimes the amount of detail is just too much to be credible for such a young child's memory. Other times, there's just not enough detail - weeks, months pass with absolutely nothing happening.

The life this woman lived as a young girl travelling overland with the help of some fabulously kind people is very interesting and surprisingly free from the kind of perils that a fiction writer would almost certainly have piled on top. I applaud the author and her ghost for not going too over the top on exaggeration. People are really kind, the money never seems to run out, nobody gets lost or raped or beaten or ........ all the other stuff that could so easily have happened.

But stylistically it'll take more than throwing in a few extracts of classical Islamic poets to up-grade this from a 'he-said-she-said-then-we-did-this' kind of book.

I wasn't very aware that Afghanistan had been quite a modern, progressive society before the Russian backed communists took over. This is a period that's received a lot less literary attention than the days of the Taliban, and for that it's well worth a read. It's very much a tale of a super-privileged family with plenty of money to fall back on, but that's not a bad thing.

Enjeela A-M has had a fascinating life. If she writes another book, I hope she'll pick a better ghost writer as this one doesn't seem to have done justice to her interesting story.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really feel like I was duped by this book. And I think it falls more in the category of fiction than memoir. Implausible is the best description that comes to mind. The reader is not told until the end that this was not written by Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller, but instead by a ghost writer. It quickly becomes apparent when you start reading that these are not the memories of a 7-10 year old. She never mentions how old she is as she escapes Afghanistan, but she does say that she was born in 1975, and the Soviet invasion began in 1979, and her and part of her family escape a few years after it starts. So I understand her to be about 7 when they escape. There is simply too much detail, and deep thinking about the state of the world to believe that a 7 year old child is sharing her memories. She describes in great detail the architecture of a building in Kathmandu. She is also very quick to claim she was the bravest and did all these amazing, daring things. Her mother and a few siblings left earlier, with passports, to India. She left later with her other siblings, but by a much more dangerous and challenging route, followed by her father months later. There are so many unanswered questions. Why didn’t they all get passports when the other half of her family did? Why didn’t they all leave together? She mentions, frequently, that they were very wealthy. Throughout the whole book Enjeela pats herself on the back for being so brave and daring, and for being the only true and kind one among her siblings. She really doesn’t seem to like her siblings. By the end, after they reach India, the only sibling that is ever mentioned is her youngest, Vida, who went earlier with their mother to India. What happened to all the others? What happened to her oldest sibling who married before the invasion? Enjeela is very self-centered, for all her bragging. She makes every effort to appear as the most humble and thoughtful, but it is clear early on that she is creating an image of herself. I am still baffled that this can be touted as a memoir. I am really disappointed in this book. There are so many true and heartfelt, actual

[Debbie Stark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, gripping, and heart-breaking! I only wish it was longer and told more details of their travel to and life in America.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her father worked for the American Embassy and also was the owner of several large properties. Her family lived in an upper class area of the city. Enjeela’s parents frequently entertained embassy staff, dignitaries, socially prominent people, and members of her large extended family.

However, Enjeela’s idyllic life was changed forever when the Soviet army invaded the country in 1980. Many prominent Afghanis suddenly began to leave the country. Enjeela’s father hoped to remain in his beloved country but as time passed, his position and standing in the community fell under suspicion by the government.

As political unrest and civil war intensified, Enjeela’s mother and two of her sisters suddenly left the country. Her mother needed medical treatment and travelled to India. The rest of the children remained in Kabul with their father until it no longer was safe for them to stay. Hoping to rejoin his wife and daughters, Enjeela’s father made plans to leave Afghanistan. But he was not able to acquire passports for himself and the rest of his children.

Thus began an incredible five year journey to escape to freedom. This enthralling story is told through the eyes of Enjeela who was nine years old when they left their homeland. Their journey was fraught with danger, and tested the limits of their physical, emotional, and spiritual endurance.

It was hard to put this book down! It’s a story of determination, desperation, love, family bonds, and survival. Enjeela has included a helpful map in the book which shows the circuitous route the family took to find freedom. This is an amazing story - well worth reading and very timely!

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been an Amazon Prime member for years now. However, it was only last month that I discovered their First Reads program where members can receive one free eBook each month out of a small selection. I'm increasingly interested in nonfiction and the premise here sounded adventurous and educational, so it's my first choice.

The Broken Circle tells the heartbreaking tale of an Afghan family forced to leave their motherland due to the Soviet invasion and socialist revolution. I'd consider myself mostly ignorant of the history and culture surrounding the Middle East, so it was surprising to learn about the modernity and relative progressiveness of Afghanistan before the devastation, at least in Kabul. I enjoyed the emotional narrative and uplifting perspective we're presented.

This story is odd in the way it's told. The accounting is simultaneously simplistic but evocative, sometimes vapid and other times thoroughly consuming. Even at their lowest points living in complete squalor where death could await around any corner, the family's privileged upbringing seems to permeate these pages. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that; they seem mostly wonderful, raised in an enviable lifestyle while maintaining a generous spirit. However, as the author herself admits, it increased their survivability where many others were less fortunate. While she doesn't shy away from highlighting injustices surrounding their journey, often times there appeared to be a lack of introspection regarding the turmoils faced by others, even her own siblings also engaged in shared hardships.

Some of the information presented seemed a bit dubious. It's established from the beginning that this is an affluent family, but how did the children seriously store and conceal enough money that allowed them to reside in a Pakistani hotel for months on end? They trekked miles over desert and mountain, through the mud, were completely submerged under water, caught in a battle, and encountered unsavory types along the way. The good fortune is either completely favorable happenstance or divine intervention.

Another fault in my view is the nature of this writer, meaning it's revealed to be a ghost writer providing the report of Enjeela. This adds weight to some of the uncertainty surrounding the truthfulness of events. Right from the first few chapters I found myself furrowing my brow with incredulity regarding the maturity and recollections of our author. My book says she was born in 1975, but the author's official website states 1976. Since the Soviets invaded at the end of 1979, that would put her at the age of 4 or 5 for these events, making large swathes of the story highly unrealistic.

Skepticism aside, I did enjoy this book. It's predominantly my doubts about the veracity of the account combined with a flat narrator voice keeping me from a higher rating. It's a breezy, enticing read that many will enjoy.

[Kaora · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should have liked this. But it read like fiction. The narrator at times sounds very young and naive and at others well past her age.

Instead of finding a story about surviving hardship and overcoming adversity, I found a story of a self centered young girl whose luck and money protected her from any hardships whatsoever other than having to live poorly for a few months.

We don't hear anything about the family she left behind or that she changed at all due to her ordeal and seeing how others live. Instead she happily moves on to spend her parents money on expensive clothes and treats with not a single thought towards the people she encountered.

Good thing this was free.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I appreciate Ahmadi-Miller sharing her story of escape from Afghanistan in the 1980s, I had a few issues with this memoir. As a child of about 10 years old from a wealthy Afghani family, she and three of her older siblings fled Kabul on foot during the Soviet invasion, crossing into Pakistan where they were reunited with their father. From there, the family eventually made its way to India where Ahmadi-Miller's mother and other siblings lived. (Side note: It was unclear to me how old Ahmadi-Miller and her siblings were during this period. 10 years old is probably the most she could have been and I have no idea how old her siblings were supposed to be. I wish she had been clearer about this though.)

Ahmadi-Miller's travels through war-torn Afghanistan exposed her to ways of life outside of Kabul that were drastically different from her own way of life; she is haunted in particular by one girl she meets in a village who was sold by her parents and married to a much older man at the age of 7. But there is a significant lack of reflection on the adult Ahmadi-Miller's part. She seems horrified that acts like this are commonplace in Afghanistan, yet seemingly has done nothing to help Afghani women and children who are caught up in this way of life. (This is particularly noteworthy because Ahmadi-Miller's family is very wealthy, and the author biography at the end of the memoir makes clear that she has become a very successful entrepreneur in her own right. Is any of that money going to helping Afghani women?)

Coupled with the lack of reflection, "The Broken Circle" felt laser focused on Ahmadi-Miller which bothered me as the narrative progressed. She never gives any of her siblings distinctive personalities, including the bother and two sisters she spends her journey with. She frequently shows the reader how brave and daring she is, seemingly in contrast to her siblings who come off as more like bodyguards for Ahmadi-Miller than anything else. When they arrive in India, Ahmadi-Miller recounts her reunion with her mother in such a way that it seems her mother cared only about her, while ignoring all of her other siblings. After a while, her story feels self-centered. Given that this is a memoir about family, I would have liked to know more about her siblings and how they were coping with their situation.

Finally, I think there was a missed opportunity with this memoir to show Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion. Ahmadi-Miller touches on this a bit in the first couple of chapters but only in the vaguest of terms. I'm assuming that this was written for an American audience, so most readers probably imagine Afghanistan as being very conservative socially and politically. Ahmadi-Miller clearly loves her birth country and I wish that she had spent more time showing readers what life in Kabul was like prior to the country's shift to communism.

[Jeanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's late 1979, the start of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Enjeela and her family had lived a privileged life. With the invasion, professionals were attacked, teachers killed, former livelihoods no longer available. Enjeela's father was a communication engineer with the US Embassy, who was fluent in seven languages. His life, their lives changed.

Shortly after the invasion, her mother and two sisters traveled from Kabul to New Delhi, India, so her mother could get heart surgery. Enjeela, five then, felt abandoned. Shortly thereafter, their father sent Enjeelah and three of her older siblings, the ones still in Kabul, to Peshawar, Afghanistan, 140 miles away, over the mountains. When they arrived, they spent about six months in a hotel, waiting for their father, surviving on milk and bread. As they had traveled without passports, they had difficulty getting permission to enter India.

The family, father and children, traveled to Bangladesh, then Nepal, before making it to New Delhi. They had walked, ridden mules, rode buses and trains, and flown by plane. They saw and experienced truly awful things – and also were treated very well by their network of wealthy friends. These were not typical immigrants.

The Broken Circle's story is an interesting and important one, but their story is one of what one can do with family – and money and wealthy friends. Ahmadi-Miller's emphasis on and fascination with clothing, chandeliers, food, and fun experienced during good times felt icky in the context of the rest of her story. Her reading of these sections, especially – at least I assume she was the narrator – felt oily. I read The Broken Circle as it was on a list of 50 best audiobooks on Kindle Unlimited. Apparently, my perspective on "best" differed from the compiler's.

I think I would have liked The Broken Circle more if Ahmadi-Miller's story had been reordered rather than following a strict chronological order (maybe some flashbacks?), and if she seemed to have learned from her experience (she did seem to be changed when traveling, but not when living in comfort).

[Kaylee Hartwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. There are 2 reasons I give it 4 instead of 5 stars. The first is that if you pay attention to the dates, it seems that Enjeela would have only been around 3 years old when the story started and maybe up to 7 when it ended. While some people can have memories from as young as 3, I would truly be surprised if she could remember as many specific details as were given in the book. There were many parts where it seemed that she rationalized, acted, and took in what was going on as an older child. It makes me question how much was made up or elaborated on for the story. Perhaps some details were filled in later by her parents and older siblings, but if that were the case, I'd liked for her to have acknowledged that. On that note, the other reason is that after the book was over, one of the last pages gives credit to a man she "worked with" in writing the book. He was not credited on the cover and that is information I'd like to know as I pick a book. Back to her specific memories from her youth, I then question how much was truth and how much was his artistic liberty with storytelling. Nevertheless, a well written, thought provoking book.

[Joan Buell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and touching memoir

This is a beautifully written account of life in Afghanistan before it became a Wharton country. Through the eyes of a five-year-old girl we see her comfortable life, in a large Muslim family in Kabul. Then democracy and peace are shattered, first with civil turmoil, and then by the invasion of the Russian army. Her security is rattled when her mother and 2 siblings leave for India. The remaining four children have to care for themselves, because their father, who works for the American embassy , is consumed with work and then seeks his own comfort in alcohol. Soviet tanks rumble down their street, and life is unsafe. Where is Mommy? Will she ever come back? Eventually Father arranges for a guide to smuggle the children to Pakistan. The account of this journey, and their subsequent wait in Pakistan for their father to follow is filled with vivid detail, pathos, and a near loss of hope. Little Enjeela has many sad experiences yet clings to the hope that they will one day be together again, and this hope is fulfilled.

[Madhulika Liddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Enjeela Ahmadi was still a couple of years short of starting school. Along with her father, who worked at the American embassy, her mother (who had a weak heart) and her seven siblings, Enjeela saw her pampered and secure life suddenly take a downturn. The Broken Circle, its title related to a poem about the perfection of a circle, is the story of how the Ahmadi family was forced to flee Afghanistan: of how, as a small child, Enjeela made her way, along with some members of her family, through Afghanistan, into Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and finally India, before leaving eventually for America.

This memoir is many things. For one, it's an insight into the Afghanistan of the early 80s: on the one hand, wealthy and Westernized (as is apparent by the life of the Ahmadis in Kabul); on the other, outright medieval, hide bound, orthodox (Mina is a case in point). It offers a glimpse of what the political situation was, not just in Afghanistan but even, to some extent, across the Indian subcontinent, at least when it came to the perception of Afghan refugees. Most of all, though, I found it an engrossing and sometimes hair-raising adventure as the Ahmadis made their way to freedom.

While this book was mostly very interesting, some things bothered me. Why was a child so small (she was still two years away from starting school) allowed to walk half an hour to an uncle's home all by herself (yes, she may have slipped out, but how come nobody was keeping an eye on her?) And - even more baffling - why did the adults get her to ferry uncomfortable messages to and fro; why was she entrusted the task of handing the ultimatum to her father to stop drinking?

Then, the way Mommy leaves, pretty much without explanation, without a proper goodbye, without seeming to care what her child feels and thinks... So heartless. And it's never explained why she behaved like that, though it's obvious that it gave the child many months (years?) of pain and uncertainty about her mother's feelings towards her.

Plus, all said and done, there is no mention of whether the Ahmadis ever realized how grateful they should have been that they were so very wealthy that they could bribe their way across the Indian subcontinent. That when a parent was around, they never knew want, and that said parents could afford to not work for several years - while living the high life (yes, I know what it costs to live in a bungalow in Greater Kailash). These people were obviously prosperous, but I sensed them taking that wealth for granted. Or not appreciating how lucky they were to have it, at any rate.

[Lesley Potts · Rating 2 out of 5]

Over the years, I’ve read a few books about Afghanistan: Eric Newby’s classic “ A Short Walk in the HinduKush,” the textile mystery “The Afghan Amulet,” and “The Kite Runner” which was also a very good movie. This book, which I fat fingered on my Kindle, presents a very different view of the goings on in that war torn, troubled country. The first two books I mention were written by foreigners who chose to explore the country before it became impossible to do so. The third book was fiction, describing the horrors occurring under the Taliban. This memoir, badly ghost written in my opinion, tells how, from the viewpoint of a kindergartner, a very wealthy family escaped from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. It could have been gripping. Instead, we read about the preoccupations of a small girl. I cannot deny that walking across the Hindu Kush as a refugee is a heart wrenching experience for anyone, let alone a child separated from her parents. However, there are so many unanswered questions that perplexed this reader. The family are very wealthy, yet somehow the mother sets up a fabulous residence in India and undergoes multiple surgeries, the other siblings are guided along a circuitous route across several countries by a trustworthy coyote and then stay in hotel for many months until their father rejoins them, he doesn’t work for several years and still they haven’t run out of savings. The biggest mystery after how they had so much money is why a “friend” the father hadn’t seen in a long while would spend three weeks finagling tickets, driving fruitlessly to various border crossings, and endure a beating trying to get them out of the country. And then, after a couple of years, as their options run out, the family moves to America, just like that.

I have my own theories as to how this all could come about and it would make for a much more interesting story.

[Hannah Yoo · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing:
- some of the sentences are similar to third grade writing whereas other sentences appear to be written by a more experienced writer.
- seems like the ghostwriter took some liberties with the details. it’s not credible that Enjeela would remember every little detail about every single aspect of her journey. even if she kept a journal as a child, that child journalist would not have documented everything.
- the writing makes for a choppy read. there’s no rhythm or flow.

The story:
- the author merely reports what happens in chronological order.
- here’s an opportunity to reflect as an adult on a past childhood experience, which is squandered.
- the child narrator doesn’t grow and we don’t see a transformation in her character. we only see a few sentences acknowledging that she had an epiphany that there were people much less fortunate than her.

[James Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragic true story with a happy ending. It brought tears to my eyes several times.

[Zohal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story but the plain writing made it hard to be engaged with the story.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This doesn't seem like the recollections of a very young girl, even one that had to grow up so fast. Her character sometimes seems young and naive, despite her experiences, and at other times she's far too mature in her internal musings. Also, despite what she and her family endured, the book falls flat and unemotional on a life-altering experience that had to be terrifying and exhausting, even for a small child who may have seen it as an adventure.

The children traveled for months – at one point she says it was two years from start to finish, although some of this time was spent in homes and hotels – with an escort but no parents for much of the worst. They must have seen and experienced truly awful things, but they were supported very generously by their network of rich friends. Although running for their lives, these were not typical refugees.

I was turned off by her fascination with clothing, food, and fancy decor – telling these parts of the tale with more detail and emphasis than the harrowing or horrifying parts that one would think would have made a stronger impact than what kind of rice was served.

I had hoped to hear much more of a typical immigrant story, but this is a plainly-told tale of immigrants with family, money, and wealthy friends.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

How the 1% survive as refugees..... This is certainly a compelling narrative of hardship, perseverance, and courage. The story is well-told and gripping, painting a vivid picture of Afghanistan and nearby countries in the 1980s. What was disconcerting is the lack of the author's substantive reflection or awareness on how incredibly privileged she was as a refugee. Her father seems to have an endless supply of money for hotels, trains, planes, food, clothes, bribes, etc--even when he isn't able to work for months or maybe years. While the author is moved by her encounter with Mina, she shows just passing concern for the plight of the vast majority of Afghanis who would not have gazillions of aghanis to spend on such a long and perilous journey. While reflecting on her journey near the end of the book (p. 230), she remembers almost disdainfully how she ate like "impoverished peasants." I would have liked to see more compassion and generosity toward those "impoverished peasants" -- those who couldn't afford to buy their way out. Maybe proceeds from the book could go to UN refugee resettlement? From her bio it looks like she has more than enough money....

[Dawn Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, beautiful book.

This book helped me understand Islam. It helped me understand a whole lot of things.

This is a true story, of a child fleeing Afghanistan. The strength of that child is tremendous. At an extremely young age, she chooses to love and to live without compromise.

Love this passage. A young girl has been sold into slavery, and is killed because she is caught playing, being a child.

I’d made a trade in that little place: my simple way of seeing the world, for Mina’s face, her vibrancy, her deep desire to see beyond her narrow life she’d been fated to, sold into slavery by her parents, into an anonymous existence. If she couldn’t leave with me, I wanted to live for her, for what she could have discovered.


The word building is incredible, even more incredible because it is utter reality. Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller manages to bring forth truth and beauty even as she pulls no punches and lays bare realities many of us couldn't face.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book by a woman from Afghanistan who escaped with her family in the 80s when the Soviets tried to take over. People who want to bash immigrants who try to leave their country illegally should read books like this, because there was no way this family was leaving without somebody getting killed. They spent months trying to escape through the rural countryside. Her family was wealthy, and they fared better than most Afghans in that time period. She had some interesting observations on comparing her progressive upbringing in Kabul with how poor Afghans lived in the countryside and their oppression of women. She has an interesting story.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging + Enlightening

I read this quickly and was very interested in this true story about immigration and being a political refugee. The topic is, of course, very relevant at this point in our own American history as we struggle to come to a new chapter in how the USA grapples with border security, a need for capable workers, and our history as a welcoming country for refugees.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Книжка мені дуже сподобалась. Вона відповідає майже всім моїм вимогам до книжки: захоплива - за першої ж можливості поспішаєш продовжити читання; про реальні події - показує події в Афганістані під час радянсько-афганської війни з афганського боку (я бачила їх з радянського боку, це тим більш цікаво); дає можливість дізнатись багато нового про людей і їхній спосіб життя, краще зрозуміти їхню іншість; читається легко. Чому "майже"? Це вже дитяче - хочеться знати, що буде далі, а автори беруть і закінчують книжку! :)

[JG (Introverted Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second-youngest of eight children, Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller began life in a progressive Afghanistan. Women worked outside the home and wore whatever they chose. Her father worked at the US Embassy and life was good.

Then the Soviet tanks rolled into Kabul. Enjeela's family was torn apart. Her mother fled the country with three of her children; Enjeela's father chose to stay in Afghanistan with the others. Eventually, even her patriotic father had to admit that conditions were too bad to remain in the country. He hired a guard to help Enjeela and her siblings across the border while he stayed behind. Enjeela shares her family's long fight to be reunited in this memoir.

Hmmm. It's hard to write reviews of memoirs that don't exactly work for you, isn't it? I don't want to discount someone else's life experiences. But I personally felt there were some serious issues with the writing.

Enjeela and her family experienced a terrifying journey when they left Afghanistan. They had nothing with them except the clothes on their backs and the money hidden in their shoes. They had to cross war zones, towering mountains, and international borders without proper documentation. I respect their journey and can't even begin to fathom the fear and the hardships they faced.

But the amount of detail that Enjeela shares stretches credulity. She was born in 1975 and the Soviets invaded in late 1979, so she was four years old at that point. Yet she waxes philosophical about her country when she sees the tanks. The timeline gets very fuzzy from there. The journey took literally years and ultimately culminated with her immigration to the United States in 1986, at the age of ten or eleven. So we've got an awful lot of detail for someone who was between four and eleven years old. Maybe the stress and terrifying experiences left details etched in her mind or maybe she's incorporating stories she's heard older family members share. Maybe the ghost writer wanted to add more "exciting" details to someone's childhood recollections. Or maybe I'm just too skeptical.

There were more things that just didn't feel right. Enjeela is very much the leader in any decisions she and her siblings make together, despite being the youngest child in her traveling group. And then most of her siblings all but disappear from the narrative once they reach India. There are moments of very introspective, insightful reflection along the journey, and they're presented as memories of Enjeela's thoughts at the time. They just didn't ring true as the thoughts of a child of her age. Maybe they're simply Enjeela's thoughts now as an adult but it was jarring to read these words from the perspective of a child.

Again, I am not discounting the actual journey this family undertook by any means. I hope I would have even half their strength and fortitude if I ever found myself in a similar situation (heaven forbid). I just feel that the author may have been a bit too young during these events to complete an entire memoir. A novel based on her and her family's experiences with an afterward sharing their personal story may have been a better choice.

[Nada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you @amazonpublishing for sending me a free copy in exchange for a review.

The Deets: Set in Kabul, Afghanistan, we follow the story of Enjeela Ahmandi’s five-year journey of escape to India to be reunited with her mother and the rest of her siblings.

A memoir telling the story about survival, self-discovery, and war.

Just my thoughts: It started out fairly well. The story was told through the eyes of five-year-old Enjeela where she had that perfect family and childhood. In came the war, and shattered the life that she has known.

I haven’t ever read a memoir before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I loved reading about Afghanistan, their culture, the family bonding, and this book spoke details about that.

As I have read lots of books about war, there was nothing new with this one. But then again, usually I find that every book talking about war experiences are typically just the same. The whole idea of being a refugee, being forced out of your country to find a safer place. Surviving the war but leaving some kind of mark that would forever be remembered.

It did have a unique vibe though, and Enjeela was the youngest I have ever read for experiencing the brutality of the war. Especially the idea of her getting separated from her parents at such a young age.

I also loved how strong she was, her personality and I can't help but admire her.

All in favor, should I say Aye? I would say pick it up. It’s worth the read especially if you are a fan of books about war and the Middle East.

Do you have space on your shelf? I’d say burrow. Make up your mind about it first before purchasing it.

[Michelle MM · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a journey! Hard to imagine the life of a refugee fleeing Afghanistan in the 80s, and knowing that a lot of women/children are in the same situation today.

A way of getting to know the beautiful Afghanistan of before, and what happened decades ago that lead up to where the country is today.

I do have to say that I still have a lot of questions and would have loved to read more on the perspective of her siblings and/or parents

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is hard to imagine what people go through to just to have a chance at happiness and a “normal life”. The strength human spirit is an amazing gift that we should all embrace.

[Thelma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a trues story, the story of Enjeela Ahmadi-Miller her story was heartbreaking in so many ways, it was really raw and vivid and we could feel the angst each character was experiencing at all times.

I really didn't know much about Afghanistan before just what we usually see on the news and sometimes in a few conversations I had in the past with my father but I never knew how was like it before the war, before the Russian invasion.

The Broken Circle is the story of a family who is trying to survive all these awful changes that are practically ripping apart many families and making their country into something it wasn't.
The people of Afghanistan had different beliefs and traditions many were very empathic, kind, and lovable but the new regime changes everything even the textbooks in school trying to make all men angry with the world. they even change the religion making people angrier beside kinder.

The broken circle is the story of Enjeela Ahmadi, a beautiful young lady who narrates every single change and burden they had to endure to be able to finally live in peace.. when the Russian regimen arrive her family had to escape and find a way to survive in another country. after many years, of separation and many terrible situations, Enjeela finally meets her family this time it is forever.

One of the things that I had a very hard time with, was when Enjeela mother left, I never understood why she wasn't caring and loving with Enjeela, she only wanted someone to care and shower her with affection, I felt her sadness and her low self-esteem when things like that happened to her

What I love about this book is to see the change in Enjeela, you can definitely see how much she has changed when they arrive in India, as she no longer wants to spend her time and money in vanities, she has suffered a lot and now she knows the value of things especially the value of her family.

so many things to learn about other countries that news keep showing as if they really were nothing but dust and guns, it was beautiful to know more about a country that has been very misunderstood, I wish many of us knew how beautiful Afghanistan was before the invaders arrive (The invaders are always the ones who destroy the beauty of our countries, people and tradition)

I want to send all my love and admirations to Enjeela thank you for showing us your strength and determination with your words.

I really recommend reading this book it was a nice journey even if it was sad at times.

[Sonam Nagpal · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good memoir but sadly lacking much depth.

The first few pages of this memoir mesmerised me, for I was born in late 1980s and have only known Afghanistan as a war zone unfortunately. Thus, it was eye-opening to read details of a pre-war era Afghanistan. I was amazed by how much advanced it was then in terms of freedom, education and women rights as opposed to now when radicals have literally destroyed this culture. It's so sad that their people have had to bear this war since decades now.

Enjeela and her family then belonged to a wealthy family, and thus were able to procure resources by hook or by crook to ultimately escape their homeland at the peak of the war and create a new life for themselves. Their journey was a treacherous one, with half of the family separated from the other half already in India due to personal reasons in the beginning, and thus, the other half, including Enjeela, had to take months of journey on foot via Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal to reach India to unite with the family and escape the death and war.

Despite the strong story, the writing isn't a strong part in this memoir. This book is memories of Enjeela as a child, but written by a grown adult now, and yet, it still reads as written by a child. It's naive; lacking depth, too detailed at times and sudden subject changes at others. It's not as gripping as it could have been, had it been better written.
It's something that'll give you a lot to think about while you're reading the book, but won't last long with you once you're done with it!

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

From a privileged childhood in a wealthy household in Kabul the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan in late 1979 drives Enjeela Ahmadi and three of her siblings out of their country into danger and hardship on a five-year odyssey across several borders to reunite with the rest of their family. The story itself is gripping, though the writing makes it obvious that this was ghost-written as a lot of the details are simply not believable as the memories of a young child set down decades later. A lot of questions remain unanswered.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

The top review for this book on Goodreads, by someone named Barbara, absolutely nailed my thoughts about this book. I know nothing about Enjeela, and a quick Google search told me very little. I'm sure she exists but that's about all I can say for certain. 1 pair of jeans and one headshot seem to be the only tangible thing about her. This is an incredible story - I just wanted to be able to ground this in reality better, and I can't, it's over the top in places.

Please, go read "Home: a Refugee story" if you want a heartfelt, realistic survivor story against all of the odds. I think you'll get more out of that than this one.

[OjoAusana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoyed reading this book! What amazing things to go through in life, especially as a child. Unlike other memoirs ive read this book had a nice time frame and didnt speed through or drag out anything that was unnecessary as well.