In the Land of Blue Burqas

by Kate McCord

“I lived in Afghanistan for five years. I learned the rules – I had to.”

Riveting and fast paced, In the Land of Blue Burqas depicts sharing the love and truth of Christ with women living in Afghanistan, which has been called "the world's most dangerous country in which to be born a woman." 

These stories are honest and true. The harsh reality of their lives is not sugar-coated, and that adds to the impact of this book. Through storytelling, the author shows how people who don't know Christ come to see Him, His truth, and His beauty. The stories provide insight into how a Jesus-follower brought Jesus' teachings of the Kingdom of God to Afghanistan. They reveal the splendor of Christ, the desire of human hearts, and that precious instance where the two meet.All of the names ofthose involved—including Kate's—plus the locations have been changed to protect the participants.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Biography, Memoir, Islam, Book Club, Middle East

314 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2012

About the author

I lived and worked in Afghanistan for years. And yes, I wrote about that. Sometimes I publish collections of short stories. I love writing and recording them. I do a fair bit of live storytelling, too. That's pure fun!

Reviews

[Becky Hintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally cannot think of anyone to whom I would not recommend this book. No matter your background, the author's relationships with the hidden women of Afghanistan will make you reexamine the ways you live and think. She is deeply compassionate, insightful, and above all, careful, and this is why I commend her writing so heartily.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate McCord (not the author's real name) has written an interesting account of her 5 years of living and working with the women of Afghanistan. She is there with an unnamed non-profit organization, not as a missionary, but the story is a story of her Christian faith and how she does witness in a subtle way to the women she meets during her stay. The marked contrast between Islam and Christianity is evident as is the love and compassion she has for the women whom she calls friends. I truly admire how she was able to take a deep breath, step back and answer the questions posed to her without losing her temper or offending the faith of the country. God's grace is in her speech. She leaves when it is no longer safe for her to stay. This is a must read for those of us who stuggle with trying to understand what is going on in that part of the world and who wonder is there a common ground between these faiths.

[Micaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight to read. I didn't want to put it down. The author's insight into Afghani culture demonstrates humility, patience and perseverance. Her ability to demonstrate God's love in meaningful ways and to bring the Biblical messages to life for her Afghani friends and colleagues has challenged me to reframe how I present God's love to my neighbours in the Arab world.

[Anna Mussmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Land of Blue Burqas is a fascinating memoir about living among the people of Afghanistan. The author spent years working for an NGO soon after the fall of the Taliban. With great respect and affection, she shows how she learned to communicate with people whose worldview was hugely different from her own. Her book provides a window into the way ordinary Afghans, guided by local versions of Islamic culture, think and live.

Sometimes Americans have difficulty realizing other people embrace principles fundamentally different from our own. This leads us into the trap of believing we can “fix” other societies with material goods and a few lectures on how to become tolerant and egalitarian. This book demonstrates how foolish that mindset is. It humanizes the ordinary people who believe things our culture finds anathema while simultaneously showing the tragic toll of a cultural reliance on vengeance and enforced conformity.

The author’s own position in Afghanistan was tenuous--some saw her as a threat because she represented alternative ways to think and live. Afghan friends told her about debates in the local mosque about whether she should be kidnapped or targeted with rockets. Community leaders decided to hold off on violence but to wait and watch--if anyone who worked with her converted to Christianity, they would act against her.

Despite that, much of the book is about the way she shared Christian concepts with Afghans in terms they could accept. Frequently citing The Quran and the teachings of “The Honorable Jesus,” she encouraged Muslims to think of God as a loving father rather than simply a master who requires obedience. She also communicated the idea that forgiveness is beautiful, and suggested that people should pray spontaneously for everyday needs.

In some ways, this actually left me a little uncomfortable. Although she was open about her own faith (I especially liked the way she explained the Trinity to an audience who had never heard it accurately described before), she also seems to feel no concern about speaking as if Allah and the Christian God are the same. She refers to “the God-created human spirit that longs to live as God created it,” and implies that all people benefit from living according to Christian precepts regardless of their religion. And. . . I'm sure that's true in a civil sense, but it left me thinking of Christ’s statement that “no man comes to the father but through me” and wondering if this approach risks muddying one's spiritual witness.

She was not an official missionary, and direct proselytizing would have made her job impossible. Yet I wonder if the choice to discuss theology within a Muslim framework was entirely beneficial to her audience. Would it have been better to stick with explaining her own beliefs in Christian terms? It’s a thought-provoking question. Western culture is becoming increasingly ignorant of Christianity, and western Christians will be increasingly forced to ponder similar questions about how we can witness to our own neighbors.

Again, a fascinating book. The style is highly readable and engaging.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

“In the Land of the Blue Burqas” is both gripping & (a word I have never used in reviewing a book) beautiful. It is also one of the most haunting & unforgettable books I've read

This book is the story of an American woman who goes to Afghanistan to work with the locals & to share her faith by words & deeds, especially with Muslim women. She really captures the thinking & worldview of the people as well; taking us inside Afghanistan & inside Afghan's hearts & culture.

This book also describes the incredibly vast cultural divide between Afghans & Americans. The differences on every level are so profound I could not possibly have imagined them until I saw them through the eyes of the author.

So how does a Western woman adapt in a culture where women have no rights whatsoever? How does a person respect an exclusive, all-pervading religion while maintaining their own faith in a different religion, a religion that is perceived as inferior if not downright threatening?
What Kate does in her book is take one tricky issue at a time & recount stories as well as actual dialogues that she had with her friends (& enemies) in this foreign land about that particular issue.

Kate's experiences are shared in such a way that you feel as if you are in the stories. But best of all is the manner in which she dissects Muslim culture & thought. We also are given her thought processes as she tries to clearly communicate the truth of Jesus

One of the great truths stressed over & over by the author is that that we are like the one we follow.

[Maureen Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read! The author (whose actual name is being protected) spent five years living in Afghanistan to help and minister to the women there, and this book covers many of her experiences. As she carefully and cautiously spoke of the Honorable Jesus to others - knowing she could be arrested for trying to convert others, and if anyone else converted they, too, could be arrested or worse - she reminded herself and the reader of the many differences between the loving God of the Bible and the vengeful, angry and unknowable one in the Koran. The plight of women in the Afghan culture is tragic, making me wonder why there seems to be no objections or support from Muslims living in other, more modern cultures. The only disappointment with the book for me was that the writing was sometimes repetitive, but otherwise I recommend reading about her fascinating observations and experiences.

[Jim Robles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me be clear here: I do not believe what the author believes. That does not mean that she does not have a story that contains (some more than significant) truth. A very different, and I think quite valuable, window into Islam (as currently instantiated), and a splendid example of qualitative research.

It is also a window into the mind of a "Believer," who is living the life her belief dictates.

The analysis (Chapter 16) of what (culture) must change for things to get better in Afghanistan to change is spot on.

The fifty-sixth book I have finished this year.

p. 10. Virtually all Afghan men, completely unashamed, stared at me wherever I went - another price of being a foreign woman in Afghanistan.

The is consistent with what I have seen in a number of trips to Turkey, with the caveat that it not so much "a foreign woman" as much as a non-traditionally dressed woman. The (traditional) culture does not seem to require any restraint from men in this area. What I have seem can be appallingly bulling.

p. 12. There's no place in Afghanistan for an independent, unmarried adult woman.

p. 22. "Iran was free - modern and free."

p. 66. Another man explained that the Muslim armies of Armageddon will march on Israel, utterly destroy it, and kill all the Jews on face of the earth.

p. 71. "No, we must destroy Israel. And when we are strong enough, we will. Allah hates Jews. He has commanded us to kill them." (see p. 83 also).

p. 72. "Muslims are commanded to destroy the Jews. The Holy Quran is the final word of God. All Muslims must obey its commands."

p. 74. Jesus didn't send His students out to destroy those who would not convert. That was never his way.

Rampant tribalism is apparent p. 88 - 92. p. 291 - 292, 303.

p. 100. People become followers of Jesus when they both hear the gospel and receive, from God, the faith to believe. (Also p. 213)

p. 106. I agree that God has no needs, but He still loves.

p. 118. "God knew I wouldn't be good enough, but He still loves me, all of us, and wants us to come to heaven, so He sent Jesus to help us." . . . "He gave me faith to believe in Him.

O.K. God loves all of us. He wants all of us to come to heaven. He gives some of us faith. The others . . . .

Beatings, rape and murder for sending girls to school on p. 124 and 125. More on girls in school on p. 196.

p. 130. For Afghans, a story speaks far more powerfully than some reasoned explanation.

No doubt this reflects the authors experience and worldview, but I find it a disturbing statement. Stories speak powerfully to all of us. Aristotle told us that poets seek, and tell. higher truths than do historians who record mere facts. We are all imagio dei, created in God's image as rational beings. The p. 130 statement denies Afghans this fundamental humanity. Perhaps "people in less developed cultures," but not "Afghans." Also as the author points out she was not telling a story, but rather using an analogy which just puts her statement even farther off target.

p. 151. Everyone I knew in Afghanistan said the cartoonist should be killed because he had insulted the Profit.

p. 161. In Mazar-i-Sharif an angry mob attached the UN establishment and brutally killed seven foreigners including several Nepalese Ghurkas.

p. 169. He said, "If one man is permitted to become a Christian, then all Afghans will become Christian, and we will no longer be a Muslim nation."

This sound very my like Spain in the 1500s and earlier.

p. 183. . . . in Afghanistan, the influences that cause or encourage a persons to do what the society defines as wrong are the real sin, not the person who actually does the wrong.

p. 199. We are responsible for how we respond to temptations.

p. 219. In Afghanistan, kidnapping is the third most lucrative economic activity, just behind opium and stealing or embezzling foreign development money.

p. 228. The source for most was the neighborhood mullah himself. (p. 231)

p. 243. Allah is too great, too far away, too transcendent to be viewed as father.

p. 271 - 272. Be-namaz is the word used to describe the week when a woman is ceremonially unclean. She can neither fast nor pray during those days because Allah won't accept her devotion.

p. 273. The truth is when we've lived long enough, we know the pain and disappointment of loving people who go the wrong way, get themselves lost, and do things that destroy themselves or others.

p. 278. The truth is that in Afghanistan most drugs, even those sold in pharmacies with prescriptions, are counterfeit.

p. 291. Her experience, in just one week in America, proved she had been completely wrong.

p. 300. Until Afghans change their way of thinking - the stories they tell about themselves, their neighbors, and their God - they will not change their country.

p. 302. The teachings of Jesus challenge virtually every aspect of the culture, and many Afghans object vehemently to that kind of influence, regardless of its benefits.

p. 304. Confirming truth in another's heart belongs to God alone.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I hadn't gone into this book expecting a novel (a la Kite Runner or some such), it would have been helpful. As it was, it took me over 100 pages to come to terms with the fact that this book is, essentially, a devotional. As such, it was very interesting. The pseudonymous author shares tales of her five-year experience living in Afghanistan. Her stories are grouped into themes which address some aspect of God or faith, comparing her Protestant view to that of her Muslim neighbors. Each chapter left me feeling the need to mull things over in my mind before moving on, hence the devotional quality.

For a while, I tried to decide if this book could have been written differently: it often feels like it jumps from one story to another, interrupting itself to give flashbacks or other background information to flesh out the tales. In the end, I think the author's purpose was, largely, devotional; she could have written a novel-type memoir, but that was not her purpose. As it is, I think this is a book I will come back to and reread in six months or a year...and perhaps again thereafter.

[James Warfe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested by the premise of this book - the experience of a western woman interacting with Afghan women behind closed doors. Unfortunately the heavy focus on the author's Christian religion and faith was the main storyline through this novel.

As a non-believer I pushed through because it's important to sometimes read things that are outside your area of interest, and the explanation of the differences in her faith to that of the Muslim women she worked with, and experiences she had, was interesting.

However the constant focus on her faith as opposed to deeper exploration of the women's lives she was interacting with was lost on me. I'm not surprised she needs a protective pseudonym, as the hardline mullahs would well think she was on a mission of conversion given this story.

A tough read if you're not of the same thinking as the author.

[Dodi Antunes · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good. Not only an engaging missionary biography but also an easy to understand insight into Islam and Muslim culture. Told through stories and parables from the Bible in a way that reached her Afghan neighbours, I found hope and excitement in the prospect of reaching Muslims with the love of Jesus and the truth in his gospel. I am encouraged and inspired by her account of living in such a different culture than her own, how she dealt with hard times and loneliness, and how she kept looking to God and finding refreshment and strength to keep on going. I recommend this book to anyone even remotely aware of the issues and fears of our present day culture clashes, crises and desperate need of loving ones neighbour.

[Carol Goodpaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This account of an American humanitarian worker shares her 5-year experience of living in Afghanistan, learning the language and culture, and sharing her Christian faith with the Muslim men and women she met. Writing under a pseudonym, McCord shares insights she learned about the Muslim view of Allah, judgment, marriage, and prayer. She also shares how she used Afghan metaphors to illustrate her Christian beliefs to the Afghans she met. Honestly and transparently written with simple words to illustrate philosophical/religious truths.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot about islamic cultures in this book. The author wrote with love and compassion about these people, and she wrote about them as she saw them: as individuals and fellow human beings all equally loved by God and worthy of our love. Their way of thinking is so different than western cultures, and it is good to realize that before making assumptions about how we think they should respond to help from the West.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT!!! I have a better appreciation for how women in Afghanistan live. I enjoyed reading the stories Kate told to the people who are Muslim about the Honorable Jesus and opened up their eyes to God and the Bible's teachings. Very good book.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is fitting that I finished this on the International Day of Women. This book celebrates the strength of women-physical, spiritual, and emotional. It also celebrates God's love for women and the high value He places on them.

I was only a few chapters in when I decided this would be required reading for all my children at some point in their schooling. I've also recommended it to just about everyone I've talked to in the last week. The author describes her five-year sojourn in Afghanistan with compassion, grace, and a little humor--just wait for the description of the old woman asking for "good drugs." Each chapter is arranged around a topic that came up in her conversations while working as a project manager for an unnamed organization. These topics range from why she should be married to a Muslim to how to explain forgiveness in a culture that doesn't forgive. She discusses prayer, fasting, and other requirements of Islam and how Christ's example compares to Mohammad's. And she does it all with an emphasis on the Biblical stories, not American ideals. When she talks about marriage (she is single), it is the Bible she examines, not American culture. When she thinks about dress and covering, she attempts to drill down into Scripture, not Western culture. I often wonder how I would fare as a missionary and how I would answer questions in a way to be faithful to God first, not trying to import American culture instead of Christianity. This book would be my text book, a model of how to show and talk about Christ.

[Mayda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an account of a Christian woman from the USA who spent five years in Afghanistan, working on projects to help the people there, but most of the book focuses on her informal meetings with Afghan women. Their situation is heartbreaking. And while the men there secretly, forcefully and always tried to convert her and make her a Muslim, she could say nothing about becoming a Christian, except for what it means to her and how she follows the Honorable Jesus, as she usually refers to him. The stories that the author tells of women who live in Afghanistan are eye-opening and hard to believe. For instance, a man is considered to be quite a good husband, if he doesn’t beat his wife too much. The trials and stresses of everyday life that the women endure are bad enough, but the fact that they have little or no say in the things that affect them is hard to comprehend. That Kate McCord dealt with these hardships and saw the injustices first hand, day after day, must have been hard to bear. Yet, her faith in Jesus never wavered, her reason for being there at that time never questioned. Only when it became clear that to stay any longer meant certain death did she leave. This book is an informative and quick read about a culture and a religion that many of us know little about. The story is fascinating yet frustrating, and the author is to be admired for her courage in first living and then telling us this story.

[Deborah Maganza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I admit it. I judged a book by it's cover. And all that I thought of the cover was exactly what was inside. It was stark, foreign, ancient, scary, simple, primitive and beautiful.

The author spent 5 years working in Afghanistan. She learned the language and worked along side all kinds of Afghans. Being a woman, she spent most of her time with women, and spent most of her resources trying to help them and their children. As a Christian she had to be careful and yet was able to find many creative ways to communicate the words of the "Honorable Jesus" into her many conversations, being ever mindful not to offend but to find common ground, not in Islam but in the gospels which Islam claims to acknowledge as truth but does not teach.

I learned a lot about the culture and about Islam at the practical level. I admire the author for her discipline, resolve and courage. Although she was rarely able to share the gospel outright, I believe God will use her seeds of stories of the Honorable Jesus, her generosity and her love for her neighbors for years to come.

[Thaddaeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kate McCord's honest depiction of her life as a cross-cultural worker.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wonders what it is like to live and work cross-culturally in the developing world, and in the Muslim world in particular.

The author did a good job of inviting into the homes and minds of the Afghans. We get to view the world through their eyes and some of their perspectives are surprising and even disconcerting. However, the Afghan people are not demonized; on the contrary, their world is explained in such a way as to clarify why their views are internally consistent, even if they are wildly different than those in the West, and with Christians in particular.

I was particularly struck by the hope the author has for real redemption and positive transformation, even as she diagnosis quite a few of the problems with seeing that hope come to fruition.

The book stretched my categories and encouraged me to think, pray, and act.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly admire the woman who lived and wrote this. She gave up her life in America and moved to Afghanistan and worked for a Non-Government Organization (NGO)to help Afghanistan women and families. She lived among the people, not in a protected compound, and became friends with them, honored their culture, learned their language, and became welcome in their homes. She writes here not about her life day to day, but about how she shared her faith and taught about Jesus and Christianity in a way that honored rather than condemned their Muslim faith and culture, thereby, influencing the thinking of those she touched, just as they touched her. Her story helps the reader have a more complete understanding of the Muslim faith and its total influence in Afghanistan and of the major differences in comparison to our privileged way of life, Christianity, and our blessed freedom of religion. For me, it deepened my faith. I look forward to the conversations in our book club about this book.

[Jamie Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible! Such a powerful story a single Christian woman missionary in Afghanistan. Really shows the beauty of Jesus Christ and how radically different his message is as oppossed to Allah and Mohammed. The story is beautifully crafted, emotive and really helps you feel for the people she was talking to. Must read.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an eye-opening look into the lives of Muslim people, specifically women in Afghanistan. I loved the way the author engaged the people she met with gospel stories. Really beautiful.

[Jocelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this book and it has greatly expanded my very limited understanding of the Afghan people. I was moved and blessed to read this book!!

[Bryanna Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot speak highly enough about this book! It is an encouragement to your faith as a believer and truly shines a light on the love the Lord has for the people of Afghanistan. The author beautifully and humbly shares her experiences sharing Jesus with the people of Afghanistan through storytelling while teaching the reader a context likely foreign to their own. Grab a copy and read about how the Lord working in this unreached area of the world!

[Mckenna Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected it to be. I thought it would be the typical missionary story/ memoir, but it was way more unique than that. McCord writes a book about the conversations she had with Afghans & simply that. Yet, this book is a beautiful telling of the gospel, missionary life among a difficult people, her leanings of middle eastern life & how Islam interacts with culture. This book taught me a lot- mostly about how to have difficult conversations & the importance of prayer when you are constantly confronted by difficult conversations. McCord is constantly comparing Jesus & Mohammad/ Christianity & Islam in such an enlightening way. I was not expecting to learning so much. McCord is obviously humble, not interested in gaining glory from her adventures but rather displaying the beauty of Jesus in one of the world’s darkest country. Highly recommend.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Kate McCord (a protective pseudonym), experiences the call of God to leave her comfortable life, sell everything, and travel to Afghanistan. Immersing herself into their culture and learning their language, she sets out to share the love of Jesus, and to empower Afghan women in the midst of their often oppressive culture. In The Land of Blue Burqas recounts her experiences over a five year period as she encounters both women and men in Afghanistan, hears their stories, and demonstrates how the radical message of Jesus can bring the Kingdom of God to the people of Afghanistan.

This is one of those books that you shouldn't open unless you plan on getting hooked from the first page. Within a few sentences, the author recreates the world she experienced until you feel like you are sitting there beside her, tasting the danger in the air as she moves throughout the land as a foreigner, as a woman, and as a follower of Jesus. Her tale is utterly intriguing, a powerful account of someone who is radically obedient to God's call on her life, and who finds herself in the midst of a culture where she loves the people too much to allow them to continue living without knowledge of what Jesus offers. What I most appreciate about this story is that the author doesn't come across as being judgmental, but just as sharing the facts of what she encountered, the good and the bad. Her love for the Afghani people is clear despite the fact that she is describing some terribly oppressive conditions of the people at the same time. It would be difficult to read this book and not come to have the same ache in our hearts for the condition of the people in Afghanistan. I agree with the author that "As long as Afphans understand God as a judge who only loves the obedient, they will never genuinely love one another. They'll never free one another to become the unique individuals God has created them to be". Although we may not read this story and feel called to Afghanistan ourselves (though some may!), this book allows us a glimpse into the heart of the people of Afghanistans and sounds a call for us to join in praying for freedom for the men and women and children who live there, the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus loves them unconditionally.

Entertaining books like this one, that are also true stories as well, are simply the best kind to read. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book. You will find it time well spent. 5 out of 5 stars.

A copy of the book has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Moody, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

[NinaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I have been an expat for 20+ years and found myself agreeing with so many things the author described on how to reach out to a people group of a different culture. Of course, my experience is far less demanding and dangerous than hers in a country hostile to women and non-Muslims, but the goal is the same.

In order to reach a nation with your message, you need to understand how their culture works, their history and its influence to today, their religious beliefs and accepted traditions. I appreciate how the author delicately maneuvered her way through and sacrificially gave of herself to the Afghan people. I love her determination, sensitivity and wisdom in this environment so different from her upbringing. This book should be ready by everyone who plans to work in a country different from their own.

Some things I learned from this book/author:
- She didn’t emphasize number of conversion, but rather the planting of seeds.

- I like that she answered spiritual questions with parables.

- The Afghans were shocked to find out how small Israel is. It’s shocking to me that they believe no Jew, even converted to Islam, could ever be saved. *I need to do more research on this.

- Islam has 99 names for Allah, but not one is Love because it implies need (love has to have an object). I read somewhere else that you don’t describe what Allah is like, but rather what he is not.

- The Mullah has so much power, both politically and spiritually.

- Afghanistan is most likely very similar to what life was like during Jesus’s time. His teachings truly were counter cultural and shocking.

- I like her def of forgiveness. It’s looking evil square in the eye and saying, “I forgive that evil act.” It is true freedom!

- It takes a lot of wisdom to help the poor.

- It takes skill to differentiate between my faith and my being an American in their eyes.

My thoughts after reading this book:

- What can Westerners do to alleviate the suffering of the women in these nations who oppress them?

- When there’s no more conversation, it results in the fall of the culture.

- This is a good study how worldviews affect lives, community, whole nation.

- We are spoiled for having the luxury of formulating our precise theology. What it must be like there? How do the views of Christians in Islamic nations on certain issues, e.g., women preaching and spiritual gifts, affect or not affect their everyday life? There’s so very few of them that they would band themselves together with anyone who denounces Islamic teaching.

[Cathy Holland Frueh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished and don't know how to "rate" it. It's a VERY good, thought-provoking book, but it's a very sad book, for me. The author is not sad, she loves the Lord and found her five years in Afghanistan very moving and worthwhile. She loves the Afghan people deeply. I've had a hard time comprehending my sadness from this book. The author helped me sum it up in the last chapter: Saying Good-bye. "We Westerners want to believe that if we can partner with Afghans to rebuild their infrastructure, create a space for legal businesses, build schools and hospitals, then somehow the country will find real peace. (skipping ahead) The problems in Afghanistan run much deeper than the Taliban, corruption, or education issues. Those are only symptoms of a nation built on sand. Until Afghans CHANGE THEIR WAY OF THINKING-the stories they tell about themselves, their neighbors, AND THEIR GOD-they will not change their country." We have our culture AND our religion...their culture IS their religion...and it is one based on OBEDIENCE to a god who only loves you when you are OBEDIENT to the rules, and hates you when you don't. No forgiveness, no loving Father who cares for you, and no acceptance of religion other than being a Muslim. I thank God she survived five years there, even when "strangers came to the town Mosque and demanded she be turned over to them, or fire rockets on her home". One thing I learned, the stupid sentiment some Americans have of "they hate us because of what we've done" is SO NOT TRUE! Their whole history is filled with violence because their religion does not call for forgiveness and love your neighbor. They killed each other before we knew them, they continue to do so...and that is some of what makes me so sad. So many are dying/have died, and the seeds of love sown seem so abysmally small to effect change. But my God is bigger than my sadness and fear. She writes, "God is speaking to Afghans. He speaks through dreams and visions, through the stories of His children, and He whispers directly into the hearts of people He has loved from the foundation of the earth. God has given so many Afghans both a hunger for God and a longing for the love, joy, and peace that only His kingdom can provide." I pray for my doubting self to believe in that. I encourage everyone to read this book.

[Sc2424 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This excellent book, written by (pseudonym) Kate McCord, is an accounting of an American Christian woman's work in Afghanistan as she lived in the country and ran a NGO (nongovernmental organization) to provide humanitarian aid within the country.

This book is wonderful. The author tells about many interactions she had with the Afghan people, men and women. She speaks about how she had to live/dress/act in order to function safely within the country. Things we would not know, nor ever even imagine. The author explains many aspects of Islam and how interwoven and formative it is to Afghan society.

The lives of the women were so different from our lives in America; so filled with sadness, fear, despair, violence, dictated by male family members and their interpretation of their holy book. The author, from America, formed relationships of differing lengths with so many women and interacted with them. She listened and she talked. So many times when she was asked about how certain things are done in America she changed the conversation with her answer, not about how things are done in the US, but rather how God wants things to be done according to His Word in the Bible.

I feel that this review does not do justice to this book. It is a powerful book, one which will open your eyes to many different aspects of life in another culture, one entrenched in Islam.

I would highly recommend this book. It is well-written, it is interesting, it is eye-opening, and it is a window into another culture, so very different from ours.

The book can be found here at Moody Press as well as at Amazon and most other book retailers.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review; I was not required to write a positive review.

[Ellen Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating read. It is a first person account of the author's years working in Afghanistan as the manager of an aid program. Kate McCord, and the names of all the people mentioned, are pseudonyms, and as I read the book I quickly understood why. Afghanistan is a dangerous place for anyone who does not conform in behaviour or belief.

Kate speaks with great honesty and insight about life in Afghanistan, particularly the life of the women who she mainly dealt with. Her great compassion, respect and love for the Afghani people is obvious while she sheds light on the differences in world-view, values and religious beliefs between them and people in Western countries whose background is Judeo-Christian belief.

Kate writes from a strongly Christian perspective and recounts many conversations she had with her Afghani friends about faith. Often it was by telling stories, biblical or ones she made up. She provides insight into the way trhe Afhan peole see things and how their lives are controlled in every way by the mullahs' interpretations of Islam. But she also gives some wonderful explanations of the Christian faith along the way. By having to re-evaluate and articulate her beliefs in a culturally suitable way she has come up with some gems.

In her final chapter she says: 'The problems in Afghanistan run much deeper than the Taliban, corruption, or education issues. … Until Afghans change their way of thinking – the stories they tell about themselves, their neighbors, and their God – they will not change their country.'

I recommend this book as an engaging, moving and very personal insight into life in Afhanistan from the point of view of a Christian aid worker who worked right in the thick of things.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a general rule, I am very wary of reading books concerning Islamic culture as written down by Western authors. I recall reading this book first, then Burned Alive by Souad and marveling at the difference and authenticity in details. This book is perhaps the most relevant I have ever come across for understanding the people of Afghanistan, as recorded and cared about by a Christian woman.

The author, Kate McCord (a pen-name to protect the identities of those she met in Afghanistan, as well as herself), served for over five years with an NGO (non-governmental organization). She lived in the same city that the people did, visited the local women regularly, and discussed several topics with them: from social work to education, from Islam to Christianity. What struck me most was how accurate and un-embellished her book was: she tells the lives of the people (their names also changed to protect them) as they truly were. The saddest thing was when she had to leave due to violence escalation in the area. She loved the people she worked with, those she talked to, the children she saw, and understood that their rituals and customs have remained unchanged for well over a thousand years.

She wrote of her respect for another culture, but also was brave enough to write on their flaws: child bride marriages, beatings, illiteracy, etc. It is a remarkable resource for those interested in Afghanistan, though I always recommend reading several types of accounts to ensure that an author is telling the truth. So far, although nothing else is known of the authoress, I have found In The Land of Blue Burqas to be accurate.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would it be like to be immersed in a society where everyone has different values and beliefs than you? The author of In the Land of Blue Burqas shares her experience with us. In an effort to protect herself and anyone who may have helped her she has taken on the pseudonym of Kate McCord.

As a christian I hear so many negative things about Muslims. I do understand that they have different ideals and goals than we do, but I struggle to think that every Muslim in the world wants me dead. As McCord has conversations with Muslims about them praying for her demise, she confronts them in a logical way that does not make them defensive. Although many admitted to the truth of their violent prayers, she also developed close friendships with many others.

While McCord lived in Afganistan working for a NPO, she had to learn about the Muslim way of life. She found a way to do this that allowed her to share her faith at the same time. It was interesting to finally hear some facts about the Muslim way of life. Did you know that they actually believe that Jesus is a prophet? There is quite a difference as to what they believe Jesus will accomplish when he does return.

I enjoyed this book that documents McCord's non-judgmental journey. My book club consists of mostly christian ladies so the book was enjoyed by everyone. With themes of faith and cultural differences I believe that many of you would enjoy this book as much as I did. I highly recommend this book for either personal leisure or as a book club selection.