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Tali Girls: A Novel of Afghanistan
An intimate look at the lives, loves, horrors, and dreams of girls and women in an Afghan mountain village under Taliban rule
A heartbreaking tragedy in the vein of The Kite Runner from a major English-speaking Afghan figure famous for his books and long career in politics
Siamak Herawi brings Afghan women centerstage and takes us deep into the heart of his motherland to witness the reality of their lives under the Taliban’s most extreme interpretation of Islam. Based on true stories, the result is a sobering and harrowing tale that relates the current ethos of a country under occupation by one power or another for more than half a century.
Told in a direct, conversational prose, this chorus of voices offers us a vivid picture of the endless cycle of the suffering of girls and women in the grip of the Taliban authorities, of the imbalance of power and opportunity.
The central figures illuminate the power of love, friendship, and generosity in the face of poverty and oppression. Their experiences and dilemmas have a visceral power and we become deeply attached to Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin. These are testaments of resilience, hope, courage, and visceral fear, of doors of opportunity opening just a crack that offer a way out.
In Sara Khalili’s vibrant and nuanced translation from the Persian, Tali Girls tears down the curtain and exposes the treacherous realities of what women are up against in modern-day, war-torn Afghanistan.
A heartbreaking tragedy in the vein of The Kite Runner from a major English-speaking Afghan figure famous for his books and long career in politics
Siamak Herawi brings Afghan women centerstage and takes us deep into the heart of his motherland to witness the reality of their lives under the Taliban’s most extreme interpretation of Islam. Based on true stories, the result is a sobering and harrowing tale that relates the current ethos of a country under occupation by one power or another for more than half a century.
Told in a direct, conversational prose, this chorus of voices offers us a vivid picture of the endless cycle of the suffering of girls and women in the grip of the Taliban authorities, of the imbalance of power and opportunity.
The central figures illuminate the power of love, friendship, and generosity in the face of poverty and oppression. Their experiences and dilemmas have a visceral power and we become deeply attached to Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin. These are testaments of resilience, hope, courage, and visceral fear, of doors of opportunity opening just a crack that offer a way out.
In Sara Khalili’s vibrant and nuanced translation from the Persian, Tali Girls tears down the curtain and exposes the treacherous realities of what women are up against in modern-day, war-torn Afghanistan.
381 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
February 7, 2025
Longlisted for the 2025 Dublin Literary Award!
Real Rating: 3.25* of five
The Publisher Says: An intimate look at the lives, loves, horrors, and dreams of girls and women in an Afghan mountain village under Taliban rule
A heartbreaking tragedy in the vein of The Kite Runner from a major English-speaking Afghan figure famous for his books and long career in politics
Siamak Herawi brings Afghan women center stage and takes us deep into the heart of his motherland to witness the reality of their lives under the Taliban’s most extreme interpretation of Islam. Based on true stories, the result is a sobering and harrowing tale that relates the current ethos of a country under occupation by one power or another for more than half a century.
Told in a direct, conversational prose, this chorus of voices offers us a vivid picture of the endless cycle of the suffering of girls and women in the grip of the Taliban authorities, of the imbalance of power and opportunity.
The central figures illuminate the power of love, friendship, and generosity in the face of poverty and oppression. Their experiences and dilemmas have a visceral power and we become deeply attached to Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin. These are testaments of resilience, hope, courage, and visceral fear, of doors of opportunity opening just a crack that offer a way out.
In Sara Khalili’s vibrant and nuanced translation from the Persian, Tali Girls tears down the curtain and exposes the treacherous realities of what women are up against in modern-day, war-torn Afghanistan.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Do you believe it can't happen here? Even after the decade of horrible we've endured since 20 January 2025? Read this clear-eyed, scathingly honest book about what happened in Taliban country. The author's used a polyphonic approach to telling stories based on real experiences. It lends an immediacy to the read; it dilutes the emotional investment in the characters. On balance a choice I understand, but don't feel is for the story's best expression. Hence, at the halfway mark, I settled into a rating of 3.25 stars instead of 4.5, which is where I was headed from the off.
Archipelago charges $16.99 for an ebook. Used paperbacks are cheaper; I think the read is worthwhile and deeply engaging.
Real Rating: 3.25* of five
The Publisher Says: An intimate look at the lives, loves, horrors, and dreams of girls and women in an Afghan mountain village under Taliban rule
A heartbreaking tragedy in the vein of The Kite Runner from a major English-speaking Afghan figure famous for his books and long career in politics
Siamak Herawi brings Afghan women center stage and takes us deep into the heart of his motherland to witness the reality of their lives under the Taliban’s most extreme interpretation of Islam. Based on true stories, the result is a sobering and harrowing tale that relates the current ethos of a country under occupation by one power or another for more than half a century.
Told in a direct, conversational prose, this chorus of voices offers us a vivid picture of the endless cycle of the suffering of girls and women in the grip of the Taliban authorities, of the imbalance of power and opportunity.
The central figures illuminate the power of love, friendship, and generosity in the face of poverty and oppression. Their experiences and dilemmas have a visceral power and we become deeply attached to Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin. These are testaments of resilience, hope, courage, and visceral fear, of doors of opportunity opening just a crack that offer a way out.
In Sara Khalili’s vibrant and nuanced translation from the Persian, Tali Girls tears down the curtain and exposes the treacherous realities of what women are up against in modern-day, war-torn Afghanistan.
I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.
My Review: Do you believe it can't happen here? Even after the decade of horrible we've endured since 20 January 2025? Read this clear-eyed, scathingly honest book about what happened in Taliban country. The author's used a polyphonic approach to telling stories based on real experiences. It lends an immediacy to the read; it dilutes the emotional investment in the characters. On balance a choice I understand, but don't feel is for the story's best expression. Hence, at the halfway mark, I settled into a rating of 3.25 stars instead of 4.5, which is where I was headed from the off.
Archipelago charges $16.99 for an ebook. Used paperbacks are cheaper; I think the read is worthwhile and deeply engaging.
December 15, 2023
In clear, crisp prose, Siamak Herawi has woven a fable-like tale of village life contemporary Afghanistan. At the heart of the novel are the stories of three girls growing up in a small village. A woman's fate was difficult before the Taliban's presence grew, but as they become a permanent fixture in the valley, taking over the schoolhouse and filling the fields with poppies it becomes much more restrictive—especially if a powerful mullah or Talib leader takes a fancy to a young girl. Herawi centres his novel on women and girls who maintain their pride and determination in the face of unspeakable evil and the boys and men who in spite of the relative privileges society affords them, take risks for their mothers, daughters and lovers.
Set in a mountainous landscape that ranges from lush valleys to harsh deserts, the devastating impact of changing politics on the simple lives of the people who dwell there comes alive in story that moves swiftly and turns horrific in an instant.
A longer review can be found here: https://roughghosts.com/2023/12/15/go...
Set in a mountainous landscape that ranges from lush valleys to harsh deserts, the devastating impact of changing politics on the simple lives of the people who dwell there comes alive in story that moves swiftly and turns horrific in an instant.
A longer review can be found here: https://roughghosts.com/2023/12/15/go...
December 20, 2023
My thoughts echo those of other readers. This is a brutal read that doesn’t pull any punches. But this is nevertheless the reality of a country and people torn apart by extortion, tyranny, persecution and lawlessness. Ignorance, fear, and superstition run rife. Some courageous souls make futile attempts to break free from the shackles of misogyny and patriarchy and instil a modicum of human rights.
Its literary style may appeal more to new adult readers.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for granting this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Its literary style may appeal more to new adult readers.
My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for granting this e-book in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2023
Siamak Herawi's novel follows the stories of four girls living in a remote valley in Afghanistan before the Taliban occupation. Kowsar is a young girl who loves reading. She is sensitive but strong-willed. Whenever she feels intense emotions, she collapses in a fit. Her teacher would like her to pursue further education but, when he introduces her to the minister of religious education, Khodadad, the minister takes a perverse interest in the girl and their secluded town. He visits, segregates the boys from the girls, forbids music, demands that they memorize only suras from the Koran, and then, after surveying the young girls, takes the nine-year-old Simin as his third wife. He is violent and ruthless, wielding his religious authority as a pretense for sexual gratification. The girls in this story face brutal hardship—rape, torture, public beating and stoning. As the Taliban seize neighboring towns and reinstitute their own capricious interpretation of Sharia law, the girls are deprived of their brief, fragile dream of an independent future. Kowsar must give up on her education and her aspirations; her neighbor, Geesu, who has fallen in love with Kowsar's brother-in-law, must choose between a forced marriage and ostracism and death. Khodadad transforms their foothill paradise into a patriarchal dystopia. Their family paddocks and gardens are requisitioned and turned into a swathe of opium farms. Their family life of humble subsistence is corrupted into an exploitative hellscape under Taliban rule.
On the whole, the novel romanticizes the provinces of Afghanistan, presenting the humble village as an uncorrupted idyll. It's a story that is perhaps especially palatable to Western readers but, to be critical, it also elides the fact that Afghanistan had a burgeoning economy. In the last decades with the suppression of the Taliban, the metropolises were expanding, with new schools, hospitals and universities. Afghanistan was, and is, a modernized nation. Herawi's novel, however, focuses on the pristine hinterlands, the sparsely populated mountains and caves, the traditional villages living off livestock and simple goods. It places its emphasis on pastoral innocence—in one chapter, two men (Kowsar's husband, Farrhad, and his host, Seydou) wander through the mountains in search of Geesu and they come across a poor shepherd. He offers them hospitality, generously sharing his dinner with them, but without telling them that his wife and children will not have food anymore. Farrhad feels painfully guilty when he realizes but Seydou is happy to be reminded that, at least in some parts of Afghanistan, there remains a spirit of noble sacrifice and communal sharing. It's a sentimental celebration of noble poverty and virtuous simplicity. But I was more interested in the book-dealer who leaves, the writer who flees to Kabul, the urban class which experienced break-neck whiplash from Western pop-culture to Taliban tyranny. There are other stories to be told about Afghanistan.
Overall, a compelling read but I take issue with its subtitle, "A story of Afghanistan", and how English readers might misconstrue/overgeneralize because of it.
On the whole, the novel romanticizes the provinces of Afghanistan, presenting the humble village as an uncorrupted idyll. It's a story that is perhaps especially palatable to Western readers but, to be critical, it also elides the fact that Afghanistan had a burgeoning economy. In the last decades with the suppression of the Taliban, the metropolises were expanding, with new schools, hospitals and universities. Afghanistan was, and is, a modernized nation. Herawi's novel, however, focuses on the pristine hinterlands, the sparsely populated mountains and caves, the traditional villages living off livestock and simple goods. It places its emphasis on pastoral innocence—in one chapter, two men (Kowsar's husband, Farrhad, and his host, Seydou) wander through the mountains in search of Geesu and they come across a poor shepherd. He offers them hospitality, generously sharing his dinner with them, but without telling them that his wife and children will not have food anymore. Farrhad feels painfully guilty when he realizes but Seydou is happy to be reminded that, at least in some parts of Afghanistan, there remains a spirit of noble sacrifice and communal sharing. It's a sentimental celebration of noble poverty and virtuous simplicity. But I was more interested in the book-dealer who leaves, the writer who flees to Kabul, the urban class which experienced break-neck whiplash from Western pop-culture to Taliban tyranny. There are other stories to be told about Afghanistan.
Overall, a compelling read but I take issue with its subtitle, "A story of Afghanistan", and how English readers might misconstrue/overgeneralize because of it.
December 16, 2023
A deeply devastating and distressing read. The women and girls of Tali, a rural Afghan village, are born second class citizens in a deeply patriarchal culture. Their fate lies in the hands of the men in their life as they are bartered and sold like property. It’s hard to imagine life can get much worse, but when the Taliban discover their fertile valley, the true terror begins.
The novel, based on true stories, is centered around three girls and through shifting perspectives, we come to learn their hopes and dreams: higher education, a marriage with love, a quiet and peaceful existence. We also learn, however, that in this country and at this time, modern as it may be, these things are not possible.
Herawi is unrelenting in describing the brutality and horrors that the women of Afghanistan suffer under the rule of the Taliban. Girls as young as nine are married to powerful men fifty years their senior and women are oppressed in every way possible, including in the required clothing that conceals any hint of the actual human who lays beneath. There are several scenes in this book that will haunt me for a long time.
Moments of hope are few and far between. No benevolent God looks down upon the girls of Tali, but they find their strength in each other and use every ounce of power they can find to fight back against the life fated to them.
BIG recommend.
The novel, based on true stories, is centered around three girls and through shifting perspectives, we come to learn their hopes and dreams: higher education, a marriage with love, a quiet and peaceful existence. We also learn, however, that in this country and at this time, modern as it may be, these things are not possible.
Herawi is unrelenting in describing the brutality and horrors that the women of Afghanistan suffer under the rule of the Taliban. Girls as young as nine are married to powerful men fifty years their senior and women are oppressed in every way possible, including in the required clothing that conceals any hint of the actual human who lays beneath. There are several scenes in this book that will haunt me for a long time.
Moments of hope are few and far between. No benevolent God looks down upon the girls of Tali, but they find their strength in each other and use every ounce of power they can find to fight back against the life fated to them.
BIG recommend.
November 13, 2023
heartbreaking. this is the 21st century, and this is still happening, in the 21st century.
December 23, 2024
Powerful piece made all the more captivating by Herawi’s perfectly satisfying storytelling. The writing is modern and blunt in that actions and details are perfectly balanced.
I’m normally not one for multiple perspectives, but avoiding evenly alternating flips was incredibly refreshing and ensured my engagement.
I’m normally not one for multiple perspectives, but avoiding evenly alternating flips was incredibly refreshing and ensured my engagement.
January 12, 2025
Tali Girls is a difficult and devastating read. I cried several times. A book that will sit with me for a while. I can’t stop thinking about it.
July 8, 2024
This book was so beautiful. I feel a certain type of way about the original author being male, but i honestly wouldn’t have known if i hadn’t read the author bio. The translation is AMAZING, it’s so soulful. Even poems and songs included in the book rhyme in English and have the right cadence. This book is heartbreaking and full of grief, especially knowing it’s based on a true story, but the moments of joy are sweet and beautiful. I really liked how it ended! Necessary trigger warning for the book is sexual abuse, domestic violence, and general violence.
January 31, 2024
Tali Girls is the kind of book I love reading that makes me realize how lucky I am to be born in the West. Kowsar and Geesu are not as lucky; the peaceful and lush valley of Tali has turned into a nightmare since the Taliban have taken over the country and are controlling the government. They have closed the local school, and children are no longer allowed to enjoy education. Heaven forbid they learn how to think! Kowsar suffers from fainting spells in times of great stress and that saves her life as the Head of the Department of Religious Education, Khodadad, is looking at making her is third of fourth wife (she is 9, he is in his late 50s). Kowsar's health situation turns him off, so he chooses Simin instead. Kowsar are dealing with a life where they get to marry the man they love and they live happily and freely. Unfortunately, this book takes us for a walk in a place that is so dangerous, no westerners takes a chance visiting for pure leisure. My heart broke over and over throughout the book. It was a heart read, but I loved sitting with these families who, despite the atrocities, many remained so kind, good-hearted, and hospitable. It gave me hope. The only part I did not enjoy was the way the story ended. Too brutal, too blunt.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 28, 2024
I was a little disappointed with the ending. I wanted to know where Kowsar ended up and if she ever went to school. The ending just felt sudden and unfinished. With that said..
This book was powerful, enlightening, and disturbing. There were some pages that I struggled to read through due to the intensity but also couldn’t bring myself to look away. I had to know what happened, what these children were forced to endure. The girls of Tali were robbed of their childhood and some forced to meet gruesome ends. I’m heart broken by what these young girls were forced to live through. Truly unfair.
This book was powerful, enlightening, and disturbing. There were some pages that I struggled to read through due to the intensity but also couldn’t bring myself to look away. I had to know what happened, what these children were forced to endure. The girls of Tali were robbed of their childhood and some forced to meet gruesome ends. I’m heart broken by what these young girls were forced to live through. Truly unfair.
Read
June 26, 2024phew… this book feels hard to review. Tali Girls offers an important perspective on women (girls) under Taliban occupation, that doesn’t shy away from the truths of what that commonly means. I think it’s a story people should be reading and be aware of, but definitely read the content warnings before diving in
May 18, 2024
WILDLY violent and difficult to stomach but probably a story the world needs to hear.
July 12, 2024
Tells an important story and worth the read. Was confused at times identifying which Tali girl character was telling some chapters.
August 11, 2024
My emotions reading this book: 😄😭🤢👹🤭🥰😭😳🥺
May 28, 2025
Heartbreaking
January 28, 2024
Great stories with beautiful descriptions and characters, very sad.
January 20, 2024
Stumbled on my library’s copy the other day, immediately knew I had to read it. The paper, the script, the colors alone are enough to merit picking it up.
It is a fable-like telling of unfortunately common fates of young girls in Afghanistan in the early decades of this millennium. Masterful writing compels you further into the tangled knot of purity and hope, tempered by appalling, unabashed depravity. Bear witness, do not turn away.
It is a fable-like telling of unfortunately common fates of young girls in Afghanistan in the early decades of this millennium. Masterful writing compels you further into the tangled knot of purity and hope, tempered by appalling, unabashed depravity. Bear witness, do not turn away.
September 25, 2024
Literally wept.
The ending felt like we ended 75% of the way through the story, which I didn’t like. Maybe that was the point though, as there is no resolution in Afghanistan for anyone but the Taliban.
The ending felt like we ended 75% of the way through the story, which I didn’t like. Maybe that was the point though, as there is no resolution in Afghanistan for anyone but the Taliban.
January 8, 2024
Concept - novel and new. Writes about real darkness with lightness mixed in. Characters - relatively compelling but not completely flushed out.
October 17, 2023
"The girls of Tali are beautiful. They have long wavy hair, almond shaped eyes and skin the color of wheat. They grow up learning to cook and sew. At seven, some are taught to embroider as well. They stitch and sing together. And when they reach puberty they fall in love with the sunburned boys who wear their skull caps cocked to the side and play their reed flute as they scale mountains shepherding goats and sheep and stealing young girls' hearts."
Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin are Afghan girls growing up in the village of Tali.
While poverty is a constant, the village can be considered somewhat idyllic. It is lush and verdant, with sparkling springs, streams and waterfalls in a deep valley surrounded by mountains with tall peeks,
In 2006 the village has no electricity, no plumbing for water and no paved roads, but there is peace and freedom and a school for young Afghan boys and girls.
All of this ends when armed Taliban forces arrive, set the books, benches and blackboards on fire, and take over the school and force the workers to produce opium.
Based on true stories, Tali Girls is a profound portrayal of the oppression of Afghan females who are barred from education, forced into marriages with adult men and into a life of servitude.
Siamak Herasi paints a rich portrait of Afghan life with its sights, smells, and sounds that you can see, smell, and hear. With deft skill and sensitivity, he gives voice to modern Afghan women to tell of their oppressive, harrowing and brutal experiences.
Skillfully translated from the Persian by Sara Khalili, this is a heartbreaking and necessary read that also uplifts as these women resist and persevere.
Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin are Afghan girls growing up in the village of Tali.
While poverty is a constant, the village can be considered somewhat idyllic. It is lush and verdant, with sparkling springs, streams and waterfalls in a deep valley surrounded by mountains with tall peeks,
In 2006 the village has no electricity, no plumbing for water and no paved roads, but there is peace and freedom and a school for young Afghan boys and girls.
All of this ends when armed Taliban forces arrive, set the books, benches and blackboards on fire, and take over the school and force the workers to produce opium.
Based on true stories, Tali Girls is a profound portrayal of the oppression of Afghan females who are barred from education, forced into marriages with adult men and into a life of servitude.
Siamak Herasi paints a rich portrait of Afghan life with its sights, smells, and sounds that you can see, smell, and hear. With deft skill and sensitivity, he gives voice to modern Afghan women to tell of their oppressive, harrowing and brutal experiences.
Skillfully translated from the Persian by Sara Khalili, this is a heartbreaking and necessary read that also uplifts as these women resist and persevere.
March 29, 2024
The atrocities documented in this book are horrifying, and the book is honestly sometimes hard to read because of the graphic nature of the descriptions. But it is real, and it is important that we know and understand what is happening in the world.
It is interesting to me that I have finished this book just before Easter weekend. I am (choose one or more: sad, mad, disgusted, disappointed) that in the 2000 years since that event we have not changed anything significantly: old power hungry men trash everyone around them to make sure they maintain power. Even better/worse, they do it in the name of religion, as if what they are doing would please whatever god they are worshipping. Finally, if you actually understand their religion, you find that these actions have nothing to do with the religion they are claiming. OK, and one more thing while I am ranting: they actively destroy the lives of families and young people who had some faith in their religion (in a right way), only because they want to maintain their power.
It is interesting to me that I have finished this book just before Easter weekend. I am (choose one or more: sad, mad, disgusted, disappointed) that in the 2000 years since that event we have not changed anything significantly: old power hungry men trash everyone around them to make sure they maintain power. Even better/worse, they do it in the name of religion, as if what they are doing would please whatever god they are worshipping. Finally, if you actually understand their religion, you find that these actions have nothing to do with the religion they are claiming. OK, and one more thing while I am ranting: they actively destroy the lives of families and young people who had some faith in their religion (in a right way), only because they want to maintain their power.
August 20, 2024
Tragic and heart-breaking. This book was challenging to get thru only because of the difficulty of the subject matter. Some descriptions of extreme violence against women. Despite the violence, I believe everyone should read this book in order to know what goes on in other countries to this day and to realize how grateful we should all be to live in this country - despite the current turmoil in our political system - it doesn't even come close to what others around the world have to deal with on a daily basis.
January 28, 2024
This was a heartbreaking and slightly hopeful read. Centered on three Afghani girls and their hope and dreams as their village changes when the Talib begin to notice their town. As they lose their freedom from education, dress and behavior, they struggle, not always successfully, to find their way. These girls (and other women in the community) love and support one another as they try and hold onto their agency, in a world that gives men, all the power. This book is compulsively readable and the reader can’t help but root for Kowsar, Geesu and Simin and all the other girls in Afghanistan.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
ETA: Staff Pick 2/24
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
ETA: Staff Pick 2/24
February 22, 2024
A wrenching tale of three young girls living in a mountain village in Afghanistan under Taliban control. These are highly personal stories that touches on how the lives of women are effected by the extreme version of sharia that exists in that war torn country. One can't help but consider how authoritarianism and theocracy can poison a culture and, once they become embedded, how people have few resources to eliminate them.
August 23, 2024
I don’t think I’ve ever felt this much anger and hate in my life while I was reading a book. And I don’t mean anger or hate for the book itself, before the characters that play a role in messing up the lives of these girls.
This book takes you through the story of girls in Afghanistan, specifically a small village name Tali, under the rule of the Taliban. The stories were very vivid and real. I gave this book 5 stars because of how much it impacted my feelings after and during.
This book takes you through the story of girls in Afghanistan, specifically a small village name Tali, under the rule of the Taliban. The stories were very vivid and real. I gave this book 5 stars because of how much it impacted my feelings after and during.
September 11, 2024
beautiful. devastating, but/and beautiful. having learned so much about afghanistan in the last 1.5 years from work allowed me to read this book in a different light than i would have previously. the characters stories are excellently told and felt. could not put it down and would rec to many
January 13, 2024
A knife to the chest. So beautifully written, I know this book will follow me around.
January 22, 2024
Brutal. But beautifully written. Shifting first person narratives reveal devastation all around. The ugliness of the antagonists further stands in contrast to the splendor of the natural landscape.
August 16, 2024
The best book I’ve read in years. Horrendously real.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews