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The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul #3
Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul
THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL , THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLER THAT CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS WORLDWIDE
Kabul, August 2021
Sunny Tedder is back in her beloved coffee shop. After eight years away, she's thrilled to reunite with her Kabul 'family':
Yazmina now runs a pair of women's shelters from the old cafe, and dreams of a bright future for her two young daughters.
Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women's rights activist and, thanks to social media, is quite the celebrity.
Kat , Sunny's friend from America, is wrapping up her year-long stay in the land of her birth, but is facing some unfinished business.
And finally there's elderly den mother Halajan , whose secret new hobby is itself an act of rebellion.
Then the US troops begin to withdraw - and the women watch in horror as the Taliban advance on the capital at ferocious speed...
Set against the terrifying fall of Kabul in 2021, Deborah Rodriguez concludes her bestselling Little Coffee Shop trilogy with a heart-stopping story of resilience, courage and, most importantly, hope.
Kabul, August 2021
Sunny Tedder is back in her beloved coffee shop. After eight years away, she's thrilled to reunite with her Kabul 'family':
Yazmina now runs a pair of women's shelters from the old cafe, and dreams of a bright future for her two young daughters.
Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women's rights activist and, thanks to social media, is quite the celebrity.
Kat , Sunny's friend from America, is wrapping up her year-long stay in the land of her birth, but is facing some unfinished business.
And finally there's elderly den mother Halajan , whose secret new hobby is itself an act of rebellion.
Then the US troops begin to withdraw - and the women watch in horror as the Taliban advance on the capital at ferocious speed...
Set against the terrifying fall of Kabul in 2021, Deborah Rodriguez concludes her bestselling Little Coffee Shop trilogy with a heart-stopping story of resilience, courage and, most importantly, hope.
- GenresContemporaryFiction
Paperback
Published May 16, 2024
77 people are currently reading
1384 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Rodriguez
26 books762 followersDeborah Rodriguez is a hairdresser, a motivational speaker, and the author of the bestselling memoir Kabul Beauty School.
She spent five years teaching at and later directing the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan. Rodriguez also owned the Oasis Salon and the Cabul Coffee House.
She currently lives in Mexico.
She spent five years teaching at and later directing the Kabul Beauty School, the first modern beauty academy and training salon in Afghanistan. Rodriguez also owned the Oasis Salon and the Cabul Coffee House.
She currently lives in Mexico.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
October 9, 2023
What an outstanding closing chapter for this utterly amazing Author!
I have read all the Coffee Shop of Kabul books in order but you could read this on its own. It gives a little explanation to certain subjects thats discussed within so you wouldnt be lost. HOWEVER! I would suggest starting from book one as this is the most inspiring and beautiful series which is a pleasure to read. To get the whole picture and to connect with this in its fullest it is best to start from the first book.
You will not be dissapointed!
Following all the characters throughout these books has been a pleasure and an eye opener. The subject matter is raw and honest. It has been from the start. This does not shy away from the horrors that the Afghan people have faced and have to brave through.
Each character development is flawless. The story flows amazingly and is so moreish.
I really could have sat and read this in one sitting. This was very hard to put down!
Outstanding. Even tho i am saddened by the closing of the Coffee shop Chapter it has been a beautiful journey. May we read more about this in the future. Who knows. I will be first in line if we do. For now i will content myself with this authors other books i have sitting on my bookshelf.
Well done Deborah Rodriguez for all your hard work and help to the Afghan people your storys have done them proud. You are an inspiration.
Many thanks to this Author, Little, brown book group and Netgalley for an ARC.
Review written 13/8/23
I have read all the Coffee Shop of Kabul books in order but you could read this on its own. It gives a little explanation to certain subjects thats discussed within so you wouldnt be lost. HOWEVER! I would suggest starting from book one as this is the most inspiring and beautiful series which is a pleasure to read. To get the whole picture and to connect with this in its fullest it is best to start from the first book.
You will not be dissapointed!
Following all the characters throughout these books has been a pleasure and an eye opener. The subject matter is raw and honest. It has been from the start. This does not shy away from the horrors that the Afghan people have faced and have to brave through.
Each character development is flawless. The story flows amazingly and is so moreish.
I really could have sat and read this in one sitting. This was very hard to put down!
Outstanding. Even tho i am saddened by the closing of the Coffee shop Chapter it has been a beautiful journey. May we read more about this in the future. Who knows. I will be first in line if we do. For now i will content myself with this authors other books i have sitting on my bookshelf.
Well done Deborah Rodriguez for all your hard work and help to the Afghan people your storys have done them proud. You are an inspiration.
Many thanks to this Author, Little, brown book group and Netgalley for an ARC.
Review written 13/8/23
July 23, 2023
I struggle to put into words how this book makes me feel. I stumbled across the coffee shop and the beauty school in my late teens/early twenties. Hearing how there were women in the world that did not have the same freedoms and pleasures in life was heartbreaking. The authors words stuck with me and I carried them with me through life.
Saying farewell to the coffee shop, this book was heartbreaking and heartwarming all in one. Sunny's love for the people of Kabul and their love in return.
Reading why the author choose to write a third book after the events of 2021, you can tell the words on the pages are so much more than fiction. The experiences and the emotions are all real. The pain and suffering, real.
Thank you to the author, you have changed so many people's lives from your humanitarian work but also shaped the minds of others with your words.
Saying farewell to the coffee shop, this book was heartbreaking and heartwarming all in one. Sunny's love for the people of Kabul and their love in return.
Reading why the author choose to write a third book after the events of 2021, you can tell the words on the pages are so much more than fiction. The experiences and the emotions are all real. The pain and suffering, real.
Thank you to the author, you have changed so many people's lives from your humanitarian work but also shaped the minds of others with your words.
August 13, 2025
I didn't realise this was a sequel, so I read it as a standalone book and I still liked it very much. I found it to be very beautiful, heartbreaking, heavy, strong, important and full of heart. The author writes so well and the characters are so engaging and raw, special in their own ways and as a whole. I wish I've read the whole series in order, but maybe I will just go back in time haha. I truly recommend you to pick it up ❤︎
July 29, 2023
I picked up this book – not realising it was a sequel – and had to buy and read the first book first. I am not sure you could read this as a stand-alone, as you really need to know the main characters and their back stories. Sunny, Halajan and Rashif, Ahmet and Yazmin, Yazmin’s younger sister Layla, and chief cook and bottle-washer, Bashir Hadi, are all back in the Little Coffee Shop, along with another Afghan/American girl, Kat. Candace is back in USA, but in constant communication.
A lot has changed. It turns out that there is a second book before this (which I am reading now), but there are enough hints as to what has occurred in the interim, that you can start this book having only read book 1 (as I did). It is no hardship at all to read all three books. They are exceptionally addictive.
Yazmin is now running a women’s refuge. Layla is at university and very political active. The Taliban are resurgent, and the Americans (and all the other western forces) are planning on leaving. Kabul is now (at least on the surface) a modern city – but how long will that last? Yes, the Taliban are making huge inroads in the countryside. But this is Kabul! Women will not allow all the freedoms that they have gained over the last 20 years to be snatched away again, so Layla believes. They will fight for their rights. It can’t happen here.
Oh yes it can – you scream at the book. It is like the horrifying feeling you have when watching programmes about German (and other) Jews in the 1930s. GET OUT NOW!!!
Sunny and Kat think that as American citizens, they will be safe, and not be left behind. The others only want to go, if all those they care for are evacuated too. And the Taliban have promised that they will not be as punitive as they were last time round. No-one has any idea of the utter chaos that the American withdrawal is about to unleash. Candace is running a frantic operation, using ALL her contacts to beg, steal or borrow a seat on a flight out of Kabul for each of her friends, telling them that when they get the go-code, they MUST GO.
As the reader, you know what is going to happen in general – we all saw the heartbreaking scenes on TV. But, we don’t know what will happen to our friends (and by now they are our friends, not just characters in a book).
The pace of the book increases to breakneck speed – it is impossible to put down. Who will get out? Will anyone?
These books are phenomenally good. The characters live on in your mind well after the reading is done. You will mourn for an Afghanistan that maybe never was, but could have been. And will have renewed understanding and sympathy for the millions of Afghans who fled or tried to flee their ravaged country.
Very, very highly recommended.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.
A lot has changed. It turns out that there is a second book before this (which I am reading now), but there are enough hints as to what has occurred in the interim, that you can start this book having only read book 1 (as I did). It is no hardship at all to read all three books. They are exceptionally addictive.
Yazmin is now running a women’s refuge. Layla is at university and very political active. The Taliban are resurgent, and the Americans (and all the other western forces) are planning on leaving. Kabul is now (at least on the surface) a modern city – but how long will that last? Yes, the Taliban are making huge inroads in the countryside. But this is Kabul! Women will not allow all the freedoms that they have gained over the last 20 years to be snatched away again, so Layla believes. They will fight for their rights. It can’t happen here.
Oh yes it can – you scream at the book. It is like the horrifying feeling you have when watching programmes about German (and other) Jews in the 1930s. GET OUT NOW!!!
Sunny and Kat think that as American citizens, they will be safe, and not be left behind. The others only want to go, if all those they care for are evacuated too. And the Taliban have promised that they will not be as punitive as they were last time round. No-one has any idea of the utter chaos that the American withdrawal is about to unleash. Candace is running a frantic operation, using ALL her contacts to beg, steal or borrow a seat on a flight out of Kabul for each of her friends, telling them that when they get the go-code, they MUST GO.
As the reader, you know what is going to happen in general – we all saw the heartbreaking scenes on TV. But, we don’t know what will happen to our friends (and by now they are our friends, not just characters in a book).
The pace of the book increases to breakneck speed – it is impossible to put down. Who will get out? Will anyone?
These books are phenomenally good. The characters live on in your mind well after the reading is done. You will mourn for an Afghanistan that maybe never was, but could have been. And will have renewed understanding and sympathy for the millions of Afghans who fled or tried to flee their ravaged country.
Very, very highly recommended.
I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.
August 7, 2025
A powerful, heartfelt end to the Coffee Shop trilogy, set during the fall of Kabul in 2021. Centered on the strength, solidarity, and bravery of women facing impossible choices, this story is raw, emotional, and full of hope, Fictional characters and real emotions. A tribute to survival and the light that shines even in darkness.
October 10, 2023
I never expected the book to flow so easily for me even though it was so tragic.
I remember watching the news a few years back about the American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan and what it might mean for the country with the Taliban looming over.
I have read "A Thousand Splendid Suns' ' by Khalid Hoessini which is set in the setting and helped me understand a similar situation like this.
But it's not all the same. While ATSS is set in the first time the Taliban took over, this book is set in recent times.
Reading about something like this which happened over decades ago is quite different from the same thing happening in the present. There have been many such takeovers in the long history of the world. But somewhere we love to believe that we have come way past that time. We would like to believe that every nation is independent now or at least we would like to reach there. And seeing how easily this mirage can be shattered is scary as hell.
While I have not read the previous installments, in the series, I got a good glimpse of what might have gone down in the books. But I am sure it would have been really nice to be familiar with the characters and that would have made my reading experience thousands times better because this is a book where each character has their own story, and an inspiring one at that.
I was heartbroken to see what the characters had to go through after thinking they have overcome the tragedy that had fallen on their country and lives all over again.
It's never easy to leave your country behind, nor is it easy to leave behind your family and life that you have built over the years. But if everyone leaves, who remains to fight for freedom? But if someone does decide to stay, what's going to happen to them? While one might not fear for themselves, it is really difficult not to fear for their loved ones.
And this is what we see happening in the book. This book is a thousand emotions packed into one. And while there is no right or wrong choice to make, every choice is a difficult one.
I remember watching the news a few years back about the American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan and what it might mean for the country with the Taliban looming over.
I have read "A Thousand Splendid Suns' ' by Khalid Hoessini which is set in the setting and helped me understand a similar situation like this.
But it's not all the same. While ATSS is set in the first time the Taliban took over, this book is set in recent times.
Reading about something like this which happened over decades ago is quite different from the same thing happening in the present. There have been many such takeovers in the long history of the world. But somewhere we love to believe that we have come way past that time. We would like to believe that every nation is independent now or at least we would like to reach there. And seeing how easily this mirage can be shattered is scary as hell.
While I have not read the previous installments, in the series, I got a good glimpse of what might have gone down in the books. But I am sure it would have been really nice to be familiar with the characters and that would have made my reading experience thousands times better because this is a book where each character has their own story, and an inspiring one at that.
I was heartbroken to see what the characters had to go through after thinking they have overcome the tragedy that had fallen on their country and lives all over again.
It's never easy to leave your country behind, nor is it easy to leave behind your family and life that you have built over the years. But if everyone leaves, who remains to fight for freedom? But if someone does decide to stay, what's going to happen to them? While one might not fear for themselves, it is really difficult not to fear for their loved ones.
And this is what we see happening in the book. This book is a thousand emotions packed into one. And while there is no right or wrong choice to make, every choice is a difficult one.
November 24, 2023
the way i need another 10 books, 2 shows and a movie about these characters, genuinely didn't want the book to end. The characters feel like real people with depth and relatability, which makes their situation even more heartbreaking, especially because for so many people it isn't fiction. beautiful stunning mwah 10/10
July 7, 2024
I loved the final instalment of this trilogy so much. The character arcs are amazing. This book (well all of them) made me realise my privilege and my heart goes out to all affected by any of the themes in this book.
I absolutely adored the characters and I loved the ending!
Halajan is amazing!
I absolutely adored the characters and I loved the ending!
Halajan is amazing!
August 4, 2023
Thank you Penguin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The world watched the tumultuous and horrifying end of freedom and democracy when the Americans pulled out of Afghanistan after 20 years of peace keeping.
A generation appreciating a life we take for granted.
It is only fitting that Sunny returns to Kabul just prior to the pull out and check in with her life long friends and a city she adores.
After a long absence Sunny arrives in the country that is fearful of its future, the trepidation and memories of life under the Taliban very real.
A beautiful reunion of old friends that do not let racial or religious beliefs hinder friendship.
Refugees from the north are flooding into Kabul, revealing the brutality inflicted by the Taliban as they take over regional areas.
The assumption Kabul is going to remain safe fractures.
Plans for the family to evacuate creates drama, a kidnapping illustrating the danger and how the voice and attitude of a younger generation shows how freedom shaped their determination to stay free.
What a delight to return to the Little Coffee Shop.
Emotionally it was a double edged sword as the beauty of true friendship was shadowed with real fear for their lives and future.
The reader was invited into a heart wrenching humanitarian crisis and experience the dread.
I have loved this whole series but this one is the icing on the cake.
The world watched the tumultuous and horrifying end of freedom and democracy when the Americans pulled out of Afghanistan after 20 years of peace keeping.
A generation appreciating a life we take for granted.
It is only fitting that Sunny returns to Kabul just prior to the pull out and check in with her life long friends and a city she adores.
After a long absence Sunny arrives in the country that is fearful of its future, the trepidation and memories of life under the Taliban very real.
A beautiful reunion of old friends that do not let racial or religious beliefs hinder friendship.
Refugees from the north are flooding into Kabul, revealing the brutality inflicted by the Taliban as they take over regional areas.
The assumption Kabul is going to remain safe fractures.
Plans for the family to evacuate creates drama, a kidnapping illustrating the danger and how the voice and attitude of a younger generation shows how freedom shaped their determination to stay free.
What a delight to return to the Little Coffee Shop.
Emotionally it was a double edged sword as the beauty of true friendship was shadowed with real fear for their lives and future.
The reader was invited into a heart wrenching humanitarian crisis and experience the dread.
I have loved this whole series but this one is the icing on the cake.
October 27, 2023
Set against the 2021 fall of Kabul and the US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, this, the third and final instalment of Rodriguez’s Coffee Shop trilogy, is a compelling and brutally honest story of courage, resilience and hope. The characters may not be real, but their experiences represent those of millions whose lives and futures were irrevocably changed by these events.
Having followed the story of American Sunny and her Kabul “family” through two previous books, I found this an especially affecting read.
In 2021, the former coffee shop is no longer a meeting place for soldiers and foreign aid workers but a base from which Yazmina, with the help of her husband, runs two women’s shelters. It’s a dangerous job but one she’s fully committed to. Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women’s rights activist, using her social media profile to spread the word. And then there’s elderly mother-in-law, Halajan. A law into herself, she has found her own way of protesting.
As the Taliban close in on Kabul, spreading dread and panic, the whole family fears for its safety, knowing its activities and beliefs make it a target. It falls to Sunny, with her friend Candace pulling strings in America, to get them all on a flight out of the country.
This was such an incredibly tense read, the mixed emotions of the characters terrifyingly palpable: dismay at the hard-won freedoms they stand to lose if they stay; concern about an unknown future, away from everything they know, if they leave.
I loved that throughout, women are the focal point, their bravery, solidarity and heart shining through on every page. Equally evident is Rodriguez’s love of Afghanistan and its people, a fact highlighted in her afterword, where she explains how she personally worked with charitable foundations to get more than 70 people out of the country to safety.
I honestly cannot recommend this novel highly enough — just read the other two first!
Having followed the story of American Sunny and her Kabul “family” through two previous books, I found this an especially affecting read.
In 2021, the former coffee shop is no longer a meeting place for soldiers and foreign aid workers but a base from which Yazmina, with the help of her husband, runs two women’s shelters. It’s a dangerous job but one she’s fully committed to. Her sister Layla has become an outspoken women’s rights activist, using her social media profile to spread the word. And then there’s elderly mother-in-law, Halajan. A law into herself, she has found her own way of protesting.
As the Taliban close in on Kabul, spreading dread and panic, the whole family fears for its safety, knowing its activities and beliefs make it a target. It falls to Sunny, with her friend Candace pulling strings in America, to get them all on a flight out of the country.
This was such an incredibly tense read, the mixed emotions of the characters terrifyingly palpable: dismay at the hard-won freedoms they stand to lose if they stay; concern about an unknown future, away from everything they know, if they leave.
I loved that throughout, women are the focal point, their bravery, solidarity and heart shining through on every page. Equally evident is Rodriguez’s love of Afghanistan and its people, a fact highlighted in her afterword, where she explains how she personally worked with charitable foundations to get more than 70 people out of the country to safety.
I honestly cannot recommend this novel highly enough — just read the other two first!
January 30, 2025
I had the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul trilogy on my Want to Read list for quite some time. At the moment so many books that I read about current affairs and with what’s going on in the world today, I thought it best to read something cultural and hopeful. That is exactly what I got.
This is a beautifully written trio of stories revolving around family, born into and chosen. The characters in this story are so loveable and endearing. I have learned quite a lot about Afghan life and people and the horrors of Taliban rule. I’m amazed that this is a very real issue today.
I understand that this is a fictional series, but there is truth to the basis of it. I feel in a way I have experienced a country I know I will never visit, and for that I am grateful.
This is a beautifully written trio of stories revolving around family, born into and chosen. The characters in this story are so loveable and endearing. I have learned quite a lot about Afghan life and people and the horrors of Taliban rule. I’m amazed that this is a very real issue today.
I understand that this is a fictional series, but there is truth to the basis of it. I feel in a way I have experienced a country I know I will never visit, and for that I am grateful.
September 2, 2025
I loved the initial book and was really excited to return to these beloved characters. However, felt this latest version lacked depth. Set during the 2021 Taliban insurgence in Kabul, the novel missed opportunities to really explore the harrowing situation Afgans were in. The recaps to the previous novel were a welcome reminder of what had come before, but felt the reflection points were overly used at the expense to the present situation within the novel.
Only 3 🌟 this time.
Would love to hear more from the ladies the novelist worked with in the hair dressing school.
Only 3 🌟 this time.
Would love to hear more from the ladies the novelist worked with in the hair dressing school.
August 19, 2024
This is the final instalment in the Little Coffee Shop trilogy. Is this amazing literature? No. Is Rodriguez’s past questionable? Yes. Are they engaging, heart warming, colourful insights into the live of people in Afghanistan under the taliban? Absolutely. Heartily recommend. This last one though, it’s a gut punch, covering the 2021 fall of Kabul. Tissues are required.
Four chais out of five.
October 24, 2023
I really enjoyed this book (well, it was quite heartbreaking in many parts)—but somehow missed the memo that it was the 3rd book in a series!
I was about half way through, thinking, “gee there are a lot of characters in this”, when I read on the back cover that there had already been two other books.
That said, I kept going and soon enough, couldn’t put it down. A very good insight into life in Afghanistan and how quickly it changed in August 2021.
I was about half way through, thinking, “gee there are a lot of characters in this”, when I read on the back cover that there had already been two other books.
That said, I kept going and soon enough, couldn’t put it down. A very good insight into life in Afghanistan and how quickly it changed in August 2021.
January 31, 2024
The story focuses on the tension developing as the Taliban regain control of Afghanistan and people try to leave. Interesting to read about the situation. Tragic for Afghani women - such a backward step for Afghanistan.
January 7, 2024
“And there it was. The turquoise gate, that crazy wall. The little coffee shop of Kabul. Sunny was home.”
We’re back at the little coffee shop of Kabul for the concluding instalment of this heartwarming series. Sunny is thrilled to reunite with her ‘Kabul family’ and be back at her beloved coffee shop after eight years away. But much has changed since her last visit, and with US troops about to withdraw from Afghanistan, Sunny is worried for the safety of her friends, but they dismiss her concerns, sure that the Taliban won’t regain control. But Sunny’s greatest fears are realised as the Taliban once again take control of the city. The race is on for Sunny to get herself and her friends out of Kabul to safety.
This is a story of love, friendship, courage, survival, and hope that will remind you that light can be found even in the darkest of times. I read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul when it was first released and couldn’t wait to immerse myself in the world of these characters. And though it had been over a decade since then, I soon felt like I was back with old friends as the author succinctly catches the reader up on events. And it's those wonderful characters who are the beating heart of this series. The deep bonds and compelling personalities of this eclectic group leap from the page, with Layla and Halajan shining particularly brightly for me.
“We have lived with the sharks circling for twenty years now, yet still we stand strong. It will be fine. We will be fine.”
I’ll admit, I only knew a little about the fall of Kabul in 2021, which is the time this story is set. But Rodriguez sets the scene for the reader, detailing their culture and social expectations and evocatively illustrating a city where life is lived on a knife-edge. We see the reality of inhabiting a place filled with unrest, where women are still forced to walk a careful tightrope every day. It was eye-opening and heart-wrenching, particularly when every hard-won freedom is lost in the instant the Taliban regains power. I could feel the anxiety, fear and despair radiating from every word, my heart pounding as I desperately hoped for an escape for them. It is exquisitely written, never losing its potency or the heart and humour that is woven into the darker moments.
A comforting, uplifting and moving read that you won’t want to put down, Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is a must read.
We’re back at the little coffee shop of Kabul for the concluding instalment of this heartwarming series. Sunny is thrilled to reunite with her ‘Kabul family’ and be back at her beloved coffee shop after eight years away. But much has changed since her last visit, and with US troops about to withdraw from Afghanistan, Sunny is worried for the safety of her friends, but they dismiss her concerns, sure that the Taliban won’t regain control. But Sunny’s greatest fears are realised as the Taliban once again take control of the city. The race is on for Sunny to get herself and her friends out of Kabul to safety.
This is a story of love, friendship, courage, survival, and hope that will remind you that light can be found even in the darkest of times. I read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul when it was first released and couldn’t wait to immerse myself in the world of these characters. And though it had been over a decade since then, I soon felt like I was back with old friends as the author succinctly catches the reader up on events. And it's those wonderful characters who are the beating heart of this series. The deep bonds and compelling personalities of this eclectic group leap from the page, with Layla and Halajan shining particularly brightly for me.
“We have lived with the sharks circling for twenty years now, yet still we stand strong. It will be fine. We will be fine.”
I’ll admit, I only knew a little about the fall of Kabul in 2021, which is the time this story is set. But Rodriguez sets the scene for the reader, detailing their culture and social expectations and evocatively illustrating a city where life is lived on a knife-edge. We see the reality of inhabiting a place filled with unrest, where women are still forced to walk a careful tightrope every day. It was eye-opening and heart-wrenching, particularly when every hard-won freedom is lost in the instant the Taliban regains power. I could feel the anxiety, fear and despair radiating from every word, my heart pounding as I desperately hoped for an escape for them. It is exquisitely written, never losing its potency or the heart and humour that is woven into the darker moments.
A comforting, uplifting and moving read that you won’t want to put down, Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul is a must read.
October 18, 2023
It’s a good few years ago since I read the other books by the author in this trilogy but the author does a good job in writing the story in a way that certain parts triggered my memory and there is also enough information given so you don’t feel you are missing any background on the characters, making it easy to read as a standalone.
I would urge others to read the author note at the end of the book as it tells how this book came about due to the recent war in Afghanistan and how the country has gone backwards instead of progressing with women and children yet again being made to feel inferior and needing men to be able to do things that most of us take for granted.
With the even more recent troubles going on in Israel at the moment, it made this story have even more of an impact. Whilst the author doesn’t go into the greatest of details of the war itself and the horrific killings, through the characters, you feel every ounce of fear and despair that they are going through. I would like to think that this book also highlights the plight of many refugees in having to leave their country in the hope of somewhere safe for their family. I could have literally cried so many times at the way people trying to leave are treat as well as the welcome they get in other countries. If this doesn’t open your eyes and make you more conscious of what these people have gone through, then I don’t know what else will.
Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul was an unexpected surprise in this series as even the author states it was never meant to be a trilogy but I am so glad it is. It’s a reminder of the horrors that many have to face in different countries and how important family and friends are and how far you would go for the ones you love. It’s moving, heart-wrenching but also uplifting. The bravery of some of the characters is heart stopping and you will be willing for everyone’s safety. A must read in today’s world.
I would urge others to read the author note at the end of the book as it tells how this book came about due to the recent war in Afghanistan and how the country has gone backwards instead of progressing with women and children yet again being made to feel inferior and needing men to be able to do things that most of us take for granted.
With the even more recent troubles going on in Israel at the moment, it made this story have even more of an impact. Whilst the author doesn’t go into the greatest of details of the war itself and the horrific killings, through the characters, you feel every ounce of fear and despair that they are going through. I would like to think that this book also highlights the plight of many refugees in having to leave their country in the hope of somewhere safe for their family. I could have literally cried so many times at the way people trying to leave are treat as well as the welcome they get in other countries. If this doesn’t open your eyes and make you more conscious of what these people have gone through, then I don’t know what else will.
Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul was an unexpected surprise in this series as even the author states it was never meant to be a trilogy but I am so glad it is. It’s a reminder of the horrors that many have to face in different countries and how important family and friends are and how far you would go for the ones you love. It’s moving, heart-wrenching but also uplifting. The bravery of some of the characters is heart stopping and you will be willing for everyone’s safety. A must read in today’s world.
August 15, 2023
When I heard there was another instalment to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul book which I read back way in 2017, I was thrilled. I had fond memories of the story and the author’s writing so was keen to read this novel. It is actually the third instalment – sadly I didn’t have time to read the second part, Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul or to reread the first book but I still enjoyed this third part.
It has been eight years since Sunny Tedder left Afghanistan and her coffee shop in the town of Kabul. The coffee shop is now a women’s shelter run by Yasmina and her husband Ahmet, who have two young daughters. Layla, Yasmina’s sister yearns for a freedom she thinks the people of Afghanistan deserve – she is outspoken on Instagram and frequents coffee shops and mixes with friends of both sexes.
There is also Halajan, Ahmet’s mother who remembers the time of Taliban rule before the American occupation which improved life for the people of Afghanistan. But as the American troops start to withdraw, refugees arrive in Kabul and as the hear rumours of the Taliban advancing towards the city, everyone becomes very frightened.
This was such an interesting and informative read. Set against the American’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, we see the people who fear for their freedom and what it will mean when the Taliban take over, The younger people in the story, can’t believe they’d be allowed to seize power, but they underestimate how frightened people are. Sunny as an American citizen is encouraged to leave as soon as possible but scared for her friends, delays her departure while her American friend tries to secure evacuation for her friends as well.
This really brought home to me how awful things are for people in Afghanistan. I watch the news but this really brought home the reality of life under Taliban rule. Even without Taliban rule, women were often still treated badly by husbands and family members, hence the need for the women’s shelter. It also offered an insight of what it was like for those who left Afghanistan and had to adjust to life in new countries.
I would highly recommend reading the first two instalments before reading this book. Rodriguez writes wonderful characters and I think it is worth getting to know them from the beginning. Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul was a tense read and offers an important commentary on this period of time. Highly recommended.
It has been eight years since Sunny Tedder left Afghanistan and her coffee shop in the town of Kabul. The coffee shop is now a women’s shelter run by Yasmina and her husband Ahmet, who have two young daughters. Layla, Yasmina’s sister yearns for a freedom she thinks the people of Afghanistan deserve – she is outspoken on Instagram and frequents coffee shops and mixes with friends of both sexes.
There is also Halajan, Ahmet’s mother who remembers the time of Taliban rule before the American occupation which improved life for the people of Afghanistan. But as the American troops start to withdraw, refugees arrive in Kabul and as the hear rumours of the Taliban advancing towards the city, everyone becomes very frightened.
This was such an interesting and informative read. Set against the American’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, we see the people who fear for their freedom and what it will mean when the Taliban take over, The younger people in the story, can’t believe they’d be allowed to seize power, but they underestimate how frightened people are. Sunny as an American citizen is encouraged to leave as soon as possible but scared for her friends, delays her departure while her American friend tries to secure evacuation for her friends as well.
This really brought home to me how awful things are for people in Afghanistan. I watch the news but this really brought home the reality of life under Taliban rule. Even without Taliban rule, women were often still treated badly by husbands and family members, hence the need for the women’s shelter. It also offered an insight of what it was like for those who left Afghanistan and had to adjust to life in new countries.
I would highly recommend reading the first two instalments before reading this book. Rodriguez writes wonderful characters and I think it is worth getting to know them from the beginning. Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul was a tense read and offers an important commentary on this period of time. Highly recommended.
August 21, 2023
Sunny returns to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul from the USA after 8 years, to visit her 'family' there - Just at the time Biden is deciding to remove US troops from the country's "Civil War". The young cannot believe the Taliban will ever reach Kabul, a false sense of security backed up by their mobile phones and internet access. The older citizens know better. We meet the cast of fictional characters from the previous books, like old friends.
A gut wrenching account of ordinary citizens fleeing the terror and horror that is the Taliban. The last third of the book I spent totally gobsmacked - we all saw the newsreels of people desperate to get out of the country, hanging on to planes, the crowds, the fighting (and even a suicide bomb). This fictional book - based on factual accounts, really brings home what it was like for ordinary famiies. No spoilers here, but read this and weep - for all those misplaced people and for those who had to remain under that regime.
A fascinating Author's afterword too ( - needs to be updated with the latest closure of all the beauty parlours too; the last meeting places of female friends, and the start point of Deborah Rodriguez's mission there). This book deserves to be read - we need to be reminded of what refugees have been through and the huge feats they face to build new lives in foreign countries (when all they really want to do is return to their former lives in peace)...
A gut wrenching account of ordinary citizens fleeing the terror and horror that is the Taliban. The last third of the book I spent totally gobsmacked - we all saw the newsreels of people desperate to get out of the country, hanging on to planes, the crowds, the fighting (and even a suicide bomb). This fictional book - based on factual accounts, really brings home what it was like for ordinary famiies. No spoilers here, but read this and weep - for all those misplaced people and for those who had to remain under that regime.
A fascinating Author's afterword too ( - needs to be updated with the latest closure of all the beauty parlours too; the last meeting places of female friends, and the start point of Deborah Rodriguez's mission there). This book deserves to be read - we need to be reminded of what refugees have been through and the huge feats they face to build new lives in foreign countries (when all they really want to do is return to their former lives in peace)...
February 8, 2025
“But I have witnessed the strength and resilience of Afghan people firsthand. The Afghans I know personally are doing everything they can to find a path forward. And even in the midst of so much uncertainty, one thing is for sure: they will never give up hope for their futures, and for the future of the country they love.”
The last book in the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul series and while I’m a tad sad to say goodbye, it was wrapped up well and this is my favourite of the three.
It’s sad to see history repeating itself, but that’s unfortunately the reality of the world we live in and this story was captured in both a raw, heartbreaking and also beautiful way.
It helps us to understand why people decide to stay in war zone countries - it’s for their family, their friends, to help others, to fight for their rights and simply just because it’s their home and that’s where there memories live.
This story also showcases the power that your voice and words can have, the kindness and hard word of others and how we should be thankful in many ways for technology in such situations.
We were able to see how the lives for all of our favourite characters ends up and like the other books, there were many Afghan traditions shared that are just beautiful - the reason behind starting their meals with eating Naan is one that will stick with me.
These characters felt like friends and now I say goodbye and thank-you to Deborah for deciding to go back and continue their stories.
The last book in the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul series and while I’m a tad sad to say goodbye, it was wrapped up well and this is my favourite of the three.
It’s sad to see history repeating itself, but that’s unfortunately the reality of the world we live in and this story was captured in both a raw, heartbreaking and also beautiful way.
It helps us to understand why people decide to stay in war zone countries - it’s for their family, their friends, to help others, to fight for their rights and simply just because it’s their home and that’s where there memories live.
This story also showcases the power that your voice and words can have, the kindness and hard word of others and how we should be thankful in many ways for technology in such situations.
We were able to see how the lives for all of our favourite characters ends up and like the other books, there were many Afghan traditions shared that are just beautiful - the reason behind starting their meals with eating Naan is one that will stick with me.
These characters felt like friends and now I say goodbye and thank-you to Deborah for deciding to go back and continue their stories.
November 17, 2023
Oh my heart ❤️ What an absolute bundle of perfection for the last in the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul series.
I first came across the first story in this trilogy in my late teens/early twenties I think. I fell in love with the story and fell in love again when I read Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. I was never even aware that there was a third and final book until I stumbled upon it in the library and my gosh I’m so happy I did.
This, for me, was by far the most intense and emotional book of the series - the description, the scene setting and the astounding quality of writing by Deborah really puts you right there in Kabul and makes you feel what the characters are feeling. The fact that what these characters go through is real and absolutely true for the people of Afghanistan makes it so much more emotional.
I was gripped by fear for these people and cried at various points in this story, particularly at the evacuation and airport scenes. I just cannot imagine how terrifying their ordeal must feel and additionally, I cannot understand how some people can be so ignorant and show such little compassion for Afghan refugees. What they have been through - and continue to go through - is unbelievably horrific.
This was just the perfect and most beautifully written ending to a wonderful series. This will affect you, if you’re remotely human - a must read
I first came across the first story in this trilogy in my late teens/early twenties I think. I fell in love with the story and fell in love again when I read Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. I was never even aware that there was a third and final book until I stumbled upon it in the library and my gosh I’m so happy I did.
This, for me, was by far the most intense and emotional book of the series - the description, the scene setting and the astounding quality of writing by Deborah really puts you right there in Kabul and makes you feel what the characters are feeling. The fact that what these characters go through is real and absolutely true for the people of Afghanistan makes it so much more emotional.
I was gripped by fear for these people and cried at various points in this story, particularly at the evacuation and airport scenes. I just cannot imagine how terrifying their ordeal must feel and additionally, I cannot understand how some people can be so ignorant and show such little compassion for Afghan refugees. What they have been through - and continue to go through - is unbelievably horrific.
This was just the perfect and most beautifully written ending to a wonderful series. This will affect you, if you’re remotely human - a must read
August 5, 2023
This book is a work of art! The descriptions were incredible! I felt like I was there. The characters were indept, strong, determined, sweet, and loving. Each character has so many layers. The writing is beautiful and captivating. It flowed really well and I need to pick up the previous books.
As this is the third book, I will admit, I got confused with the different characters, storyline and everything in genuinely, however that being said, the author did an amazing job at filling in some gaps for me, as a reader, so I was able to follow the story. After a few chapters, I felt "caught up" with the story.
Even though I didn't read the previous books, I felt the characters' support, compassion, and strength. I felt their emotions, and because of that, I was engrossed in their story.
This book is an eye opener, and even though it is fiction, it is well researched and based on facts.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, I would have loved to have read the previous books first, but I was still able to enjoy this book without doing so.
A massive thank you to little brown book group and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As this is the third book, I will admit, I got confused with the different characters, storyline and everything in genuinely, however that being said, the author did an amazing job at filling in some gaps for me, as a reader, so I was able to follow the story. After a few chapters, I felt "caught up" with the story.
Even though I didn't read the previous books, I felt the characters' support, compassion, and strength. I felt their emotions, and because of that, I was engrossed in their story.
This book is an eye opener, and even though it is fiction, it is well researched and based on facts.
Overall, I did enjoy this book, I would have loved to have read the previous books first, but I was still able to enjoy this book without doing so.
A massive thank you to little brown book group and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2023
I have read the other two books in this series, but if you have not don't worry as it's not necessary. There are references throughout to give a new reader the background on the relationships between the characters and a bit of the backstory.
This time we are in 2021 and the Taliban is moving across Afghanistan taking control back as the US forces leave. People are being displaced, attacked and having their freedom taken away. This is the scenario Sunny finds herself in as she is approaching the end of her visit back to Kabul checking in on her friends Yazmina, Layla, Kat, Halajan, Rashif and Ahmet.
Candace is again their guardian angel trying to coordinate the evacuation from Kabul with so many barriers in her way, she does not give up on her friends.
What I love about this book is the relationships between people and how the strength of these can bring them through adversity. This book also raises so many issues - the role of women in society, ideology and what happens when it is taken to its extreme, politics, culture and power. Overall though it is the love and trust between the characters that guide them through the twists and turns of this episode in their lives.
This time we are in 2021 and the Taliban is moving across Afghanistan taking control back as the US forces leave. People are being displaced, attacked and having their freedom taken away. This is the scenario Sunny finds herself in as she is approaching the end of her visit back to Kabul checking in on her friends Yazmina, Layla, Kat, Halajan, Rashif and Ahmet.
Candace is again their guardian angel trying to coordinate the evacuation from Kabul with so many barriers in her way, she does not give up on her friends.
What I love about this book is the relationships between people and how the strength of these can bring them through adversity. This book also raises so many issues - the role of women in society, ideology and what happens when it is taken to its extreme, politics, culture and power. Overall though it is the love and trust between the characters that guide them through the twists and turns of this episode in their lives.
April 7, 2025
I've just finished 'Farewell to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul' by Deborah Rodriguez. The third in the trilogy, this is the one that was never meant to be written. But in the aftermath of the evacuation of the Americans and the re-takeover by the Taliban, she felt she had to return to her characters and write this chapter of their stories. It starts with the depiction of a modern and vibrant Kabul. Even as other parts of the country fall, no-one really believes it will happen in Kabul. Well, we all know how that ended - I can still remember how I felt listening to the news and being angry and frustrated at how little understanding the 'experts' had about what was likely to happen and how scared and horrified I was for the people, especially the women, there. (I wrote my undergrad dissertation on Afghanistan at the time it was last under Taliban control, so I had to dig pretty deeply into it then and all that came flooding back.)
This book upset me, but I'd still say it was a book I loved. It's a good story, but also one you can learn a lot from.
This book upset me, but I'd still say it was a book I loved. It's a good story, but also one you can learn a lot from.
December 1, 2023
(3.5)
I found this third and final novel in the series the most compelling. The cast of characters remained constant from the first novel, many of them endearing themselves to the reader as the author personalised and intensified her coverage of the impact of the imminent fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. We have all seen and been shocked by the reports of the evacuation of Afghanistan at the airport, the hordes of desperate foreigners and Afghanis clinging to the hope of being able to leave the country, some even hanging onto the outside of the planes as they made their way down the runway.
Rodriguez explores the resilience and strength of the Afghani people through her fiction, their despair and their hope, their fear and their love. Although somewhat melodramatic, the novel remained engaging and allowed me to see more than the anonymous faces shown by the media.
I found this third and final novel in the series the most compelling. The cast of characters remained constant from the first novel, many of them endearing themselves to the reader as the author personalised and intensified her coverage of the impact of the imminent fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban. We have all seen and been shocked by the reports of the evacuation of Afghanistan at the airport, the hordes of desperate foreigners and Afghanis clinging to the hope of being able to leave the country, some even hanging onto the outside of the planes as they made their way down the runway.
Rodriguez explores the resilience and strength of the Afghani people through her fiction, their despair and their hope, their fear and their love. Although somewhat melodramatic, the novel remained engaging and allowed me to see more than the anonymous faces shown by the media.
April 3, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ ~ This most heartbreaking thing about the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul trilogy is that it’s based on the harrowing experiences of so many Afghan women and those, like Sunny, who try desperately to help them escape the harsh realities they would face to stay in Afghanistan’s. This novel was a fantastic end to the series and I enjoyed reading about Sunny’s return to Kabul and the closure it offered her. The changing and chaotic landscape of Kabul is scary and confronting as the main characters wrestle with leaving everything they know or staying behind in the unknown. It was surreal to read the world of the story change in a chapter, overnight, as Kabul falls. I’m rating 3.5 because I just think the first book is so good and I would have loved to delve in to the lives of some other characters more in this one. Highly recommend this trilogy.
October 31, 2024
" No matter where we find ourselves in this big, wide, crazy world, we will forever be united. We will always be there for one another. Together, we are unstoppable. "
Number 3 in this series and the final book, and what a way to end.
We are in the year 2021, where they Taliban are over taking Afghanistan. Following the same charaters as the previous books, we read they are thrown into a life of uncertainty about how the lives as women could be changed as they know it.
You read about women standing up for what they believe in and the danger that it puts not just on themselves but their families too.
It was a very emotional read, hoping that they all get out of the country to safety and how grateful they all are just for family. It was a lovely end to the series.
Number 3 in this series and the final book, and what a way to end.
We are in the year 2021, where they Taliban are over taking Afghanistan. Following the same charaters as the previous books, we read they are thrown into a life of uncertainty about how the lives as women could be changed as they know it.
You read about women standing up for what they believe in and the danger that it puts not just on themselves but their families too.
It was a very emotional read, hoping that they all get out of the country to safety and how grateful they all are just for family. It was a lovely end to the series.
July 8, 2025
I bought this book at the Lifeline Bookfest for $2 and didn’t think much of. Incidentally I’ve read the third book in the series but it didn’t seem too obvious, there were a lot of reference points to the past but I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. This book really surprised me and it is not normally a book I would have picked up. If you had told me I would enjoy a book about the Taliban I would have never thought I would enjoy it. But this book weaves that story in such a way that is from the human and personal perspective, and you feel like you are experiencing it with the characters. I feel smarter for having read it and while it is a fictional book I know it draws on real life experiences and I’m glad books like this are shedding light on these very real circumstances.
February 22, 2024
The most stunning end to a book series I've read in a long while! It tugs at your heartstrings, made me cry more than once and yet the ending is gloriously feelgood.
If you're looking to understand what's going on in Afghanistan, this is the series for you. Clever, warm and full of heart the author paints a beautiful picture of Afghanistan whilst recognising its issues in such a sensitive manner. The characters jump off the page, they're nuanced and feel like real people.
One of my favourite things about this book is the author's emphasis on female empowerment and how women in Afghanistan have hopes and dreams just like any other. I absolutely loved this book!
If you're looking to understand what's going on in Afghanistan, this is the series for you. Clever, warm and full of heart the author paints a beautiful picture of Afghanistan whilst recognising its issues in such a sensitive manner. The characters jump off the page, they're nuanced and feel like real people.
One of my favourite things about this book is the author's emphasis on female empowerment and how women in Afghanistan have hopes and dreams just like any other. I absolutely loved this book!
December 28, 2024
I finished this book in less than 24 hours. I haven’t read a book so captivating in a long long time. This kind of book reminds me why I love reading. This is the third in a series, but the first one of the series I have read .. I am immediately going to read the first and second book. The characters are so loveable, the struggles are heartbreaking and the strength is inspiring. I have also learned more about the culture and life in Afghanistan than any class or news programme has ever taught me, it has been eye opening. Everyone needs to read this book
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