Saving Kabul Corner

by N.H. Senzai

From Afghanistan to America, family matters most in this “empowering mystery” ( Publishers Weekly ), a companion to Shooting Kabul , which Kirkus Reviews called a “story with much to offer.”

A rough and tumble tomboy, twelve-year-old Ariana couldn’t be more different from her cousin Laila, who just arrived from Afghanistan with her family. Laila is a proper, ladylike Afghan girl, one who can cook, sew, sing, and who is well versed in Pukhtun culture and manners. Arianna hates her. Laila not only invades Ariana’s bedroom in their cramped Fremont townhouse, but she also becomes close with Mariam Nurzai, Ariana’s best friend.

Then a rival Afghan grocery store opens near Ariana’s family store, reigniting a decades-old feud tracing back to Afghanistan. The cousins, Mariam, and their newfound frenemy, Waleed Ghilzai, must ban together to help the families find a lasting peace before it destroys both businesses and everything their parents have worked for.

“Senzai successfully weaves the dynamics of Afghan culture, history and political wranglings into a classically American mystery story ( Kirkus Reviews ).”

Genres: Mystery, Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Family, Friendship, Historical Fiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published February 4, 2014

About the author

I grew up speaking two languages, balancing life lived on the edge of two cultures, and, happily, two cuisines—tandoori chicken and hot dogs, grilled side by side on the 4th of July. I got on a plane for the first time at two months, in Chicago, IL, where I was born, and have been travelling ever since. I grew up in San Francisco, Jubail, Saudi Arabia, and attended boarding school in London, England where I was voted “most likely to lead a literary revolution” due to my ability to get away with reading comic books in class. I’ve hiked across the Alps, road-tripped through Mexico, swum with barracudas in the Red Sea, taken a train across the Soviet Union, floated down the Nile, eaten gumbo in New Orleans and sat in contemplation at the Taj Mahal. Somewhere along the way I attended UC Berkeley and Columbia University, picked up a couple of degrees, while pursuing my passion for writing. I’ve landed back home in San Francisco where I live with my husband, a professor of political science, my son, and a cat who owns us. During the day I can be found working for a consulting firm that helps companies with their inventions and patents.

Reviews

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve-year old-Ariana Shinwari can't wait to have her own room in the new house that her parents have just put a deposit on. But for now, she must share her small bedroom with her grandmother Hava Bibi and her cousin Laila, who has just recently arrived from Afghanistan with her mother. Laila's father is still in Afghanistan, working as a translator for the Americans army, a dangerous job that makes him a traitor as far as the Taliban is concerned.

Everyone makes such a fuss over Laila and everything she does, much to the annoyance of Ariana. Not only that, Laila was the perfect Afghani girl - she can cook, sew, recite classical Afghani poetry and speak three languages _ Pukhto, Farsi and English. The only thing Ariana felt she could do in comparison is speak English. Ariana's jealousy of her cousin reaches the boiling point when it looks like Laila is trying to take away her best friend, Mariam.

But soon there are even bigger problems than Laila's presence in Ariana's world. In the same strip mall, Wong Plaza, that the Shinwari's have their Afghani grocery store, providing the income that will pay for the house with Ariana's new private bedroom, another Afgani grocery store is about to open at the other end of the mall - Pamir Market, owned by the Ghilzai family. And to make things worse still, the Shinwaris and the Ghilzais were part of a feud that began back in Afghanistan, according to Hava Bibi.

Supposedly, that feud had been resolved and left behind in Afghanistan when the families migrated to America, or so everyone thought. But when a flyer shows up all over the mall claiming that Pamir Market doesn't sell Halal meat, and when Kabul Corner is broken into and all their stock destroyed, everyone thinks the feud has been resurrected and retaliations seem to be getting more and more dangerous.

Yet, even as the rivalry between the two stores heats up and escalates, Ariana and Laila discover that maybe they can be friends after all. And it a good thing, because they are going to have to work together, along with Mariam and fellow classmate Wali Ghilzai to solve the mystery behind who is now trying to destroy both grocery stores after Ariana makes an interesting discovery.

There is so much going on in Saving Kabul Corner and yet it isn't overwhelming or confusing. I actually liked how the feud between the Shinwari and Ghilzai families paralleled that of Ariana and Laila, as did that fact that these feuds were resolved amicably. Young readers will easily see the connection and understand the resolution. And bringing in Laila and Wali to help them figure out who is trying to reignite the old Afghani feud shows some real growth on Ariana's part in learning to get along.

Saving Kabul Corner is a well-written novel that gives the reader some nice insight into what life is like for Afghan Americans struggling to make better lives for themselves. And, through Laila's story, the reader also sees what life is often like now in war torn Afghanistan. When her father goes missing, just thinking that he might be in the hands of the Taliban makes it clear that for families like the Shinwarls the violence in Afghanistan still impacts their lives.

Author N.H. Senzai includes a nice glossary at the back of the book for terms that may not be familiar to non-Afghani readers, and an Author's Note that should definitely be read. Though some readers may find the ending a little predictable, or a little too pat, but Saving Kabul Corner is still a book not to be missed and a nice chance to learn something about a different culture. And even though Saving Kabul Corner is a companion book to Shooting Kabul (which is the story of how Ariana's best friend Mariam left Afghanistan), both books also stand alone very nicely.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL

This review was originally posted on Randomly Reading

[G Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

😻

I loved this book it was full of mystery and fun. It had a big twist which keep me reading till the very end.

[lucien alexander “sasha” · Rating 4 out of 5]

fast-paced and intriguing (except the end, which was rushed and sort of corny). i solved the "mystery" super early on but found the book fun and eminently readable. the side plots (about a family member missing in Afghanistan, a mean girl at school, Sensory Processing Disorder, and various familial misunderstandings) kept things both serious and lively, a reminder that real life has no narrative structure nor neatly tied ends, but is a series of overlapping and interwoven stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the world. the main character was likable and very human.

[Daelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. I learned a lot about the history and culture of Afghanistan, and about the plight of Afghan refugees and immigrants who fled the violence in their country and came to America. The moral of this story can be summed up as, "Don't jump to conclusions and don't hold grudges."

[Gsmyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine engaging young adult book about Afghani culture and the trials faced when moving to the United States- but still having ties to Afghanistan. The main plot has to do with a mystery of a family feud. Easy for an adult to figure out what was happening long before it was shared....so kind of predictable. But reasonable for middle school and beyond to learn about other cultures and what foreigners experience in the United States. I liked how the Mariam crossed over between the two books and would have to agree with what kids wrote to Senzai- that there should be a story about her alone and what happened to her when she was left behind when her family escaped Afghanistan.

[Emily O'Donnel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like a quintessential middle school novel. I loved learning about Afghan culture throughout the story. The plot and mystery was highly engaging. This will definitely be an option for my middle school novel study groups.

[Chessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really. Neat middle grade novel that tries to do a little too much (family drama that is quickly resolved and eclipsed by a mystery). I appreciated Ariana's grumpy tween self and the scrappy group of kids that work together to solve a mystery affected their families. Wraps up WAY too neat and a bit jarring at the end, but sweet story overall.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a companion novel to Shooting Kabul, but you don't have to read that book to enjoy this one. Ariana's family owns Kabul Corner, the Afghanistan grocery store in Wong Plaza. They are crushed when a rival store opens across the plaza. Not only is Pamir Market a new store, but it is run by a rival family from Afghanistan. When both stores are vandalized, Ariana and her friends realize neither of the families did it. So Ariana, her cousin Laila, friend Mariam and frenemy Wali investigate and uncover who is really behind the sabotage.

I really enjoy books about different cultures and I haven't read much about Afghanistan. I liked the mix of people who had immigrated years before, people born in America and recent immigrants. It gives the reader a nice mix to the story's of the characters. I also liked the fact that the families were a nice multi-generational mix. I thought the mystery was a bit far-fetched but maybe that was just the fact that the kids solved it without adult help. It did make me want to read the first book which is about Mariam however.

[Dagmar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this mystery and know my tween readers will like it as well. I loved Shooting Kabul, the author's first novel. I thought the author did a great job combining themes that middle schoolers can relate to with believable outcomes. The main character, Ariana, is jealous when her pretty cousin from Afghanistan moves in with her. Her cousin is not only pretty, she can relate to their grandmother's stories from Afghanistan and now is in all Ari's best friend's classes. I liked the tension that is created when it appears that an age old feud has followed Ariana's family from Afghanistan and threatens to ruin the family's grocery store, Kabul Corner. I do wish we would have heard a little more about Mariam from Shooting Kabul but hope this means that the author is working on her third book. Lastly, i love reading a book that takes place nearby and introduces my students to Afghani culture.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great and even though the story line was simplistic I loved the cultural diversity. I haven't read much about Afghan culture and I'm really happy that she included so many traditional terms and acts and dress wear for readers to be fully engaged in the culture. It was a wonderful book and I can't wait to read more from her and learn more about Afghanistan.

The only issue I think I had with the book was that I still don't think the evidence was enough to prove that the accused individual was responsible for causing so many issues. I wish it was explained a little bit more instead of a brief summary as an epilogue.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book! This is by the same author as Shooting Kabul, but you don't need to read them in order. I love both books but for different reasons. This one, Saving Kabul Corner, is set in California and tells how important it is to listen and work together. Ariana and Laila do not get along because each girl has a different perspective. Two families don't get along either, again because of perspective.

In life, we need to take a step back and see events through other people's eyes before we jump to conclusions and place blame and judge. Our world would be so much better if everyone did that! We don't have to all agree, but we do need to be kind.

[Nanette Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

What if Nancy Drew were an Afghan-American whose father ran the local Afghan market in a small northern California town? I especially like the American fusion of cultures in everyday life in this story--for example, they used won ton wrappers to make "aushak, a kind of ravioli filled with leeks and spices." So even though Ariana's family are Muslim and they are sheltering cousins who had to flee Afghanistan because of the war, they seemed 100% American to me.

[Imtiaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read "Shooting Kabul" and really enjoyed it, so I was excited to read her latest. This was fun to read, both because of the well drawn characters and the mystery solving the kids do together. It was also nice to catch up with the charachters from "Shooting Kabul".

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd rate it about a 4.5 --- because of the overuse of character names. The story was good.
Daughter rated it 5.0

[Jennybeast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story about learning to look beyond the surface and find peace with your imagined enemies.
SPL Global Reading Challenge 2016

[Maha S · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was so awesome, after I read the first book, I had to find more, because the author writes it in such a good way.

[Esapzai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible book filled with so much misinformation. Senzai did the bare minimum in her research. The perspective is so American sided, for example she called Dr Najibullah "a communist puppet" when he was neither communist nor a puppet. They said he killed after the Soviets left but he was killed almost 5 years after the Soviet Union collapsed and almost 8 years since the Soviets Withdrew. Dr Najibullah was a man with Afghan interests in mind but in typical American fashion they brush over that. The book glorifies the Mujahedeen terrorists and even paints the T*liban in a better light not mentioning the Pakistani interference and her pinning the whole Taliban on Pashtuns, Really? Another inaccuracy: The Soviets never overthrew Zahir Shah, Parchamites (The Moderate faction of the PDPA) helped Prince Daoud Khan get into power during a bloodless coup. Zahir Shah was in Italy getting eye surgery because he couldn't build proper facilities in Afghanistan itself yet this book acts as if he was a great reformer when King Amanullah already did those reforms decades prior. Did Senzai get her info from the infographic show? As a Pashtun this book pisses me off so much for the blatant inaccuracies and disrespect. The Soviets never invaded Afghanistan, President Taraki requested Soviet forces to fight a CIA backed terrorist group but the Soviets who had a Friendship treaty with Afghanistan didn't intervene until Amin (Hated by everyone except America) killed Taraki. The Soviets replaced the tyrannical Amin with Parchamites and in 1987 Dr Najibullah, a Pashtun Nationalist came into power. The West and Pakistan hated him because he was a very strong man. There is a reason he didnt flee Afghanistan and stayed in Kabul. He fought till the end, his army could fight but they didnt have fuel. Yet Senzai strokes Ashraf Ghani's balls when Ghani lost in 3 weeks, Dr Najib lasted 3 years fighting groups heavily backed by Arabs, Pakistanis, Americans and Chinese money, he only had to put down arms when American puppet Boris Yeltsin cut aid tilting the balance to the Mujahadeen.

Garbage piece of American Propaganda

[Karen Gedeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saving Kabul Corner by N. H. Senzai - tells the story of Ariana, the Afghan tween whose family owns a local Afghan grocery store. Ariana is dealing with a compulsive disorder, an overcrowded home and blending her native culture with American culture when her cousin Laila moves in, sharing an already overcrowded bedroom. Straight from Afghanistan, Ariana feels Laila can relate better to her own family than she can and the jealousy begins. As the two experience life under the same roof they begin to see life through each other’s experiences and jealousy is put aside. At the same time a new Afghan family opens a store in direct competition within a block of Ariana’s which brings tension and deceptive business practices into the neighborhood. With both families blaming each other, it is up to Ariana and her friends to find out who is really behind the attacks on their businesses. Senzai does a beautiful job walking readers through Ariana’s feelings and experiences giving readers tools to work through their own issues. The author also brings much Afghan culture and current events into the story including vocabulary, food/clothing and the kidnapping of Laila’s father who is acting as an interpreter for American forces back in Afghanistan. A fantastic solo, small or large group read for grades 3-7.

[Emma G · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got this book as a 7th grade summer reading and ended up reading it halfway through 8th grade. The main character was SO ANNOYING that it made it a struggle to finish the book. Her cousin is a war refugee, and this kid is JEALOUS of the attention her cousin is getting BECAUSE HER DAD WENT MISSING. Like, get a grip. Being a war refugee is NOT a privilege. Also, this kid literally says (to another kid that just moved to the town) "Go back to stupid LA (or wherever they came from). Nobody wants you here." In the Author's note, it says "I didn't want to publish this book for a couple years because it was about such harsh topics" (or something like that). I guess the premise was to talk about the war Afghanistan in a child-friendly way. All it did was discredit the people who went through the war (the best friend was forgotten in Afghanistan by her family and ended up perfectly fine??). The war was mentioned like 5 times throughout the book and the rest was about this corrupt mayor in a small town in California. If you want to write about a war, write about the war. If you want to write about corruption, write about corruption. But don't claim your book is about the war if it isn't. Anyways, I ended up making blackout poetry with the book.

[Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was phenomenal. The characters are diverse and interesting. The plot though predictable at times is really detailed and has a twist (that readers may suspect). It was a pleasant change to have a non-white narrative that also didn't apologize or explain cultural aspects or non-English words in the text (though there is a glossary). I think this simultaneously increases inclusive representation in children's literature and challenges readers to recognize that there are other cultures (with their own norms) besides their own that they should be aware of (and dare I say, learn about). The family and friendship dynamics sometimes have universal relatable moments too. The result is a full-bodied story that engages readers till the end.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve enjoyed Senzai’s other books and this was my first choice for school closure #bookaday.

Once again her characters grapple with their role in their families and with living between two identities or communities. Ariana was born in California. Suddenly, although it’s always been her home, Ari is the one who feels left out when her perfect, Afghan cousin, Laila arrives-ladylike and fluent in multiple languages.

It’s also a bit of a mystery. Bad things start happening to their family’s store. Can Ari and Laila work together to find whodunnit before it’s too late? Who else will they need to find the culprit?

[Ziya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute read - although I’ve yet to read the book that comes before, I really enjoyed Ariana’s story. The amount of care and detail in describing her life, right down to her love of origami paper and textures, really resonated with me. I also loved the focus on family, particularly with her cousin Leila and how the two bonded despite their initial differences.

Sure, I’m not the target audience (and it was a little hard for me to get through because so much of this hit home), but it was still such an engaging and fun read. I would recommend this for anyone who loves mysteries and family, and seeing how much a young girl would do to keep her loved ones safe.

[Willy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saving Kabul Corner is a really good continuation of the Kabul Series by N.H. Senzai. In this book there is really good Character development with the main characters. The Book is very different from Shooting Kabul, as it is takes place in America and has a very different storyline. This is more of a mystery type book compared to hooting Kabul. In this one the characters are well developed, and they stick to the plot line very well. This Is a really good book for those who like history and fiction.

[Monika Schrock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fine piece of writing by a great writer. Senzai captures the emotions of not only Arianna but both families. A quick but faithful look at Afghan culture while exploring the very real concept that there are good and bad people in all cultures. Being a Veteran of Iraq I can sympathize with the rolling tides of emotion listening to war reports from Afghanistan and wondering if your loved one will survive? This story is both compelling and easy to read.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author writes well and knows her topic, but this one is not quite as compelling as the first book. Also, a bit disconcerting that the children had to resort to lying and then stealing documents in order to solve the mystery. Surely there were more honorable ways to work this all out, including sharing their suspicions with the adults and law enforcement.

[Premala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its one of those books through which I learnt alot about the Afghanistan people and their culture. Normally we read about it in the news and the media but this gives us an insight as to what a family actually go through during those times. I really enjoyed the book about Ariana and how she managed to save her family store. Its really good

[Patti Sabik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this companion book to Shooting Kabul, since the first book had bee so great and I thought the story had concluded. I loved how we catch up with Mariam, yet this book is a unique story unto itself. It is a wonderful tale of mystery and friendship.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this quickly, so clearly I enjoyedit. If I hadn't bee enjoyable, it would have been more a of a trudge. And it's nice to see characters from Afghanistan and learn a little about the culture. It is a tad predictable as I was able to surmise who did it pretty early on.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but a bit too didactic for me in places (that's what I get for reading YA, I guess). It got more interesting once the mystery-solving started.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story. Mystery mixed with family and friendships.