Life is a Movie

by Samman Akbarzada

Her husband is killed by the Taliban, now Rukhsaar is a widow with a ten-year-old child, Masih, in a land where the colour drains from faces when they hear, "It's a girl."




Reminiscing about her past, Rukhsaar and her son wander the bazaars of Kabul, Afghanistan, looking for a new home and means to survive. She finds employment as a maid, and the measly income pays for a room until her health fails, and she needs an operation to live.




Masih is forced to find work and is challenged by the offerings: prostitution and drugs. He lands a shoe-shining job that doesn't last, returning him to the streets, looking for the means to pay for the rent and his mother's medical needs. He meets a boy, though an addict and a thief, who turns to be Masih's ally.

'Incredibly sad, it will rip your heart out but still leave you wanting to read more'

214 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2021

About the author

I'm an author from Afghanistan. Writing is my escape from a reality that gets hard to face sometimes. Working on projects such as writing novels and poems has become an indispensable part of my life. It is my weapon to support the silenced.

Through writing, I want to play my little part. I want to paint a picture of what I think the world should look like; how it should accept its collective responsibility to build nations where children are not victims of greedy warlords, where women do not have to fight to be seen as human beings, and where peace is real, tangible, and even palpable— not merely a wish on a shooting star. I will always strive to use whatever talents and abilities I have to do whatever I can, as best I can, for all my fellow citizens held hostage and suffering behind closed doors because I have so much love and hope for them.

While living in the saddest country in the world, enduring and overcoming had to be innate. Writing is my gentle respite, it takes me far away from all that overwhelms me. Puts me in a flow state where I can pour my heart and bleed on ivory pages until it is good again and time to withstand.

Reviews

[Zana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

While this needs a hell of a lot of copy editing, proofreading, and formatting (and even some developmental editing near the end), I still enjoyed the story and its characters!

I'm usually a pretty harsh reviewer when it comes to readability issues (anything that needs extensive edits is usually either a DNF or gets a low score), but I actually really liked this story. If there was a significant overhaul and this indie novel came out polished instead of in its current raw state, I'd gladly give it a higher rating.

Rukhsaar and Masih were compelling characters. I ended up liking the flashbacks to Rukhsaar's childhood, and I'm speaking as someone who dislikes back and forth flashbacks in general since they distract me. It was really cool to immerse myself in a different society with different values. The misogyny and patriarchy were portrayed so well to the point where I was really irritated and uncomfortable with what was happening to Rukhsaar.

The author also did really well with writing parts of the story from a child's POV. You could feel emotions such as confusion, shame, and wonder that comes with seeing the world through a child's eyes. But I gotta say though, for a kid, Masih was lucky as hell.

Other than the editing problems, I only had a couple of issues with this novel. I wished the setting was described more fully. I had to Google Kabul and various mentioned places to fully understand what I was reading about.

And like other reviewers have mentioned, the last few chapters where Masih reads Arvin's journal felt out of place. It needed developmental edits to really integrate the journal entries and poetry into the actual story itself.

I also wanted more out of Masih's situation since Arvin didn't quite feel fully developed to me.

Overall, this was a quick read and kept me enthralled from beginning to end.

[Terry Lister]

My first reaction is to think what a strange title. However, once I got to reading, l understood the relevance of the title. I enjoyed this book but it drew a strong emotional response from me.  There is a touchy feely aspect to this. It is hard to read this and not be emotionally overpowered. I found myself thinking about what are the important  things in life. I thought of the number of times I have been upset by something that was so inconsequential compared to those suffered by the characters in the book.
This book provides an insight into life in Afghanistan. For us living in countries where women are respected, the life of this woman is an eye opener for those who are not aware of how awful life truly is in places like Afghanistan. While the writing style does create some difficulties, the story is so entriging that l was able to move past the writing style as l sought to grasp the essence of this family's struggle.
If you wish to understand and digest life under a totally different regime, read this book.

[Magenta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Kingsley Publishers for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very haunting and poignant book, however the writing style made it less enjoyable than it could have been. As a mother myself, this book definitely tugged at my heart strings and the emotion in the writing was very real and raw. I was very interested in the setting and seeing how people live in Afghanistan and would like to read more about it.

[Ritaban Biswas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up in India, I can only imagine what it must be like to be an Afghani child with aspirations and substance living in the harsh, inhospitable terrain of Afghanistan. No matter how this book is rated or reviewed, no number of stars or words could capture the suffering that children like Masih experience in the said nation, including the agony of losing parents in the face of appalling political circumstances. I don't know what it's like to lose a job in tough times, or how newlywed brides feel to lose their husbands. As harsh as it may sound, all of these situations are typical for an Afghan commoner.

I'm not sure how to assess Life is a Movie. It took me a while to figure out what was going on because I found the writing style to be very unusual. It lacked a natural flow, leapt around quite a bit, and I frequently lost track of who was who and where they felt suitable. I did at times question my capacity to keep reading it. The poetry and journaling sections that are included at the book's conclusion struck me as being rather strange and out of place with the rest of the narrative. I'm glad I read it because it was quite poignant given the situation in Afghanistan today.

Masih and his mother's story was one of grief but also contained glints of hope, and I felt an emotional connection to both of them. This book definitely grasped at my heartstrings and helped me understand some of the important cultural experiences that the Afghani women go through. A tragic tale made all the more heartbreaking by the terrible things happening in Afghanistan right now.

[Literature Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masih is a young boy who seems to have entered grade two. The boy is filled with deep enthusiasm and is living life full zest. His lively and chirpy conversations with his parents helps us in understanding that he is quite ambitious, confident lad who is optimistic in regards to future.

But once his father leaves on assignment...Things begin to change for him as he is now forced to leave school and eventually at tender age, he begins to see life from the perspective of 60 yrs old man.

He is unable to see his mother suffer constantly..both in physical and emotional form. His mother Rukhsar is working as a domestic help & is constantly struggling with their daily needs. She tries saving money in order to send Masih to school but is unable to. This makes her frustrated and she removes the frustration on Masih.

Masih tries seeking a job for himself in order to help his mom but his mom is not satisfied with his 100 bucks. The struggle for decent survival is quite traumatic.

But the real struggle begins when they are forced out of homes cos of army forces.

Cos of this we see how children aged around 6 or even less are forced to act as adults. There are constant explosions due to which people are getting separated from families. Mothers are giving birth to children is such times and they have no assurance about their lives.

Death seems to be lingering on their head constantly. The way Masih counts the days when is mom is in hospital is highly poignant.

Children losing parents, people losing jobs, newly wed brides losing husbands, children forced out of school seems to be a normal scenario for common man in Afghanistan.

This book helped me understand as to how petty my problems are and it really made a a grateful person.

[Anshula Nema · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is a Movie by Samman Akbarzada

We all have heard the saying, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Well, Masih, the protagonist of this story actually does that and sort of wins at life.

Coming to the plot of the book, it makes you question a lot of things happening around the world and at times will make furious. From lossing husband to wandering on the streets - finding a job so that you can feed your child to the pain a child feels when he losses both his parents to surviving politics and the uncertainties of life. The plot makes you go through a lot of emotions at once.

I will appreciate the author for the narration and how the plot is written but there are certain times where I felt that the continuity is being lost and the connect is not very prominent from the previous scenes or the chapters.

Having said that, what kept me going was the will and the strength that Rukhsaar and her son, Masih showed throughout the book.

This book not only talks about the real world from a fictional point but also captures it very prominently. You will find topics like domestic abuse, prostitution, patriarchal supremacy, politics throughout this book.

Why should you read this book?
Read it for the little protagonist who does not gives up on finding a life for himself till the end and if it does not seem like a good enough reason, read it for the harsh reality of the world.

[Anjali Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

For lovers of Khaled Hosseini's books, I highly recommend "Life Is A Movie" by Samman Akbarzada. This beautifully written novel highlights the pain that women face in Afghanistan, a country where they are often marginalized and mistreated.

The story follows Rukhsaar, a widow with a young son, as they struggle to survive in a society that is hostile towards women. As they wander the bazaars of Kabul searching for a new home, Rukhsaar takes a job as a maid to support her family. However, when her health fails, she is faced with a difficult decision that could cost her life.

Meanwhile, Rukhsaar's son Masih is forced to find work in order to pay for their expenses. He is confronted with the harsh realities of life in Kabul, including the temptations of prostitution and drugs. However, he manages to find an ally in a boy who is also struggling to survive on the streets.

This is an incredibly sad novel that will rip your heart out, but it is also a story of resilience and hope. Despite the hardships that Rukhsaar and Masih face, they never lose their determination to survive and provide a better life for themselves. The author's writing is powerful and poignant, and he does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life. Overall, "Life Is A Movie" is a must-read for fans of Hosseini's work and anyone interested in the struggles of women in Afghanistan.

[Shrestha Hira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is a Movie, the title, is great at deception. With no context whatsoever, you might think of it to be some warm and fuzzy book but it's far from that.🙃
It's heartbreaking and soul crushing. Uncanny, how this fiction is not far from facts.

Our little protagonist Masih is just as enthusiastic and curious as kids of his age, but his miseries are nothing one can even imagine.💔

As soon as you start reading, it's daunting to you how difficult it is to be a woman or a child in the land of violence.
Rukhsar, Masih's mother had her dreams of building a small beautiful home with her newly wed husband and child is stomped to dust by the Taliban, leaving the young woman and her child to suffer in the cruel world of fundamentalists. 🏴

Even though it took me some time to understand who is who and what is actually happening in the first half of the book, as too many characters were introduced too early but slowly the painful story started setting in my heart.‼️

If you love to read books that are inherently painful and make your heart cry for the victims, you can pick this book up.😌

[Shruti Shinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a melancholy in it. You can feel the experiences even though they seem foreign to you. There are plot twists in the story and you won't expect it. The writing style has lot of flashbacks, and it's easy to read. There are different characters with their differences. The son and mom duo is heart warming. Even though its fiction it's going to shatter you because it's real. Hope is found in many ways by the protagonist. There's also alot sense of humor which brings a crackle and smile to your face. You will fall in love with some characters and their duo.
Certain phrases and words were repeated, but overall this book surely did it's work. It feels personal to me.. Life is a movie, act your role ❤️

[Stephenson Holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

International reading.

Another delve into international writing for me, this time to Afghanistan, pre the current take over. The protagonist is a woman and suffers from being so. Those with an open mind will read the book knowing that cultures are different throughout the world, as are values, and therefore the value of a woman's thoughts and freedoms are also different. We learn about the power of a wife's mother in law, how difficult it is for a woman to ear enough for rent and food, and how that struggle unfolds.
An interesting read, and one where the English is in a style that puts an accent in your mind, and scattered with Afghan words that are understandable in their context and add to the flavour of the novel.
I enjoyed, and you also may do.

[Fatima · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book the author portrays the life of common man in Afghanistan who are affected by the Taliban. Masih is a synonym representation of young children mostly middle class or you can say the masses.

It's quite traumatic to see a child pass through such circumstances at such an young age but unfortunately is the brutal truth of many Afghani people.

For those who have not explored different genres in writing.. the writer's writing style might be difficult for them to understand but I appreciate her writing style as it brings out the rawness as she uses Afghani terms and Afghani way of speaking English.

[Sakshi Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life is a Movie"by the Author Samman Akbarzada transports you to Afghanistan.
With backdrop of War Torn country,Masih a young boy dares to dream.
The life of Masih and his widow mother Rukhsaar is amidst Rigid Belief systems,Bigotry,Sexism and poverty,

The Synopsis gives you enough to make you inquisitive. And don't want to giveaway the story so let's talk about how I felt.
Masih has endured a lot of pain at this young age.He is struggling with alot of issues also a Depressed,Ailing and grieving Mother.

It is intriguing and heart-wrenching at the same time.
I found the story little dragged but that's my opinion.

[Jude Srivalsan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start! I read this in an evening as I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to find out what would happen to Masih next and whether his misfortune in life would continue as he seemed quite a happy child.
I love books that give you an insight into other countries and their history and beliefs and this didn’t disappoint. I was happy, sad, cross and hopeful all in the same reading period!
There were bits I had to reread to get straight in my mind and there are still bits I’m puzzling over so I will definitely read again!!

[Sakshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as I enjoyed the plot, the writing style kind of annoyed me. There were parts I couldn't connect. The flow was uneven. But I went on for the plot. The story is emotional and heartbreaking, no doubt. There were parts where I was furious, while there were parts I was smiling. Characters like Rukhsar (at most points), Mujeeb and Arvin made this story only more beautiful. And Masih, oh you little soul. I feel so much empathy towards you. While everyone left you one by one, you were broken. But you still made it in life. You are stronger than you know. You won.

[Calyn Wilkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this book and did enjoy reading it, however, I found certain parts of it very confusing and difficult to put in place. It jumped around a bit at times and I struggled with that. I really felt for both Masih and his mother and their story was one of sadness but with flickers of hope too. This book certainly opened my eyes to some of the significant cultural experiences that the women felt and certainly tugged at my emotions, especially as I am a mother.

[Cally Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book quite difficult to read - it jumped about quite a lot and there were times when I had to look back to check who people were and how they fitted together, there didn’t seem to be a natural flow to the story. A sad story made more poignant by the terrible events unfolding in Afghanistan currently.

[julie young · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartbreaking read. This was not an easy read, the battle of a mother and son just to survive in a violent, brutal society where the value of women and children is minimal. Told through flashback chapters which sometimes made it a bit confusing to read. The authors poetic writing was beautiful but raw. A very poignant picture of life in Afghanistan especially at this particular time.

[Beccy Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book so hard to read. It’s such a haunting premise of love and loss and read in the context of the current situation I found it almost unbearable.
The story hooks the reader but the narrative is scattered across to many time references and it’s hard to keep track- if you can read The Witcher you’ll be ok with this
A poignant read

[Gayathri Sivasubramanian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just loved the natural and unique way of writing in this book. The story revolving around the small boy Masih and his mother Rukhsaar is giving readers, the persons living next door feel. It brings that much warmth. This story carries a lot of emotions. It is soul-stirring. The other characters like Jamila, Marzia, Arvin are also very well portrayed. Congrats to the author for the neat work!

[Naomi Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rukhsaar, Masih and other characters in the novel role play life. It's intense moves into making life real and imaginable is inspiring. I liked the drama that the plot contained making it real to life. It's a five star from me.

[Khurram Elahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Great story, emotional and inspiring in parts. Interesting look at life in Afghanistan and you get a picture of real life there in difficult times. Touching novel with a great name that portrays the ideas of the story well.

[Gail Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the actual idea behind this story, but unfortunately I found it very confusing and had to grasp.

[Mrs A & Mr R Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really know how to review this book. I found the writing style very strange and it took me some while to work out what was going on. It jumped around quite a lot, and I was often confused about who was who and where they fitted in. At times I did wonder if I could continue reading it. I also found the poetry and journaling section at the end of the book to be rather odd and didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the story. It was, however, quite poignant with today’s situation in Afghanistan and I am pleased that I read it.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book hard to read. The story jumped around alot, but was insightful nonetheless. Many thanks to TBC for the book

[Jess Kitching · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deeply powerful, moving and gripping book. I couldn’t recommend this more.

[Cindy Marie Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very heartfelt

The author has created an emotional, heart-wrenching fiction book with a realistic storyline about the struggles a woman and her child went through in Afghanistan.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really sure what to make of this book. It was a sad and at times poignant story but seemed very disjointed. The author has obviously put their heart and soul into it and for that I commend them however the translation of the book into English doesn't quite work for me and I found it difficult to read and all over the place. The author also has some poetry placed in the book towards the end which doesn't gel well with the rest of the story. Overall a good book but perhaps not for me although I am pleased I had the opportunity to read it especially in view of the current situation in Afghanistan and it gave a good insight into how people have to live there. 

[Varsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is about Rukhsaar & her son Masih who have recently lost a very close person. Her husband is killed by the Taliban, now Rukhsaar is a widow with a ten-year-old child, Masih.

Masih represents the young children of Afghanistan who are deprived of basic educations & forced to live in poverty with her mother due to circumstances

Rukhsaar and her son wander the bazaars of Kabul, Afghanistan, looking for means to survive and also a home to live in . She later finds employment as a maid. The income is close to nothing...she can't afford to let her son go to school. Masih can't see His mother suffer all the troubles of life. And thus Masih is forced to find work.

This book will move you to tears but at the same time will help you understand the true meaning of life. Coz at the end it really seems as if life is a movie!! The writing style of quite good. The narration & story turns out impressively.

[Cara Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Never Know

Sometimes we take so much in our life for granted. Yet, we have no idea what other people are going through.
The book shows how women struggle in the Middle East, and it’s easy to say it’s their way of life but we don’t see how bad it truly is.
This book was a great read and I look forward to more from the author.