Farishta

by Patricia McArdle

An American diplomat is forced to confront the devastation of her past when she is assigned to remote northern Afghanistan.

Twenty-one years ago, diplomat Angela Morgan witnessed the death of her husband during the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Devastated by her loss, she fled back to America, where she hid in the backwaters of the State Department and avoided the high-profile postings that would advance her career. Now, with that career about to dead-end and no true connections at home, she must take the one assignment available-at a remote British army outpost in northern Afghanistan. Unwelcome among the soldiers and unaccepted by the local government and warlords, Angela has to fight to earn the respect of her colleagues, especially the enigmatic Mark Davies, a British major who is by turns her staunchest ally and her fiercest critic. Frustrated at her inability to contribute to the nation's reconstruction, Angela slips out of camp disguised in a burka to provide aid to the refugees in the war-torn region. She becomes their farishta , or "angel," in the local Dari language-and discovers a new purpose for her life, a way to finally put her grief behind her.

Drawing on the experiences of the author as a diplomat in Afghanistan, Farishta is a deeply moving and fast-paced story of a woman struggling to move beyond a past trauma, and finding a new community, a new love, and a new sense of self in the process.

Genres: Fiction, Middle East, Book Club, Historical Fiction, Cultural, Realistic Fiction, Womens

368 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2011

About the author

Patricia McArdle is a retired senior Foreign Service Officer. Before joining the Department of State, she served for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer health educator in Paraguay and for three years as a U.S. Naval Communications officer in Morocco. Her last overseas diplomatic posting in 2005 was as a U.S. government representative in Northern Afghanistan where she was based with a British Army infantry unit. During that year, she became aware of the serious shortage of cooking fuel in rural areas and it’s impact on the women, children and environment of Afghanistan. She began to build and demonstrate solar cookers while she was there. She has continued to promote this simple technology around the world on a volunteer basis since her retirement. She currently serves on the board of directors of Solar Cookers International. In 2010 she won the Grand Prize for General Fiction in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest. Her debut novel Farishta, which was inspired by her year in Afghanistan, was published by Penguin Books on June 2, 2011. For more information go to: my link text

Reviews

[Patricia McArdle]

Since I'm the author, I will not rate Farishta and will leave it to other readers to comment. It's been fascinating to see the varied opinions that GoodReads reviewers have about my novel. I appreciate them all. I'm starting to get invited to speak at a growing number of book clubs in my area (Washington DC) and in Southern California where I spend some time every year. I love it. I'm also beginning to set up Skype meetings with book groups in other parts of the country. The paperback version of Farishta will be out June 5, 2012, so I'm hoping more book groups will select it to read. It's so great to be able to talk to people all over the country (and the world) via Skype--for free! I've spoken to some vets and spouses about Farishta, and they really seem to appreciate my focus on PTSD in the story. The questions from each group I meet are so different. Many people want to know how much of the story is autobiographical--and the questions on this topic can get uncomfortably detailed. Others want to know more about issues related to Afghanistan and our decade-long war there: the treatment of women, sustainable reconstruction, archeology, and even my favorite topic--solar cooking. Some groups want me to focus on how I turned my memoirs into a novel. I can go on for hours on any one of these topics and sometimes we do. I do have a website now: www. patriciamcardle.com, that may answer some of these questions. Please let me know if your book group would like to schedule a meeting with me via Skype to discuss Farishta. You can reach me through my website.
It took me three years to write this novel and another year to edit it. I submitted the manuscript to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest in January 2010 and six months later won a publishing contract with Riverhead Books. Prior to publication, I had to have the entire manuscript examined for classified material by the Department of State and other government agencies mentioned in the story. They weren’t censoring my opinions, just making sure I didn't reveal any sensitive material--which I didn't. I'm glad we're out of Iraq (I don't think we should have ever gone in) and I hope we will soon be able to leave Afghanistan. I also hope that both countries will have the capacity to offer some degree of security and stability to their citizens in the future. Finally, I hope you enjoy reading Farishta.

[Jeanette (Ms. Feisty) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a timely and interesting novel with several important messages including, of all things, solar cooking solutions for Afghanistan. Sometimes you just don't have a clue about the simplest needs of people in faraway places.

If you want to enjoy this, I think you really have to get into the mindset of reading it as if it were nonfiction. It's so clearly a reflection of the author's diplomatic experiences in Afghanistan. Its quality as a novel is not impressive. What's interesting is the on-the-ground knowledge about the culture and current conditions in the country.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I kept reading this book thinking that it would get more interesting. There was never really a plot and the whole love interest didn't make it any better. I had high hopes since I had read great reviews of this book, but it never engaged me. I continued to read it till the end and ending was abrupt where a lot happened in the last few pages like if the author realized that she needed to end the story. I believe the author would have been better off writing a memoir of her time in Afghanistan instead of fiction.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a review for the audio book.

I really enjoyed this book, not knowing exactly what kind of story it would tell. It’s a semi-autobiographical novel about a fictitious Angela Morgan, a forty-seven year old American diplomat whose personal life is basically inexistent and her experiences in a PTR camp (Provincial Reconstruction Team) in Afghanistan in the year 2005. In this year, the war was being fought most to the south, in Iraq, so she does not experience a lot of war, but it’s there, in the background, with all its hazards, and sometimes it just pops up. The main character is a levelheaded female struggling with some personal issues but she is a reasonable, good humored and likeable person, and it’s interesting to see how she goes on in her year in Afghanistan, especially with trying to overcome her fears and reaching for other people. The most interesting part, for me, was the setting, the cultural, historical and geographical descriptions of life in Afghanistan, and the innumerous obstacles – political, economical and cultural – for the reconstruction of a country devastated by so many wars, internal and external. Since the author is a American diplomat who was posted in northern Afghanistan for a year, her account of life there, in the camp and in the streets or places she frequented, is really vivid and it conveyed the difficulties and perplexities this place presents to its own people and to foreign forces. I particularly liked how she was capable to see the plight of women and children in the day-to-day life (who are basically non-existent entities to military or reconstruction teams) and tried to help in a simple but fruitful way (I read later that this is part of the author real experience there and I was glad she is still working to improve conditions of the Afghan people with a great insight). The narrative is also fast and fluid and helps to get you in the setting of the novel.

I was given a copy of the audio book to review and I would recommend it to everyone, since it was an agreeable surprise to me (I don’t think I would have known of this book otherwise, and now I am happy I had the chance). The narration is outstanding with an excellent range of voice and tone, improving the listener experience.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read set in northern Afghanistan at a time when Iraq was getting more attention. The diplomat's perspective was interesting. The heroine stands up to local warlords, saves a few lives with amazing first aid skills, and introduces solar ovens (which will prevent more deforestation and allow children to go to school rather than gather firewood all day long). The English captain strongly resembles Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy, and there's even a slick Russian intelligence agent popping up to cause trouble.

Sure, the plot sometimes feels a bit predictable (and rushed at the end), but this isn't really about plot. I didn't mind that the storylines are familiar because the setting is what matters here. The author introduces some of Afghanistan's ancient history (a French archeaologist is digging up Bactrian gold nearby). She also contrasts the British approach at that time ("softly, softly") to a U.S. approach that comes across as impulsive and alienating.

Here's one thing I really appreciated about this book: the main character is a level-headed 47-year-old woman with an imperfect past, a good sense of humor, and a pretty honest approach to her relationships. She's sometimes a little too angelic to be believable, but at least she's not obsessed with her outfits, her biological clock, or some perceived slight from her mother. She's a welcome break from the women protagonists in way too many novels lately. And I'm sure a better representation of the women working hard over there.

Seems like the author's next project could be set in Russia, maybe in the wild 1990s or even back in the Cold War days. Yes, I know, lots of authors cover this ground. But she could bring something different. I'd like to see her do more with diplomats' subtle bureaucratic maneuverings and old-fashioned witty remarks. She obviously knows that world well and might have a little fun showing it to us.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover attracted my gaze at the library, the inside flap summary sounded pretty good and I enjoyed A Cup of Friendship (by Deborah Rodriguez?? Kabul School of Beauty gal)so I added this to my stack. Once started I was a bit disappointed to find it written in first person, a point of view which is hard to carry off really well, but I kept reading, hoping the subject matter would be enough to carry me through. And I did find the adventures of a female diplomat posted in Afghanistan interesting. I was especially captivated and inspired by the author's passion for taking solar cooking techniques to the Afghan people (google Patricia McArdle and solar cooking for more info). I remember making a solar cooker myself many years ago as a way of emergency and camp cooking. She hit the nail on the head as to what is reported in CNN and what is not and I appreciated her insights into the international aspects of Afghanistan, particularly the glimpses into the soldier's life as well as the Afghani people. As to the romancey bits of the novel, the young people, I could believe in, my only real complaint is that I could never really buy into the main character's love interest. You get a couple of very tiny peeks at the things that might make him human but they are so late into the story and so tiny that really, he just remained a stuffy jerk for me and perhaps not a worthy replacement for the first love of her life, the one she is still grieving deeply for after twenty years. But then romance as a genre and me have never seen eye to eye so you are free to ignore that criticism. Good read, a solid three stars, well worth the time and may solar cooking spread far and wide throughout the world.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farishta is a compelling story that exudes the author's first-hand knowledge and experience of Afghanistan. The first-person narrator is a strong-willed woman, an American foreign service officer, who overcomes long-standing fears from a personal encounter with terrorism by facing them head on in the remote northern part of a country ravaged by decades of war. Good characters, believable dialogue. The side story of an interpreter's romance with a woman from another tribe portrays the challenges Afghanistan faces even if peace ever arrives there. The book does a great job of taking you in country.

[Dwallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the novel as it rounded out my impressions of life in Afghanistan after reading other books such as the non-fiction, The dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon and part of The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad (I had trouble getting through it. I was disturbed by the main character's treatment of his wife and the death of a young neighbor.) It is always good to read a positive note in a bad situation and the solar ovens in the story that are being promoted by the author via Solar Cookers International, although a small thing could make a big difference in the real lives of Afghanistan women and children.

[Jyothi Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story that could have been written only by someone who has experienced the diplomatic power plays of warn torn Afghanistan. and yet so different from any other book written in the genre. gives a more personal and humanitarian perspective, how people find the inspiration to find the light and work towards the betterment of others even when everything looks hopeless and beyond help.

[BookSweetie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suitable for book groups. Reader's guide questions available and recommended.

FARISHTA, the book's title, is the name-in-translation of the protagonist Angela Morgan. Angela is a linguistically-gifted American career diplomat and widow sent to the northern Afghanistan British outpost in Mazar-i-Sharif to vet the translators. Are the paid interpreters reliable and accurate, or are they misleading their Western employers?

Angela is not a super- career- woman who wanted the danger and excitement of Afghanistan. On the contrary, she's emotionally scarred from a traumatic experience in her early foreign service years. This fact, an emotionally complex main character whose emotional world rings true, added significantly to my wish to keep turning the pages.

However, the overall highlight for me was a relatively minor plot thread that shines a light on solar cookstoves. (Yes, pun intended!) Angela (fictionally reflecting Patricia McArdle's real world experiences) sees small children scavenging for brush for their family's cookstoves. The constant pressure for wood fuel has effectively left the forests denuded and the landscape stripped of much of its natural erosional protection. Even the orchards have been sacrificed, meaning that an earlier desirable farming economy cannot easily be revived to offer an alternative to the undesirable poppy (drug) crop economy.

One old pistachio nut tree outside Angela's compound is a visible reminder to Angela of what has already been lost. In contemplating what she's observed during forays outside her post, she recalls a Girl Scout solar cook stove made from cardboard and aluminum foil. Could she find a way in this impoverished, exceedingly sunny war-torn place to provide a cheap, renewable energy cook stove for the women to use?

Whether the fictional character does or doesn't will become apparent to anyone who reads the book in entirety. What some readers may miss is that the author herself in real life became involved in building and demonstrating solar cookers a la Angela Morgan and continued that mission after retirement.

I was pulled into the story from the outset and did find the book eminently readable -- even memorable -- in spite of some stiffness in the relationships among the characters and an ordinary literary style. What tipped the scale is the sense of authenticity communicated successfully by an author drawing from relevant personal experience as a retired American diplomat who herself had been posted in northern Afghanistan.

Indeed, the book is noteworthy for its strong sense of place-- not necessarily of Afghanistan, but of the northern Afghanistan military/diplomatic post experience, particularly for a female American diplomat in the time setting of the book: 2004-5. Additionally, I very much enjoyed the young interpreter Rahim as well as his side interest in the archeology and history of his country.

NOTE: Check out the author's web page www.patriciamcardle.com
including the "frequently asked questions" and the information on her solar cooking endeavors.

During our book group discussion, a member mentioned that as she was reading she had wondered what was true and what was not. The FAQ at the author's web page helps clarify that very issue.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this yesterday - really enjoyed the book. The author did a good job of giving a taste of what it is like living in a camp in Afghanistan as a diplomat. While the Foreign Service sounds like a glamorous career, in many ways it seems like a very boring job. I was very impressed with her insight into solar ovens and the work she began doing in this area. I gained new knowledge of some of the difficulties foreigners have in understanding the thinking and culture of the people and admire those who are trying to work in this part of the world. My only complaint has to do with the other major character, Mark. He was portrayed as too much of an ass for me to believe in their romantic relationship - I didn't like him at the beginning and did not like him by the end. My only criticism is that he could have been portrayed as a bit more likable and believable love interest as I could not imagine falling for such an arrogant, prudish jerk.

[NA Fronczak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Angela Morgan is an American Foreign Service Officer who lost her husband and unborn child with the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut. She spent the next 20 years avoiding diplomatic postings and promotions in the State Department. She is given the ultimatum to accept a posting in Afghanistan or retire early. She is the only woman stationed in a British outpost in northern Afghanistan and this book is the story of her one year assignment there. The author is a retired American diplomat who was posted in northern Afghanistan for a year, so although this is a work of fiction, there is some some reality behind the story. If you are interested in the culture of Afghanistan, you should read this book.

[Pr Latta · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could be titled “My Year in Afghanistan:” it is fiction that reads like nonfiction. Patricia McArdle, a retired Foreign Service Officer served in Afghanistan and has written a fictional representation of her experiences, presented chronologically with a straightforward narrative. This was a compulsive read for me. I empathized with Angela’s mid-life angst, drank in the cultural and geographical descriptions (KW has traveled to nearby areas for work), was inspired by one woman making a difference where she could. I spent quite a bit of time guessing how much was fictional and what was real and want to have McArdle over for dinner.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would probably give this only 2 1/2 stars. It started out reading like a memoir by a lady diplomat who is sent to Afghanistan for a year, all the problems she encountered simply be being a women, with both the British military she has to live with and the Afghanistan culture. It seemed like non-fiction for a while. I even started to look through the book to see if there were any pictures, then remembered it was fiction. But then it turned into a romance novel and it lost my interest. Could have been much better.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating novel about a female diplomat in Afganistan, written by Patricia McArdle based on her experience there. Very well written giving a view of the complicated issues facing the US and our allies as we intervene in that society. The story line of the developing romance of the main character and one of her British colleagues helps the flow and does not detract.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story of a woman career US diplomat. I have never been fond of military service, because I don't like guns. I love the humanitarian contribution that can be achieved by serving as a diplomat, through this book.

[Mary Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one because of the mystery surround women and their lifestyles in Afghanistan. Of course, the book had a lpt of credibility because the author had actually lived there and worked for the state department. She is much tougher than most women.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy books like this. Informative and crisply written. The obligatory romance was well wrought and even though it was fiction it felt sincere or maybe, authentic. I will probably get no closer to Afghanistan than these types of books. Thank you Patricia McArdle for sharing.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel but actually sometimes read more like a non fiction. Not a surprise I guess as it is based on the authors experience of being a US diplomat in Afghanistan. I enjoyed it - it covers a lot of ground - past and present Afghanistan, differences between different countries diplomatic approaches, how people live through war. So it's got a lot in it. I found it to be quite thought provoking as well as hugely sad. I think the author captures the waste of war and how much more useful it would be for everyone to follow diplomatic rather than military agendas all has resonance for todays world. The down side for me was the protagonist Angela Morgan is just not 100% believable but having said that I enjoyed this book, felt it was educational and definitely readable.

[Rigatoni Baloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given this five stars except for the glaring omission that she re-married and had two children after the death of her first love- Tom.

I also thought the book should have wrapped up at her one year at post timeline, December 2005, rather than the short vignettes about the pistachio tree, her last call with Governor Daoud, and the romance plot with Major Davies.

McCardel gained FSO authenticity credence when she referenced the taboo associated with seeking mental health support, juxtaposed with potential impact on security clearances, preferring, in this case, to sweep it under the Afghan rug. (Ch. 3). The Dept. promotes resiliency.

[Alicia Wiggin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this fictional story that gave a very real and first-hand look at life for a female American diplomat in northern Afghanistan in the early 2000’s. Fascinating look at what it was like while world forces were invested in building a democracy after the Taliban was overthrown. And a stark contrast to what the reality is now, especially considering those like Rahim, the young interpreter who worked closely with the British and Americans.
Love the work with solar ovens too, and how McArdle highlighted the spirit of Afghan women who have always been advocating for their own freedom and education and desires.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this fascinating look into a place and a career that I am completely unfamiliar with. The story was compelling and despite the main protagonist's, Angela's, emotional challenges and back history that are alluded to throughout, the character was not bogged down by that baggage, and her ability to rise to the various challenges in a difficult setting were realistic and inspiring. I feel I gained some stronger appreciation of what diplomacy is about and the contributions of the military in a place like Afghanistan.

[Xao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do Not Miss This Book!

Completely engrossing tale of a State Department linguist/diplomat assignment to war-torn Afghanistan. Based on a real-world experience, and filled with riveting, authentic detail, it is an unflinching look at the complex political and military aspects of civil war, as well as an intimate view into the personal lives of Afghans, soldiers and diplomats caught in its grip.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this novel about US State Department diplomat, Angela, who accepts a position in Afghanistan in an effort to not be forced to retire. She lost her husband in a bombing in Beirut 20 years earlier. She is stationed at an all male British military post in northern Afghanistan. Angela has to figure out how to overcome loneliness and do something worthwhile to help the Afghan people during her one year assignment.

[D.W.Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written, entertaining and informative story set in Afghanistan. This novel is both a page-turner and an authentic view of the life of a woman in the US foreign service, stationed at a British base in the north of the country with an all male military contingent.

[Jumi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad I read this 😭

[Anita Friesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just didn't grab me. Not my genre, perhaps. I only read fully to about halfway, and then just flipped through and read bits and pieces to the end.

[Aimen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just maybe not up my alley, didn't feel the story was all that fluid...

[Eyra Ramiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes a while to start getting interesting and to be able to engage with the story. At the end is a nice story but could have been told in a shorter and more interesting way.

[anonymousreader]

to-read