2-3-4 Challenge Book Discussions #1 discussion

Islamic radicalism and the Taliban’s treatment of girls and women are important aspects of the story. Was it a fair perspective or did it feel like a one-sided point of view? Did you learn anything new?

It read realistically to me, assuming what I've seen on news and read elsewhere [non-fiction] is accurate.

I learned from it, I don't know much about this subject, so I am accepting it as being accurate.

I’ve read a lot on the topic, knew a woman who fled from Afghanistan and she said life for women was horrible. This read realistic and I thought she gave Youssef more dimension and inner conflict. He didn’t want to cause massive harm like the extremists’ agenda, thought he could just dip his toe in the cause.

Jonetta wrote: "I’ve read a lot on the topic, knew a woman who fled from Afghanistan and she said life for women was horrible. This read realistic and I thought she gave Youssef more dimension and inner conflict. ..."

Maybe I need to broaden my horizons in what I read.

I read a lot of non fiction and watch the history channel with my husband...he's helped a lot! Also, Dad was career Army and we lived abroad mostly until I was almost twelve years old. It made me curious about all world cultures.

The Afghan woman I knew gave me my monthly facials (I don't do that anymore). I remember being embarrassed because I knew nothing about her country (this was before 9/11). I didn't even know what questions to ask but I did question why she had immigrated to this country. That unleashed everything. And, she knew she'd never, ever be able to return, which I thought was tragic.

In America we have very little experience to use as a gage to judge what very real injustice is. When a society decided to make slaves of half their population while calling it god's will, the damage is hard to conceive. I thought the author was mild when compared with the reality.

Well, America DOES have a history of enslavement that they justified for almost a century.

200 years is too long ago to have a true perspective on the issue here and now.

I’m gonna have to respectfully disagree on behalf of those who have an ancestry of slavery.

I will agree that the whole world, and especially America, would have been better off if slavery had never happened.

It felt realistic and from what I've seen in the news and by word of mouth it was based on reality. The middle east isn't the only country who still has women as second class citizens. Even in our own country women still struggle with equality.

Great point.