Review: Aksandar by Judith Montgomery
Reviewed by Erin N.
In the 1970s, Afghanistan was in political turmoil. Communist Russia had a tenuous hold on the country while various factions, including the religious, fought tooth and nail to overthrow the regime and establish their own government and way of life. One faction strove to establish a system of freedom and growth; a system that would attract all of the expatriates back home to a life not known for over a century.
This faction centered on a lofty idealist named Aziz Rashani who by day was a successful restaurant owner and by night, the brains behind a rebel force gearing up to stage a revolution on the next holiday season. That is, until Aziz’s path crossed that of an American teacher looking for a new and exciting life in the dangerous, yet mysterious, Middle East. Jenna Lantz gets caught in the cross fire of a small Afghani town and stumbles into the heart of Aziz in the process. Now Aziz is left with a painful choice. Does he remain loyal to the country he loves or does he leave everything he holds dear behind for the woman he loves?
Aksandar is very enlightening historical fiction. So much of the history of the countries in the Middle East is so jumbled and confusing. And yet, Aksandar provides a clear snapshot of the political landscape that led to the theocracy that ultimately flew planes into buildings half way across the globe. The back of the book claims that “Aksandar is a quest for truth and justice…”. Judith Montgomery certainly has declared her own with the writing of this book.
Erin fell in love with the written word as a small child and subsequently spent most of her life happily devouring literature. She works as a freelance news, marketing, and technical writer. Erin lives just outside of Cleveland, Ohio with her husband, children, and grandchildren.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Judith Montgomery. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
Category: Historical, Literature & Fiction
What a captivating story! My understanding and knowledge of life in Afghanistan is somewhat confused and jumbled. I’d like to change that! I read many articles about different aspects of life in Afghanistan but I haven’t read many books and I think I need to in order to get a more genuine and honest account of the situation there. With the US a large presence in the area, at one time anyway,I’d expect this story may not be far from the truth for a few people, which heightens my interest in Aziz’s thought process and decisions. I think this will be a very emotional story and occasionally somewhat troubling but overall a very worthwhile read.
Thank you for a wonderful review, Erin!
~ Amy
Amy recently posted..Wondrous Words Wednesday! 72810
This looks like an interesting take on a complicated situation/environment … I’ve not read any fiction about Afghanistan, but this looks like it’d be a good intro. Agree with Colleen: I think I’d wanna flip through it, see how the story/writing goes — I think this is one of those reads that if it’s not “just so” I’d have a hard time staying focused …
I might give this book a try as well. I do love historical fiction and I LOVED The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, but I would have to read an excerpt of the book to see how the author writes and whether this is for me. Another book to check out next time I am at the book store!
I have read several books and documentaries about Afghanistan. Some were fictional and others were memoirs. I find this area fascinating to read; however, I am thankful I live in the good ole USA. I may give this book a read. Thanks for your review.
Thanks for the review!
I am a new blogger. Please stop by if you can.
Thank you
Misha
http://books-love-affair.blogspot.com/
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by spvaughan, Vera @ LuxuryReading. Vera @ LuxuryReading said: Review: Aksandar by Judith Montgomery: Reviewed by Erin N. In the 1970s, Afghanistan was in politica… http://bit.ly/duUM8w #luxuryreading [...]