Shooting Kabul

N. H. Senzai

Jun 2010 · Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Fadi never imagined he’d start middle school in Fremont, California, thousands of miles from home in Kabul—and half a world away from his missing six-year-old sister, Mariam.

Adjusting to life in the United States isn’t easy for Fadi’s family, and as the events of September 11 unfold, the prospects of locating Mariam in war-torn Afghanistan seem slim. When a photography competition with a grand prize of a trip to India is announced, Fadi sees his chance to return to Afghanistan and find his sister. But can one photo really bring Mariam home?

Based in part on Ms. Senzai’s husband’s own experience fleeing Soviet-controlled Afghanistan in 1979, Shooting Kabul is a powerful story of hope, love, and perseverance.

Ratings and reviews

Okay, get your box of tissues ready. From the minute I opened this book I could not put it down. The opening situation was such I had to read to find out how it ended. Usually I will skip to the ending then go back and fill in the details. This one I read straight through. I could not imagine what this family went through trying to escape the Taliban. My heart broke for Fadi when he realized he had messed up and lost the one thing he was responsible for, his six year old sister Mariam, how scared she must have been. As a mother if it had been me leaving my child behind I would have been inconsolable. Fadi and his family are trying to figure out how to return to find her when September 11 happens. Now Fadi faces extreme prejudice at school. He joins the photography club and learns of a contest that might take him to India if he wins. After all, he reasons, India is close enough to Afghanistan that he could have a better chance of finding his sister. This is a must read and I have the perfect student picked out to read it first.

this book is very good and its very tramatizing worth the money

Loved It! Really good plot and details!

About the author

N. H. Senzai is the author of the acclaimed Shooting Kabul, which was on numerous state award lists and an NPR Backseat Book Club Pick. Its companion, Saving Kabul Corner, was nominated for an Edgar Award. While her first two books are based in part on husband’s experience fleeing Soviet-controlled Afghanistan in the 1970s, her third, Ticket to India is based on her own family’s history. She is also the author of Escape from Aleppo. Ms. Senzai lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit her online at NHSenzai.com.