Tali Girls

October 1, 2023
The lives of three Afghan girls reflect a legacy of oppression. In the year 2006, the village of Tali has "no electricity, no plumbing for water, no paved roads." "Wretch" is a common term for females. A girl "marries when the man of the house says so. And then she breeds and cooks and cleans. It is life, my dear." Yet in this bleak environment, there are moments of hope and happiness. A school opens, giving girls a break from chores to learn to read and write. Some men are kind, supportive. But these moments are few and quickly fade under the constraints of tradition and the spreading pall of Islamic orthodoxy. One day, armed Taliban forces arrive, set the books and blackboards on fire, and take over the schoolhouse, seeking land and workers to produce opium. They're allied with the powerful, corrupt Director of Religious Education, Mawlawi Khodadad, who will affect the village terribly. Herawi, a former Afghan government spokesman who works as a writer and journalist in London, tells the story of three Tali girls mostly through their own voices. There are echoes here of Miriam Toews's Women Talking. Kowsar is spared marriage to the 58-year-old Khodadad at age 9 because of her fainting spells. Her friend Simin, also 9, becomes his next choice and barely survives the physical injuries of her wedding night. The third girl, Geesu, seeks to escape an arranged marriage by fleeing the village with her young boyfriend. Herawi's first novel to be published in the U.S. has been rendered into clear, pointed prose by Khalili. He uses the pervasive rituals of household and village life to provide color and context and displays compelling empathy when he contrasts older women's anger and resignation with the girls' shock and despair upon realizing the physical and emotional imprisonment they face. Eloquent and saddening.

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October 16, 2023
""The girls of Tali are beautiful. They have long wavy hair, large almond shaped eyes and skin the color of wheat. They grow up learning to cook and sew. At seven, some are taught to embroider as well. They stitch and sing together. And when they reach puberty they fall in love with the sunburned boys who wear their skull caps cocked to the side and play their reed flute as they scale mountains shepherding goats and sheep and stealing young girls' hearts."" Kowsar, Geesu, and Simin are Afghan girls growing up in the village of Tali. While poverty is a constant, their idyllic village is lush and verdant, with sparkling springs, streams, and waterfalls in a deep valley surrounded by tall mountains. In 2006, Tali has no electricity, plumbing, or paved roads, but there is peace and freedom and a school for young Afghan boys and girls. All of this ends when armed Taliban forces arrive, setting books, benches, and blackboards on fire. They take over the school and force the workers to produce opium. Based on true stories, Tali Girls is a profound portrayal of the oppression of Afghan girls who are barred from education and forced into marriages with adult men and lives of servitude. Herawi paints a rich portrait of Afghan life that readers will be able to see, smell, and hear. With deft skill and sensitivity, he gives voice to modern Afghan women to tell of their oppressive, harrowing, and brutal experiences. Skillfully translated from the Persian by Sara Khalili, this heartbreaking and necessary read also uplifts as these women resist and persevere.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.