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BOOK REVIEW Book Review


READ THE WORLD F


estival season is here again and it seems nowadays they are popping up everywhere. The author, Matt Haig, recently


described a festival as a “book you can walk into” so its not surprising that they have become an important part of the publishing world - offering something the e-book can’t and giving authors the chance to come face-to-face with their readers.


In the South West alone we have 2 festivals in May which both celebrate the love of words: the Fowey Festival of Words and Music (8th - 10th May) and the St Ives Literature Festival (11th - 18th May). They both have a wealth of events and come with well-documented literary connections - the former inspired by the famed author Daphne du Maurier. The mother of all literary festivals


- Hay (www.Hayfestival.


org.uk) - is also fast approaching (23rd May - 2nd June). Bill Clinton described it as “the Woodstock of the mind” where the magical town gathers people together to think about the world, discovery and intellectual adventure. Hay Festival has now become a worldwide event with offshoots in no less than 10 far- reaching cities around the world including Dhaka, Nairobi, Kerala and Budapest. Hay Festival Beirut, launched in 2012, brings the most exciting voices of contemporary culture to a city in the Middle East with a rich cultural scene and diverse population mix. This month’s recommended reads have that international flavour - giving readers the chance to explore the cultures and beliefs of the Middle East - from the comfort of your own armchair! First up:


The Taliban Cricket Club (Allen & Unwin) £7.99 by Timeri Murari. This has something for both men and women combining romance, comedy and a strong element of sport.


Kabul it is a harrowing but tender novel about one woman’s courage and guile in the face of tyranny. The feisty main protagonist is a female Afghan journalist who also has a good knowledge of cricket - a redeeming factor when the Taliban announce their intentions for a cricket tournament which will give the


winners the chance to play abroad and ultimately the chance to escape the tyrannical regime. It has been described as ‘Bend it like Beckham’ in a burqua with strong similarities to the writings of Paul Torday and Khaled Hosseini. A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea (Allen & Unwin) £12.99 (paperback) by Dina Nayeri tells the spellbinding story of an Iranian girl who becomes separated from her mother and twin sister during the turmoil of the revolution in Iran. The book tells the story of how her life continues in Iran and how it contrasts alongside the rich and powerful world she invents for her lost family in America based on their childhood obsession with Western culture.


by Emma Jones Beautiful, lyrical and captivating the book combines “the


rhythms of Eastern storytelling, colourful cast of characters with straightforward Western prose to form a wholly original story about the importance of controlling your own fate.” The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul


by Deborah Rodriguez £7.99 (Sphere) is a compelling story of a cafe in the heart of Afghanistan and been tipped as a ‘word of mouth’ favourite for the future. It is a heartwarming tale about female friendships and revolves around 5 key characters - 2 Americans, 1 British and 2 Afghans who form a unique bond when they meet at the café. Each woman has a story and a secret that will lead them to forge an extraordinary friendship that is set to change the lives of them and their entire community forever. This is an easy read - think Chicklit meets the Taliban! - which gives a real flavour of a place, its culture and traditions and how living surrounded by danger and conflict affects people’s lives. And the book to watch out for in May - And the Mountains Echoed” (Riverhead Books) £14.99 by Khaled Hosseini. It is his first book in several years and after the previous successes of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns it will undoubtedly fly off the shelves. Set in Afghanistan it follows the story of a father travelling to Kabul with his 2 children to find work. The novel explores the bonds between brothers and sisters, and the “ways in which they love, wound, betray, honour and sacrifice for each other.”


Set in war-torn


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