And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini and Nan-E-Roghani (Afghan Oil Flatbread)
Recipe: Click here
When I was reading this book, my mind was constantly thinking about what recipe to cook. Naan bread was always mentioned in the book, along with pistachios and lentils (both which I love). I decided to try this recipe which was super easy and really good! You cannot go wrong with bread!
To the book…
11,563. The number of Amazon reviews for this book. 4.3 out of 5. How many stars this book has received. You choose not to read based on 2% of reviews which gave this book a 1 star review. That came close to being my decision for this book…not reading the book based on a small number of reviews. I am so thankful I did not allow the minority to dictate my decision…
This is an incredible, beautifully written book! I bought this book years ago (at Goodwill) and it has literally been sitting on my shelf collecting dust. I think I have always been hesitant reading it because his first two books were just emotionally draining (I did love them, though)! So, if you are thinking the same thing about this one, no worries! This one is very different than the first two. A few of the bad reviews stated that the book seemed “disjointed” and “lacking a story.” My mind is blown that someone would even say that. Those reviewers must not have a clue what a great literary work looks like.
I do not want to tell you much about this book (no spoilers) but wanted to give you a glimpse of how it is written. The entire book is based on a brother and sister and something that happened when they were children. The rest of the book tells you their life stories from childhood to old age through the viewpoints of different characters who are somehow connected to the story. You have one chapter that is a letter. One chapter that consists mainly of an interview. I absolutely LOVE how Hosseini tells the story this way. Several chapters after reading the letter, he mentions one character reading a letter – “THE LETTER” that told some of the story previously. I know that sounds confusing but you will have to read this book to see what I am talking about. It is fascinating how everything just comes together this way.
Another aspect I love about this book is learning Afghan history through the lives of the characters (very similar with his first two novels). I am thankful he shares this history through his novels so we can try to understand the complexity of Afghan history.
I could talk so much about this book. I would love to share the story with you; however, I do not want to give away spoilers. So…do yourself a favor and read this book! After reading the book, you will understand why this book has a 4.3 out of 5 rating on Amazon. Please do not let the few convince you otherwise.
