Nonfiction: Dancing in the Mosque by Homeira Qaderi

Thanks to Goodreads for highlighting today's selection on their page for new releases back in December. I knew Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son by Homeira Qaderi was not going to be an easy read, even though it clocks in at a little over 200 pages. Reading a first-hand account of a woman's experience in modern-day Afghanistan is almost guaranteed to be intense, but also enlightening.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Qaderi writes a letter to the son she left behind in Kabul. Beginning when she was a child, when the Russians were fighting against the Mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War, Qaderi tells her story of what it was like living in a land that was seemingly always in conflict, and never valued women equally to men. Though life during the war was difficult, and there was reason to celebrate when the Russians finally left in 1989, things got worse once the Taliban moved in. Now, all books, televisions, and radios are confiscated, women are not allowed outside of their homes unless they are escorted by a man, and even then, they have to wear full burkas. At age 13, Qaderi gets her first taste of rebellion when she teaches reading and writing to children, as the girl's schools were shut down, and women were forbidden to learn, much less teach. It is not until she gets married, when she leaves Afghanistan for Iran, that she witnesses a sense of freedom that women were never given in her home country. Even so, Qaderi will still face and fight the misogyny that will lead her to make the ultimate sacrifice.  

My Verdict: This book may be short, but it is powerful. Each chapter focuses on a certain time and aspect of Qaderi's life, and then ends with a short letter directed specifically at the son she has not seen since 2015. At times the details can get confusing, and it became easy for me to get names and locations mixed up, but the focus never waivers. Living in a war zone is terrifying, and even more so for a female. Qaderi conveys that fear, terror, and uncertainty in a matter-of-fact way that requires no embellishment. Even for those who know little about the Soviet-Afghan War, the Taliban, or Afghanistan, the book is both easy to follow and accessible. It may also serve as a starting point for many readers to learn more about what the author lived through.   

Favorite Moment: Some of the local boys, whose school's were still open after the Taliban took over, decide they would rather attend the illegal school that Qaderi is running for the girls over their own. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, a thorough history of the systematic racism in the U.S. and how similar its structure is to the caste systems in both India and Germany. Also, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi would be a good follow-up.