If you can read past the author's occasional political jabs, this is an amazing look at the current condition of women in Afghanistan, the realities of international aid, as well as the nation's culture and history. ( )

Letter to my brother about this book:

I just read a thin book that greatly enlarged my understanding of what is going on in Afghanistan and I’m setting it aside to loan you when you come over. It is called Kabul in Winter by Ann Jones. I bought it because I thought it was going to be one of those cozy memoirs that I like—woman goes to interesting place and then writes about it.

On the surface only, it is that, although hardly cozy, but she gives the most understandable short expositions on Afghan history and culture and on how we are doing things over there since we ran the Taliban out that I have read. Also on how thoroughly we came to finance the jihadist movement we now fight—I knew we had done so to some extent but I had no idea how large our role was or what a good start we gave them. Also the best potted history of the Afghan mujahadin coteries.

I almost put it down and stopped reading it because I was expecting a much lighter book and had thus picked it up when I was in the mood for something nice and warm. I’m glad I went back and finished it even though it is dark and intense. (It was like popping a dark liquid chocolate in your mouth only to find you had instead mouthed a scorpion.)

You probably are not going to find yourself liking her herself very much: she is critical of almost everything—our efforts, army efforts, especially of current contractor efforts and past CIA and US foreign policy—way back to Jimmy Carter--and even of do-gooders efforts (which includes her), and of the Afghans themselves. Nevertheless, once you finish it, you realize it has the ring of truth about it—a truth we need to know if we are going to mess around in that country. ( )