A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story

I would put this on my shelf right next to Malala's book. It's another true and even more incredible story of a boy's blissful life in Afghanistan before and under the Mujahadeen and the Taliban. Qais is a son of a very large Afghan family living all together in a splendid Kabul home, with special love for his grandfather and older cousin Wakeel. His father is a well-to-do carpet seller who thrived during the Russian occupation until the war of the warlords begins. In heartbreaking passages, neither Grandfather nor Wakeel live to tell their own tales.

After an incredible refugee life all over Afghanistan fleeing the death and violence, including living in the head of a carved Buddha in the mountains and joining their goatherd cousins for show more a season, the book ends with Qais back in Kabul, now selling carpets of his own making, and training women and girls to do the same because the Taliban does not allow women out of the house.

The book reads like a novel and it is just as remarkable a survivor's tale as Malala's. Five stars for writing and for courage. show less

Originally posted here

'I have long carried this load of griefs in the cage of my heart. Now I have given them to you. I hope you are strong enough to hold them.'

Wow, what a start to my reading year. A Fort of Nine Towers is the author's memoir of growing up in Afghanistan during a couple of decades of civil war and the Taliban. It chronicles the author's entire family as they are forced to flee their Grandfather's house (where the whole extended family lived together) and became refugees. It is a tale of survival and Qais speaks about the terrible things that he experienced that were so horrific, I just don't know how any human could have borne it. Honestly. I could never have imagined the things that happened to him, and his story is show more truly a testament to the power of the human spirit.

One of my favourite parts of this book was the beginning, when Qais talks about Afghanistan as a beautiful country with a strong community spirit and it was just lovely learning of a culture that I have never experienced or even knew that much about. I found the writing to be beautiful and the pacing was just perfect. I was so riveted by this book that I just was thinking of it constantly.

I was eleven years old when the 9/11 happened and I have perfect 'flashbulb' memories of getting home from school and seeing it on the news and being shocked. But to think of all the evil that was going on in Afghanistan and other countries that had been happening for years before, it just blows my mind. What civil war and the Taliban did to the people of Afghanistan just has be read to be believed, and to think its not over now even as I type. Depressing. But I think Qais tells his memoir with so much love, compassion and hope that when I reached the last page I felt hopeful also.

Some bits in this book will just stick with me forever, for example, there was a chapter where Qais was describing how one day he was stopped by a member of the Taliban in the street and was told to remove his clothes so that his armpit and pubic hair could be measured, or face being taken to prison. His armpit and pubic hair had to be under one inch. Of course Qais's hair was not under an inch and so he was forced into a car that was going to take him to the Taliban prison, where Qais knew he was going to be raped by that man. How he escaped that situation, its just incredible. There are numerous upsetting scenes that are even worse than that so TRIGGER WARNINGS of human rights abuses, rape and torture. It's very grim.

I think everybody should read this memoir as it is profoundly moving and gives an own voice perspective of Afghanistan and it's people, it is reminiscent of Persepolis which I also loved. I can't recommend highly enough. show less

As an American, I find that our understanding of other countries is shaped by the media and conventional wisdom that distorts our view of world events. Only by reading does a clearer image, deeper understanding and the realization of human universal truths emerge. "A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story" by Qais Akbar Omar is one of the most powerful books I've read in years. Definitely my top book for 2013 and one that I will recommend to everyone. Omar's memoir of his family's passage through decades of civil war and unimaginable horrors was one of the most hopeful and life affirming books I have ever read. Yes, horrible tragedy occurs, but through it all the love and resilience of this family (or Afghan people) triumphs. I show more read this on my Nook but will buy the book and reread it so I can be reminded that behind the headlines live people that want all the same things we do...as this beautifully written book helps us understand. show less

I’m not entirely sure what to do with myself after reading Qais Akbar Omar’s memoir, A Fort Of Nine Towers. He's not too much younger than me, I think, but has lived a completely different life, growing up in Afghanistan and seeing things no child should see. I want to go and find him, put my hand on his shoulder and say, “Brother, you have experienced the best and the worst of humanity, all while I thought my biggest problem was not having a larger screen television. You suffered outrageous physical and emotional pain while I was busy eating rich food and wringing my hands over how disappointing I thought the Star Wars prequels were. Thank you for telling your story - your people's story - and for reminding me how vital and show more strong the human spirit is.”

This book is a window into the heartbeat of Afghanistan that will stay with me for a long, long time. show less

A powerful read.

This book certainly packed a punch!
An autobiographical story of a young boy's life in Afghanistan, from the final days of Communism, through civil war and the Mujahideen war lords, to the rise of the Taliban. His is a wealthy, well educated family, who must leave behind their home and wealth to escape the rocket attacks between neighbouring factions of the Mujahideen.

They pile sixteen family members into the car and drive the five miles to a friend's house, known as the Fort of Nine Towers. This becomes their new home and the starting point for the many adventures they experience in their ultimate quest to escape from Afghanistan into a new life.

This is a very close knit family and the love really shines through, in show more spite of the extreme situations they find themselves in. They are surrounded by a lot of cruelty and sadistic behaviour from the ruling powers, which at times can be harrowing to read about, let alone imagine living through.

The Taliban the author describes are illiterate, unwashed and violent.
Although I have read several books about Afghanistan at this time, most concentrate on the restrictions placed on women, so this was particularly interesting, coming from a male author and covering the problems from a male perspective.

We discussed Fort of Nine Towers at our multicultural book group and it was an excellent discussion. One point that was raised however, that did make me think, was the question as to whether all this really happened to one man or if he may have included a few experiences from other friends or relatives. I'm on the fence with this question, but I can see why one might wonder....
In spite of this, a truly powerful read, absolutely fascinating, this gripped me right to the end.

Highly recommended. show less

Such a sad yet happy book. It was interesting to read about places I have visited in real life.

Un libro realmente conmovedor, muy bien narrado, y fiel a los hechos de la Afganistán de los últimos treinta años. Las vicisitudes de la familia protagonista en los diferentes contextos en que tiene que irse moviendo dan muestra del periodo tan duro y terrible pasado por la población, que al final es la auténtica damnificada en todo conflicto, primero con los rusos, más tarde con las facciones y posteriormente con los talibanes, sin dejar de lado a los norteamericanos, aunque estos últimos de un modo totalmente diferente a los precedentes. Está contada con mucho tacto y emotividad a la para que muestra la crudeza vivida sobre todo durante el primer periodo de terror fanático religioso impuesto por los talibanes. Hay que leerlo show more para saber un poco más acerca de esa país, Afganistán. Incita a seguir leyendo, sobre todo por las lecciones del abuelo. show less