Set under the rule of the Taliban in Afghanistan, this tale plots the effect that mass hysteria and zealous fanaticism has on the lives of two married couples. A poignant portrayal of utter despair with exquisite prose that feels so intimate.
Extract
A mad desire to lift the cloth in search of a hypothetical breath of fresh air intensifies her nervousness. But she does not even dare to wipe her dripping face on her burqa. Like a lunatic in a straitjacket, she stays where she is, slumped on her steps, sweating in the heat, listening to her breathing quicken and her blood beat in her temples.
