The Afghans: Three lives through war, love and revolt
By Asne Seierstad

Twenty years afterand The Bookseller of Kabul, internationally bestselling author Asne Seierstad returns to Afghanistan to explore life under the Taliban today through three individuals and their families.'Asne Seierstad is the supreme non-fiction writer of her generation' Luke HardingIn her international bestsellerand The Bookseller of Kabul, award-winning journalist Asne Seierstad studied life in Afghanistan before and after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Now twenty years later, the Taliban is back in power, and Seierstad returns withand The Afghans, a book to help us understand Afghanistan's past, present and future, told through the lives of three unforgettable people.In her compelling, intimate and thought-provoking new book, Seierstad introduces us to three people whose lives have been shaped by the fall and rise of the Taliban - Jamila, Bashir and Ariana - as well their families, friends, foes and co-fighters. Jamila is a women's rights activist; Bashir is a Taliban commander; Ariana is a law student who had one semester left when the Taliban came to power.The stories of these three Afghans encompass love, loss, revolt and war as well as the everyday rhythms of family life. Through them, we experience and come to understand the lead-up to the Taliban retaking power in 2021, how the first year of Taliban rule unfolded, and where this leaves Afghans today, and tomorrow.Praise for Asne Seierstad:'An intimate portrait of Afghani people quite unlike any other'and Sunday Timesand onand The Bookseller of Kabul'Has the feel of a non-fiction novel - irresistible'and New York Timesand onand One of Us'Hauntingly written, this book is both a masterpiece and a masterclass in investigative journalism' Christina Lamb onand Two Sisters'Meticulously documented, full of drama' Kate Adie onand Two Sisters