Women of the Afghan War: (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "The strongest voice of opposition to the Soviet invasion came, not surprisingly, from the United States..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Women of the Afghan War serves the highest purpose of reporting; it gives a voice to those who have been silenced and an audience for their words. Deborah Ellis' riveting book gives us the true experience of Afghan women living under the Taliban system of Gender Apartheid and leaves the reader asking the most important question we can ask ourselves: `How can I know this and do nothing?'”–Mavis Leno Chair Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan Feminist Majority Foundation

Product Description

This book is an account of the Afghan War and its tragic aftermath as told by the women who were caught up in it and became its innocent victims. The voices in this oral history will provide personal snapshots to the news reports of the Taliban activities now coming out of Afghanistan. These accounts provide an historical background to the growth of the Taliban, and reveal circumstances of the daily life of the women who must survive in this very closed society.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Praeger (April 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275966178
• ISBN-13: 978-0275966171
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #608,619 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Women of the Afghan War: The Benefit in a Real Perspective, April 9, 2002

By	"gazarnia" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Ellis, Deborah Women of the Afghan War, London: Praeger Publishers, 2000.
Pp. xxvii, 236. 14 photos. Index.

Deborah Ellis' Women of the Afghan War should be praised for its value in bringing the trials and tribulations of Afghan women to the forefront of this region's politics in a straightforward fashion that relies on the testimonies of the women themselves to tell the story of their hardships. The strength in Ellis' method is that this patchwork of first-person accounts "gives a face" to the conflict by introducing the women by name and using the actual translation of their words to show the harsh reality of these women's lives. Although Ellis' style is remarkable for the lack of detachment from the issues that an author's narration usually risks, it does present some downfalls in screening the accuracy of these women's stories and the discrepancies that arise in the translation of these accounts. Since the structure of the book is the most striking aspect of the book, it is easy to assume that the focus of Ellis' work is primarily just the women in this society - however, a more in-depth analysis reveals a greater commentary on the self-defeating nature of Afghan society itself, the inadequacies of relief foundations and organizations, and the potential for real-life solutions that can be achieved with frighteningly minimal effort.
Part interview, part historical overview and analysis, Women of the Afghan War effectively conveys the uniformly bleak nature of all Afghan women's lives within this society by grouping women from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds under a common theme of misery. Through the person-to-person accounts compiled by Deborah Ellis and her Afghan translator Benazir Hotaki, a tale of missing husbands, dead children, and stolen livelihoods surfaces that could prompt even the most stoic of individuals to break down and cry. Indeed, this provocation of emotions is most probably the intent of Ellis' choice in the format for her work. As a mental health counselor in her native Canada, there is no doubt that Ellis is well acquainted with the power of human emotion. Much of her work documents her skills within the field of psychology as she weaves her way through the refugee camps of Russia and Pakistan and speaks with Afghan women who are traumatized by the prolonged Russian occupation of Afghanistan and the ensuing wars that resulted from the Russian invasion, multiple inter-ethnic conflicts, and most recently, the takeover of the Taliban.
Rousing the emotions of the audience in response to the plight of these women while including the women's criticisms of humanitarian organizations as being spread too thinly to provide substantial aid reveals the author's other purpose besides rallying sympathy for the women of Afghanistan - she also wishes to show the inability of relief organizations to address the problem effectively due to lack of funds and cultural hindrances. Basically, since this book was written pre-September 11th, it is a call for greater awareness of the burden facing Afghan women and the need for a greater-scale solution that goes beyond just a scattered assemblage of relief organizations that provide intermittent assistance at best to those most in need.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars incredibly informative and interesting book on afgan women, February 28, 2003

By	anne (vermont United States) - See all my reviews

This book is incredibly informative and interesting. The high price is because proceeds go to help Afghan women and children..well worth it! The author also wrote 2 fictional books about a young girl living under the taliban("The Breadwinner" and "Pavana's Journey"). I read them to my 4th and 5th grade children and found them so captivating that I wanted to learn more. This "adult" book was a great read and a wonderful way for me to learn about the Afghan women's plight. It is a series of 1st hand accounts of Afghan women over the last 20 years. Very interesting and well written. Highly recommend.

5.0 out of 5 stars Praise for Women of the Afghan War, August 23, 2001

By	"[e-mail]" (kansas) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent book and well worth the price.(All proceeds are donated to the childrens Afghan War Fund)The oral accounts from women who are trapped in their homes or forced to become refugees is heartbreaking.An entire generation of young girls are being raised illiterate with little hope of any normal life.Public executions where people are forced to attend is an almost daily event.The horror that these women face day to day will inspire you with their endless courage and urge you to become involved in their struggle..