Caravans (Mass Market Paperback)

by James A. Michener (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In this romantic adventure of wild Afghanistan, master storyteller James Michener mixes the allure of the past with the dangers of today. After an impetuous American girl, Ellen Jasper, marries a young Afghan engineer, her parents hear no word from her. Although she wants freedom to do as she wishes, not even she is sure what that means. In the meantime, she is as good as lost in that wild land, perhaps forever....
"An extraordinary novel....Brilliant."
THE NEW YORK TIMES


From the Inside Flap
In this romantic adventure of wild Afghanistan, master storyteller James Michener mixes the allure of the past with the dangers of today. After an impetuous American girl, Ellen Jasper, marries a young Afghan engineer, her parents hear no word from her. Although she wants freedom to do as she wishes, not even she is sure what that means. In the meantime, she is as good as lost in that wild land, perhaps forever....
"An extraordinary novel....Brilliant."
THE NEW YORK TIMES

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett (December 12, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0449213803
• ISBN-13: 978-0449213803
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #157,448 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great History Lesson and Great Read!, June 9, 2002

By	Daniel V. Reilly (Upstate New York, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Don't be fooled by the "Harlequin Romance"-looking cover art. Caravans is a ripping good adventure/travelogue/history lesson, with some romance thrown in for good measure.

The story is simple: An American girl who married an Afghani man is missing in Afghanistan. Her family is frantic, and a military man stationed in Afghanistan in 1946 is assigned to find out what happened to her. The story veers into some unexpected territory, and Michener delivers a TON of Historical perspective on the people and places of Afghanistan without ever making you feel like you're back in History class. (This is a VERY illuminating book to read after September 11th...)

The characters are interesting, and the book just zooms along: I finished it in no time flat. My only complaint is the map in the beginning of the book: It's printed so dark that it's totally useless.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Caravans, James A. Michener, April 16, 2002

By	Shirin Raza (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Michener, James A., Caravans (Ballantine Books, United States, 1963). 438. 1 map. 1 Note to Reader. 0-449-21380-3.

Caravans is the story of an American woman, Ellen Jaspar, lost in Afghanistan after marrying an Afghan engineer. The novel is told through the cooperation of American officials and Afghani leaders to find the missing woman at the pressure of a U.S. Senator. Michener touches upon various aspects of Afghanistan, including women's rights, religious fanaticism, foreign perceptions, and the character of the Afghani people.

James A. Michener found his inspiration for the novel in his personal experiences and travels through Afghanistan. He in fact met many European women who struggled for freedom from the confines of their marriage and Afghanistan. Michener is extremely well-traveled in the region, and furthermore has much diplomatic expertise lending to credible portrayals of Afghani leaders and people in the novel. Hence, his portrayal of the many facets of Afghani culture and politics are credible and well-researched.

The motive of Michener in writing this novel seems unclear at times, as it's adventure-style narrative can obscure the reader's vision of it as more than just a story. Yet, there is some hint of the author's desire to enlighten the world on the deeper character of Afghanistan. Michener strives to shed light on such a perplexing people and culture, that more often than not are judged solely by the negative qualities that appear on the surface (i.e. fanatical mullahs and repressed women). And, by incorporating both Afghani and foreign perceptions of Afghani people and culture continuously throughout the novel, Michener achieves this goal.

Although the novel was written in the 1950's, and Afghanistan did make many advances in human rights in the decades following its composition, the subject matter is sadly more pertinent today than ever. In a time when terrorism lends the outside world to focus only on the evils of Afghanistan, this novel could be extremely useful in explaining the development and perspectives behind such evils. When Americans look at Afghanistan, what comes to mind is terrorism, religious fanatics, and atrocious women's rights abuses. This solely negative view of Afghani culture causes people to view the entire nation and people of Afghanistan to be judged in this light. Michener helps to end this attitude and truly depict the majority of the Afghani population rather than let the minority represent them.

Overall, this book is not only very helpful on giving a reader an insightful look into Afghani culture and mindsets, but is also both politically relevant and useful. Now, more than ever, a true understanding of Afghanistan is need in order to stop the violence and pave the way towards cooperation and mutual acceptance between Afghanistan and the rest of the world. Yet, the reader must be mindful to not just focus on the story-level aspects of the novel and its trite subject matter, but rather delve deeper into Michener's depiction of the character and desires of the Afghani population.

Shirin Raza (002788950)

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tale of Islam in Afghanistan, September 27, 2000

By	Richard Ballard "rjballard" (United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"Caravans" is the story of how Afghanistan's Islamic culture affects an American female student and a U.S. embassy male staffer.

Afghanistan's Islamic culture has desert roots. Desert survival requires a strong leader. This requirement has made Islam a patriarchal culture. Michener describes how Islamic culture fits the harsh desert environment. He outlines how an American woman and an American man adapt to Afghanistan's Islamic culture.

"Caravans" is an excellent novel. Michener's characters are well-developed. Michener lived in Afghanistan. He understands its people, its culture, and its environment. I recommend this book.