Book Review: The Other Side of the Sky: A Memoir

March 30, 2009

The Other Side of the Sky: A Memoir
by Farah Ahmedi, Tamim Ansary
AKA: Good Morning America: The Story of My Life
AKA: The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky
Young Adult
Non Fiction
Memoir

Okay, so why all the alternate titles? This book was published in several different forms after the author won an essay contest sponsored by Good Morning America. They are all exactly the same.

This is the story of Farah, a young Afghan girl, and her amazing life as a survivor of war, loss and the machinations of a world completely beyond her control. It is definitely written in the style and tone of a teen (she was in high school when she wrote it), so it is not a complex read but it is memorable nonetheless. Her story is astonishing in its scope and drama. It moved me to tears, made me angry, caused me intense admiration and kindled in me a desire to make a difference in some way for people like Farah. I also learned much about the culture and people of Afghanistan in the time of the Taliban's rise to power, including the fact that the term Burka is an incorrect name for the veils worn by the women there. It is a timely read, and well worth it.

1 comment

  1. Sounds good...adding it to my library list right now. Thank you for sharing it.

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