West of Kabul, East of New York

by Tamin Ansary

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of "This is the Place" and "Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered"

"West of Kabul, East of New York" was inspired as by the author’s phenomenal success with a heartfelt Western-Afghani e-mail post that streamed along electronic rivers on the web like a flash flood.

Tamin Ansary captures the essence of how humanity identifies itself, the thrill of watching someone learn to embrace one’s self. Ansary forces a reader to accept differences, no matter how deep the crisis, to accept themselves, no matter how isolated they may feel. He does so with words like these:

"I learned to say my prayers from my Afghan grandmother; yes, I know the flavor of sundown on the first day of Ramadan, when you’re on the porch with the people you love, waiting for the cannon that will mark the moment when a white thread can no longer be distinguished from a black one and you can put the day’s first sweet date in your mouth."

There is much to learn in this book. It explores the philosophy of Islam, just as Ansary himself did as he was searching for his own answers. As we follow his path, we begin to see the religious and political fallacies clearly but also the truths that have attracted millions to its word. He also obliges us to see what makes us American. These are special gifts that should not be overlooked.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson reviews movies for the Glendale News-Press and
writes a fashion column for the Pasadena Star News. She is a novelist and
speaks on the subject of tolerance. Learn more at:
www.tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm.)