FICTION
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Debbie
Wiley
Book Reviews |
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Girls in Kabul,
wearing their traditional clothes, sing at a celebration of
International Women's Day in 2002
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Afghan royal
soldiers of the Durrani Empire
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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
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The Patience Stone
by Atiq Rahimi
A
war rages on in Afghanistan while a woman nurses her husband who
remains motionless, only breathing. Daily she administers fluid to his
eyes and keeps a sugar and salt solution feeding him. Her anger
gradually emerges, pouring out of her as the man remains unmoving and
silent. What will she reveal in her anguish and pain?
Atiq Rahimi uses the legend of the Sang-e Saboor as the basis for THE
PATIENCE STONE. The Sang-e Saboor is a fabled stone that serves as a
confessional, absorbing all the pain and anguish until it explodes,
setting the person free. To the Afghani woman, her husband serves as
her stone. She pours out her anger, her fears, and her frustrations. In
the process, the reader is given a glimpse into a society ravaged by
war, where women remain voiceless and subservient to the whims of men.
THE PATIENCE STONE is a short but emotionally intense tale. We remain
in the one room, adding a sense of isolation and loneliness to the
tale. The sounds of life and war go on outside, but little enters the
room, making it seem almost like sacred ground. This feeling
intensifies when intruders search the room as it leaves a sense of
violation behind.
The voice of the woman is almost painful to read. Atiq Rahimi does an
excellent job at maintaining her voice throughout the short but
powerful tale. As a woman, I found her plight both chilling and
disturbing. The terseness of the tales only serves to heighten those
feelings. THE PATIENCE STONE is a book that should be read by everyone,
if only to ensure that the voiceless women of Afghanistan are finally
heard.
Publisher: Other
Press (January 2010)
Reviewed
by Debbie, Debbie Wiley Book Reviews
Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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