99 Nights in Logar
Jamil Jan Kochai"More than well crafted; it's phenomenal. . . . Kochai's book has a big heart." —The Guardian
A dog on the loose. A boy yearning to connect to his family's roots. A country in the midst of great change. And a vibrant exploration of the power of stories—the ones we tell each other & the ones we find ourselves in.
Twelve-year-old Marwand's memories from his previous visit to Afghanistan six years ago center on his contentious relationship with Budabash, the terrifying but beloved dog who guards his extended family's compound in the rural village of Logar. But eager for an ally in this place that is meant to be "home," Marwand misreads his reunion with the dog and approaches Budabash the way he...
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“By turns surrealist, absurdist, & deeply heartbreaking, the novel portrays a social landscape of intimate ties & bullet-ridden memories–including a tragedy that marks an eternal wound on the family’s beating heart. This secret is unveiled as layers of tales-within-tales rich with oral tradition are peeled back, culminating to a reveal so poetic & striking that it makes for a landmark chapter in contemporary American literature for its linguistic statement.” — Electric Literature