What (am I currently reading)?

I am currently reading a novel set in Afghanistan: Silent Heroes: When Love and Values Are Worth Fighting For by Patricia Furstenberg.  It was first published in July 2019.

Book Blurb (taken from https://www.goodreads.com/)

Silent Heroes is a highly emotional read, action-packed, a vivid story of enormous sacrifice and bravery.

When Talibans descends in the village of Nauzad and discover girls can read, a woman accepts the blame and is killed on the spot for breaking the Islam law. Her teenage daughter witnesses the sacrifice and swears revenge, her life and that of her brother becoming intertwined with those of the US Marines serving at FOB Day nearby. But the Taliban is infiltrated everywhere and friends or foes are hard to differentiate.

The U.S. Marines fight with bravery to protect the civilians of Nauzad and to fend off the Taliban at Qala-e-Bost, thus protecting Bost Airport, a vital strategic point for the allies. Faced with questions about the necessity of the war, with the trauma of losing their platoon-mates and the emotional scars of battle, the US Marines race against time in one last battle of eradicating the Taliban before it is too late.

The War in Afghanistan is a contemporary, vitally important conflict whose meaning needs to be understood by the public worldwide. ‘Silent Heroes’ is a narrative about the value of life and the necessity of combat; the terror of dying; the ordeal of seeing your loved ones and your platoon-mates killed in front of your eyes; the trauma of taking a human life.

From the storyteller of the Bestseller “Joyful Trouble” comes a riveting, fictional account inspired by the War in Afghanistan, a battle that spanned centuries and has affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians.

Why (have I chosen to read it)?

Because it is topical and has great reviews.  I see mention of this author everywhere, but have never read any of her books, so now seems like a good time to start. 

While (I  am reading it) 

The cows are being brought down from their alpine pastures, back to their valley fields.  We still have plenty of tourists here, but it seems quieter on the mountains paths – the perfect time to have a play with this giant xylophone!

All the best, Emma