Structure

This book is primarily structured around three primary individuals, Akbar Gul, Heela, and Jan Muhammad Khan. Though these three lived in generally the same region of Afghanistan, their experiences are only indirectly linked and they never encounter each other in person. Gopal’s goal is to present the experiences of these individuals in connection to the war in Afghanistan, rather than a complete account of the war itself. As a result, while the narrative is structured roughly chronologically, it is driven by events in each individual’s personal life, rather than major milestones in the war. Gopal only occasionally provides the dates of various events for context, suggesting that they are less important than the effects those events have on the communities depicted. As a result, this book is often more biographical, relying on the impressions and feelings of its subjects, rather than being strictly factual.

Gopal...