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katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
Bend it Like Beckham set on an Afghan cricket pitch? Well, not quite. Females playing a sport that their religion forbids? Check. Feisty and intelligent heroine who loves the sport? Check.
There's a very real element of danger here that is foreign (excuse the pun) to BILB.
Rukhsana is (or was) a journalist, reporting on human rights atrocities by the now-ruling Taliban. Forced out of her job and into a hijab, she can only leave the house escorted by a male family member.
Still writing stories under a pseudonym, Rukhsana is threatened and watches people killed all around her. Nursing her dying mother, she is readying herself to taking her teenage brother away when the Taliban announce a competition to find an Afghan cricket team who will be sent abroad to train. Only her brother and cousins don't know how to play. Guess who does? Only women aren't allowed to play...
Yes there's some light-hearted sections, some romantic scenes, but underneath it all is the threat of the Taliban. Rukhsana must teach her team the art of cricket but risks torture or death for her actions, as so her relatives.
It's a strange concoction, you want to laugh more but the danger feels too real at times to relax enough to do it.
Rukhsana is a great heroine though, resourceful and passionate, brave and loving. It's a work of fiction but does bring home to us what living under that regime may have been like.
There's a very real element of danger here that is foreign (excuse the pun) to BILB.
Rukhsana is (or was) a journalist, reporting on human rights atrocities by the now-ruling Taliban. Forced out of her job and into a hijab, she can only leave the house escorted by a male family member.
Still writing stories under a pseudonym, Rukhsana is threatened and watches people killed all around her. Nursing her dying mother, she is readying herself to taking her teenage brother away when the Taliban announce a competition to find an Afghan cricket team who will be sent abroad to train. Only her brother and cousins don't know how to play. Guess who does? Only women aren't allowed to play...
Yes there's some light-hearted sections, some romantic scenes, but underneath it all is the threat of the Taliban. Rukhsana must teach her team the art of cricket but risks torture or death for her actions, as so her relatives.
It's a strange concoction, you want to laugh more but the danger feels too real at times to relax enough to do it.
Rukhsana is a great heroine though, resourceful and passionate, brave and loving. It's a work of fiction but does bring home to us what living under that regime may have been like.
booknook123's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
lcolium's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a few chapters to get into it, but once I did, I flew through! This was a delightful story set in a part of the world I'm not super knowledgable of, and I enjoyed some fictional armchair travel. Looking forward to reading other books by this author.
samstillreading's review against another edition
5.0
When I first read the title of this book, I wondered what on earth it could be about. From what I knew about the Taliban, they didn’t appear to have time to play cricket! But as you read this book, with its equal measures of repression, love, humour and intense sadness, you will understand exactly why this name is the perfect title. Murari writes a sensitive book that will have you laughing, crying and cheering in equal measures.
The main character of the novel is Rukshana, a former journalist who is now forced to write undercover using pseudonyms after not being allowed to work under the Taliban regime. Strangely, she is called to a press conference where it announced that Afghanistan will be holding a cricket tournament and the winners are allowed to travel out of the country – unheard of. Rukshana’s cousins decide to form a team for the ultimate prize – and if they win, they’re not coming back. One problem though: Rukshana’s the only person who knows how to play cricket. Enter watching banned cricket videos under the cover of darkness, some daring disguises and the boys begin to learn their new sport. However, the minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has now decided he wishes to marry Rukshana, putting her life at risk. How can Rukshana teach the team to win and evade a forced marriage?
If you loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, you’ll adore this book. Murari balances the descriptions of the severe restrictions forced on the women of Kabul with funny stories of the boys playing cricket and Rukshana’s happier days at university in India. I did have to put down the book several times to compose myself – the injustices that Rukshana faces just because of her sex are difficult to comprehend. Not being allowed to go to the letterbox without as escort is a small but essential freedom denied to her. (Would you rely on your younger brother to post your letters?) What is happier and more amusing, is the ways that the team try to thwart the tyrannies to achieve their freedom – from costumes to fake cousins to practising in the basement.
I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but please allow yourself adequate time to read and read because you won’t be able to put this down!
The main character of the novel is Rukshana, a former journalist who is now forced to write undercover using pseudonyms after not being allowed to work under the Taliban regime. Strangely, she is called to a press conference where it announced that Afghanistan will be holding a cricket tournament and the winners are allowed to travel out of the country – unheard of. Rukshana’s cousins decide to form a team for the ultimate prize – and if they win, they’re not coming back. One problem though: Rukshana’s the only person who knows how to play cricket. Enter watching banned cricket videos under the cover of darkness, some daring disguises and the boys begin to learn their new sport. However, the minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has now decided he wishes to marry Rukshana, putting her life at risk. How can Rukshana teach the team to win and evade a forced marriage?
If you loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, you’ll adore this book. Murari balances the descriptions of the severe restrictions forced on the women of Kabul with funny stories of the boys playing cricket and Rukshana’s happier days at university in India. I did have to put down the book several times to compose myself – the injustices that Rukshana faces just because of her sex are difficult to comprehend. Not being allowed to go to the letterbox without as escort is a small but essential freedom denied to her. (Would you rely on your younger brother to post your letters?) What is happier and more amusing, is the ways that the team try to thwart the tyrannies to achieve their freedom – from costumes to fake cousins to practising in the basement.
I don’t want to spoil the ending for you, but please allow yourself adequate time to read and read because you won’t be able to put this down!
ellie31773's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25