Caravans by James A. MichenerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
"Kabul today shows what Palestine was like at the time of Jesus."
The Fall of Kabul this past week is too distressing for words, as raw footage from the field made its way to social media, breaking hearts at a faster pace than decades before. And to help make sense of this barrage of emotional and heartbreaking images and videos, I thought of turning to this old book which belonged to my dad (it's so old, the dust can't be removed from the cover!).
CARAVANS is the semi-autobiographical story of an American diplomat assigned to track down a missing American girl who married an Afghan, immediately after World War II. The plot itself is nothing outstanding, and I personally found little about the American girl that was worth the trouble so many noble men took in order to find her, but this is one book you read to be transported, and besotted by the incredible descriptions of its people and landscapes! I did NOT expect that!
"You have the disease that eats at our world. You cannot find peace in old conventions and beliefs, yet you are not sufficiently committed to anything to forge new ones for yourself."
Michener writes about Afghanistan as one who has camped in its deserts, travelled amongst its people in caravans, and witnessed the most horrific public executions by stoning and beheading-by-bayonet. And he truly has.
I came to this book seeking an overview, hoping to get a sense of the people through their history. I did not expect to read a love poem to its deserts and dead cities, crumbling monuments that were ancient in the time of past great conquerors like Darius and Alexander. This is a country of past greatness, a harsh land that explains its harsh laws and people. Michener writes respectfully of two kinds of educated Afghans: one who seeks a rebirth of his country by learning from the engineering of the Germans, the weapons of the Russians, and trade from the Americans and British; the other Afghan seeking a renewal in the form of enlightened mullahs (religious authorities in the villages, both ruler and judge).
The patriotic pride comes in the Afghans considering themselves descended from the lost tribes of Israel, and Hitler supported the twisted claim to their being "founders" of the Aryan race. Michener, of course, points out this irony.
If geography is destiny, then this explains all the focus on Kabul, "the most remote of capitals," "perched at the intersection of caravan trails that had functioned for more than three thousand years." Michener said it is a cauldron, a place to test one's manhood. And yet, for all the trials and tribulations he faced there, he wrote that this was the one place he would love to re-visit. And this is one book that is well worth re-reading!
For a historical overview of Aghanistan's past, check out this 2017 NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/wo...
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