When Kim Barker
first arrived in
Kabul as a journalist
in 2002, she barely owned a passport,
spoke only English and had little idea
how to do the “Taliban Shuffle” between
Afghanistan and Pakistan. No matter—her
stories about Islamic militants and shaky
reconstruction were soon overshadowed
by the bigger news in Iraq. But as she
delved deeper into Pakistan and Afghanistan,
her love for the hapless countries grew,
along with her fear for their future stability.
In this darkly comic and unsparing memoir,
Barker uses her wry, incisive voice
to expose the absurdities and tragedies
of the “forgotten war,” finding humor and
humanity amid the rubble
and heartbreak.