Customer Reviews

The Wandering Falcon

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My Husband and I both read this book and found it to be enjoyable and a nice easy read. I wanted the book to go on with the stories.

The Wondering Falcon" is not really one story, but rather a series of fables or vignettes about life among the mountain tribesmen of Afghanistan. Although there is not one particular plot, there is one central character, Tor Baz; a mysterious young holy man who roams the border country between Afghanistan and Pakistan. As the writer takes us into various tribes and their way of life, we often get a glimpse of this legendary character interacting, in one way or another, with the individuals we meet along the way.

Although Tor Baz doesn't admit to knowing his early beginnings, in the opening chapters of the novel, the reader is given insight into his birth. With the death of his parents, he becomes a somewhat enigmatic character who often arrives upon a scene whenever help is required. He tends to exemplify wisdom and moderation in this land of extremes.

The pace of the novel is slow, but the story does provide a great deal of insight into the minds and hearts of the Afghan people, where justice is important, but woman are little but a necessary commodity to bring forth children--children that are often used as collateral by the fathers who beget them.

The author's language is clear and simple and yet beautifully descriptive. Jamil Ahmad easily transports us to that dry and hostile land where the desert meets the mountains, and where Pakistan collides with Afghanistan. There is much insight to be gained here on the cultures of the region; and the book explains to some extent why countries like England, Russia, and currently, the United States have never been able to solve the issues surrounding these unfathomable people.