Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I fondly remember the seasons in Kabul: when the buttercups and lilies bloomed, it meant spring had arrived. The fruit trees in our orchard would ripen soon, and I’d play soccer with my friends. #2 My childhood was filled with fun and friendship. I was the second youngest of eight children, and we lived in a wealthy Kabul neighborhood. I grew up during one of the most prosperous periods in the history of Afghanistan. #3 Shahnaz was the sister of my best friend, Zia, and she would read us stories about women falling in love with noble men. I wanted to be like her and know about this world beyond the white stuccoed walls of our compound. #4 My mother, Shahnaz, married my father, Padar, who was also a poet. They had a suitor named Saleem Rodwal, who was a pilot in the Afghan military. I never understood what my parents did all day, but I liked to think they were speaking poetry to each other.