When the Moon Is Low: A Novel

This is an exquisitely written story of a loving, middle-class family’s once idyllic life in Kabul, Afghanistan, collapsing beneath Soviet rockets and later crumbling under despotism by the Taliban. In first person, the story described how Fereiba Waziri, pregnant with her third child, lost her husband, Mahmood.Fereiba had known loss all of her life, but with the loss of her husband, and her personal histories with loss, she was limited in her coping capabilities. Although hesitant and fearful, she realized she had to pick up the pieces of her life, and go on without Mahmood.Mahmood was a freethinker in their society. He and Fereiba had solidified their marriage with profound love and trust, openly discussing everything. Yet, Fereiba always respected Mahmood’s final decision in matters. However, she later regretted they had not moved to London earlier and, sometimes, I think, she made ill-considered decisions.Fereiba and the children were vulnerable and immersed in their grief. Although grieving, she had to remain calm and clear headed in front of the children. Her daughter, Samira, became mute, lacking the verbal ability to explain what troubled her. Her son, Saleem, at fifteen, was at the age where he was unwilling to share his problems with others. Inside, he mourned his father’s death. He felt confused, had ambivalent attitudes concerning his brother and anger towards his mother.Fereiba had to relearn the world without her husband. She fled with her children and infant son, Aziz, to safe houses in Iran before landing in Turkey.Saleem’s story is told in omniscient point of view. This is really Saleem’s story. Proud, and strong-willed, he refused to keel over to pity. His dreams became deferred. He had to mature quickly without the guidance of his father. In Turkey, he secured the family lodging with a kind, retired Professor, Hakan and his wife, Hayal. Saleem worked on a tomato farm to help with their savings. He even befriended a boy his age, but their friendship was short-lived because of Fereiba’s decision to leave Turkey.When the family arrived in Greece, while Fereiba cleaned hotel rooms, often Saleem provided food for them in ways he was not proud of. He discovered the dismal gloom of Afghan refugees in Athens. At night, males in their teens and twenties, slept in a park under makeshift tents. During the day, they scrounged for food from restaurants’ refuse or received sandwiches from aide workers. Refugees could not obtain asylum. They could not acquire jobs. Like Saleem’s family, they too wanted asylum in Europe and feared forced repatriation.When the Waziri’s had saved enough to reach Italy, Saleem and his mother were separated two days before their departure. He was arrested by police and returned to Turkey. Fereiba, faced with her deathly ill infant, realized she had to leave without Saleem.Several weeks later, alone, Saleem reached Italy, and became acquainted with the dark, purgatorial, underbelly society of Rome with its unforgiving, hardened criminals. Yet, he would not give up his dream of reuniting with his family. So, he made brave decisions a boy should not have to make at his age. But he was between adolescence and adulthood. He would survive.I enjoyed the story immensely. I gave it five stars.

"When the Moon is Low" by a great writer, Nadia HashimiI give this story 4 1/2 stars ... The only reason I didn't give this novel a 5-star rating is because I was so immensely impressed by her other two novels, that comparatively, this one is good, but it doesn't quite live up to the greatness of the others. But you should read them all ...she's that good.My biggest complaint, and it's not much, is the switch from first-person narrative of the mother, then to the normal third-person narrative for the son's part of the story. The author did it fairly well, but grammatically, it just shouldn't be done that way. First person should remain first person, not switch off mid-novel, it's disconcerting and can be confusing if not done skillfully.Yes, you should definitely read this story! It's good, it's great. But read the other two if you wish for two really great, really good, fantastic storytelling by a really good writer. In fact, I would suggest that you read the other two novels first, then read this one - you'll be more forgiving. ;=)Patrick

The story flowed well a d was very emotional. I was surprised at the difficulty there is in traveling from country to country. I have so much gratitude for living in the US.I love learning about people and their culture. I have so much empathy for these people. I wonder if life is still just as hard as the time in which this story took place..It's a good read for anybody and I reccomend this author.

Overall, I thought this book very insightful and extremely well-written. It provided thought-provoking perspective on what many refugees (in this case, Afghanis) endure to get to Europe, a place of safety for themselves and their families. Although I feel great sympathy for their plight, I still believe European and North American countries must enforce sensible immigration laws, lest complacency and impractical notions result in civil unrest. Over time, even good intentions can cause collapse if not sensibly applied, making it difficult for strong countries to help anyone at all, native or refugee. Still, it is important to understand the refugee perspective, as Hashimi brilliantly conveys, that we may be aware of their suffering, discern how best we can help, and appreciate the priceless value of peace and judicious government. Ideally, people should not have to leave their homes and risk their lives to find freedom and safety. It's truly a shame that this is so and has been throughout history! On this issue, the world has learned little, and in some areas, absolutely nothing! This book was gripping and heart-breaking to read; only the ending was baffling, as it was, in my opinion, too abrupt and felt incomplete. I would absolutely recommend to anyone interested in immigration, migration, Afghanistan or refugees in general.

This book helps me appreciate living in the USA.The treatment of the Afghan women was so unbelievable.

This is a beautifully written tale about a family who fled Afghanistan in order to save themselves from Taliban's. The story is told from two different viewpoints; Fereiba and her son Saleem. Fereiba had to take her three kids and run after her husband was targeted by Taliban's. They left everything that they new behind to find a better future in Europe. The story is very compelling and gripping. I enjoyed it up until conclusion where the reader is left to drawn his/her own conclusions. The ending felt very rushed and disappointing.

A very different book, one that will open your eyes to the plight of the middle eastern refuges. A delight to be immersed in a world so totally foreign. Heartbreaking, emotional, well written, I enjoyed this book very much. The time period is now, the crisis is real, the suffering is widespread. However, there is also the redeeming quality of love within the family and this book shows how strong that love is and how it can help pull people through very difficult times. A good quick read !

good book

J'ai lu ce roman après avoir lu un premier livre de Nadia Hashimi (The Pearl that Broke Its Shell, qui m'avait beaucoup plu également).C'est un livre émouvant, qui prend les tripes et qui sans aucun doute, permet de voir la situation des migrants de leur point de vue, et de partager une infime partie de leur quotidien, des risques qu'ils prennent, de leurs difficultés, parfois de l'horreur et toujours de la peur.Bravo à l'auteure pour cette belle histoire, dont on aimerait connaître la suite.

This book is a well-written novel with a powerful message. The story reveals how emotionally and physically difficult it is for refugees who have to leave their happy life and beloved homeland, enduring the disdain from the countries from whom they seek asylum. It provides an example of the strength of the human spirit of survival.

Is a great book and I haven’t heard of a story that’s remotely close to this so I would recommend reading this. It gives you insight on stuff, a person from the first world normally deine understand

It's a beautiful book, I absolutely adored it!!! I wish there was more than how it ended... But I guess it would be too stretched out if there was more, anyway it was a very touching book