Get Free Shipping on orders over $89
Three Women of Herat : Afghanistan, 1973-77 - Veronica Doubleday

Three Women of Herat

Afghanistan, 1973-77

By: Veronica Doubleday

Paperback | 25 March 2022

At a Glance

Paperback


RRP $38.49

$36.75

or 4 interest-free payments of $9.19 with

 or 

Ships in 10 to 15 business days

In 1973, the Afghans still had a King who ruled from a palace in Kabul with his own resident court of musicians when Veronica set up home in Herat.

This Afghan city sat close to the Persian frontier and was fully cognisant of its glorious history as the capital of a once vast Central Asian Empire. Veronica was not a casual traveler but a young musician married to a scholar. She was determined to make use of her time in Afghanistan and break out of the charmed circle of the expatriate academic and make real friendships with local women. The tentative story, the growth in these very different friendships, takes the reader into a rare, deep, and privileged insight into the hidden world of Afghan female society. This is more than enough to make this book remarkable, but it has an afterlife of its own.

For a Communist coup, then the Russian invasion, a long guerrilla war of Resistance is followed by Civil War and the rise of the Taliban. Veronica was separated from her friends: feared the worst, sought to assist but was also aware that contact from a westerner could be lethal to them. Then a fragile peace allowed her to meet them again and pick up their stories. It is a most exceptional work, which reads like a novel.
Industry Reviews

'The three women are remarkable and unforgettable, and the story of how the author gained their friendship is like a novel.' Doris Lessing

'... a sensitive, knowledgeable and very moving account of an annihilated civilisation.' Sunday Times

'... a fascinating, detailed account of family structures, relationships, marriage rituals, celebrations and traditional medicine.' Susannah Tarbush, Saudi Gazette

More in Travel Guides for Museums, Historic Sites, Galleries

Japan : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 18th Edition - Lonely Planet

RRP $39.99

$27.99

30%
OFF
Tasmania : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 10th Edition - Lonely Planet
Thailand : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 19th Edition - Lonely Planet Travel Guide
Europe : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 4th Edition - Lonely Planet Travel Guide

RRP $39.99

$27.99

30%
OFF
Traveler's Guide to Ancient Ohio : Thinking About Ohio - John E. Hancock
Norway : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 9th Edition - Lonely Planet Travel Guide

RRP $36.99

$26.75

28%
OFF
Ireland : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 16th Edition - Lonely Planet Travel Guide
Secret Helsinki Guide : A guide to the unusual and unfamiliar - Milla Leskinen
Undiscovered Tasmania : A Locals' Guide to Finding Adventure - Rochelle Dare
Ella and the Sleepover Safari : Ella and the Frogs - Cassy Polimeni
London : A Guide for Curious Wanderers - Jack Chesher

RRP $35.00

$28.75

18%
OFF
Full Tilt : Ireland to India with a Bicycle - Dervla Murphy
Australia : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 22nd Edition - Lonely Planet Travel Guide
Europe : Lonely Planet Travel Guide : 5th Edition - Lonely Planet

RRP $44.99

$31.75

29%
OFF
The Mediterranean : Lonely Planet - Lonely Planet

RRP $70.00

$41.99

40%
OFF