The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi
Pacing: Fast. Super FAST!
Personal Highlights: First and foremost, anyone seeking an editor to help shape your story, this is the type editor you want. This memoir is so well constructed that the polish does not diminish the shine on Farah's narration (at such a young age, mind you).
She might not be good with names, but from a child's eye looking through her small window she does a remarkable job describing what it was like living in Afghanistan. The legacy of her father's heroism...how her parents married... and Afghan culture (in general)—the customs, such as child-rearing, and habits, such as eating from one plate were as moving as Farah explaining her excitement getting to school (to be in on the bench-grabbing contest)...until the day she was gravely injured.
Overall, despite the book being a little dated (published 2005) the content remains relevant. And indeed there is much to reflect on. Explaining her injuries and hospitalization in both Afghanistan and Germany (her first introduction to a world outside her native home), and the events that forced her and her mother to leave a country they both otherwise loved are spots where I paused to contemplate. That conversation in the car (upon arriving in America) involving the 'soap factory' and toothbrush care packet as well were visually impactful. Gosh, I so felt for the mother, even if most revealing was Farah's initial ire with God over all this, and the relationship she consequently built with Him. Oh my goodness, so beautiful! That part alone is well worth the read. It is easy to become so comfortable with routine that until we step back, only then may we see the many ironies of "living in a prison constructed of ignorance." For a child to learn this, and then be able to articulate it through tremendous storytelling, I found a step in the right direction. Highly recommended! (Read the hardback 2005 ed.)
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