Book Review: The Secret Sky by Atia Abawi

---

The Secret Sky
Author: Atia Abawi
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Romance
Released: September 2nd 2014
Review Source: Philomel

A novel of love during a time of war by NBC's Afghanistan correspondent.

Set in present-day Afghanistan, this is the story of two teenagers, one Pashtun and one Hazara, who must fight against their culture, their tradition, their families, and the Taliban to stay together. Told in three rotating perspectives—the two teens and another boy in the village who turns them in to the local Taliban—this novel depicts both the violent realities of living in Afghanistan, as well as the beauty of the land and the cultures there. And it shows that love can bloom in even the darkest of places.

This is an absolute must read not just for teens but for anyone who has lived during the time of America's War in Afghanistan.

"[The Secret Sky is] a tale of the indomitable Afghan spirit of hope and love. Among the many novels set in Afghanistan for young people or for adults, The Secret Sky stands alone. Unputdownable. Unforgettable." –Trent Reedy, author of Words in the Dust

The Secret Sky, a forbidden love story, okay sign me up! When I am came across this book about a forbidden love story in Afghanistan I couldn’t wait to read it, I knew it was going to be deeper than any other love story, and man can I tell you it was.

The Secret Sky follows three teenagers; Fatima, Samiullah, and Rashid. With this story being told from three different perspectives you definitely get the sense of how completely different people view good and evil, right and wrong.  When Sami comes back early from madrassa, an Islamic religious school, Fatima is shocked, how and why is her best friend home early? Fatima and Sami grew up together, best friends, by the news of his early arrival all her past feelings started flooding back. With Islamic laws and religion you’re not allowed to be with a man or woman who isn’t your wife, you shouldn’t be seeing them at all. Fatima and Sami have always had feelings for each other, even when they were little they both had soft spots for each other, so they started sneaking around in the woods to see each other after Sami returned. That’s when Rashid comes into our story, the cousin of Sami, who also went to madrassa but never left early, he finished his schooling. Rashid is out there to make sure everyone is following the Islamic religion, taking all means necessary. This story really opens your eyes to what happens in Afghanistan, especially when the law of the lord is broken. What surprised me the most was the love that was shown throughout this story that wasn’t just between our couple, but other people that they had come across. Then there were definitely dark moments throughout this story that really hurt, it was dark, but it was real. It happens, it has happened, and will continue to happen.

If you enjoy a love story that is most definitely forbidden, this is for you. This story wasn’t just about Fatima and Sami’s relationship, but everything that could happen because of it, it’s a story about their country, family, religion, and love. It felt raw and real and I was definitely hurting and hoping the entire time.