Tuesday, October 13th at 1:00pm in the library meeting room. The Underground Girls of Kabul by foreign correspondent Jenny Nordberg is the non fiction work to be discussed at the October meeting of the Tuesday Book Discussion Group. Subtitled “In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan” the book exposes the practice of “bacha posh” which translates as “dressed up like a boy.” Under this custom, pre-adolescent girls dress and pose as boys within their families and larger communities.
A direct result of the almost complete male dominance within Afghan society, the practice allows some girls as sons to bring added honor and power to a family, earn some money and attend school. The transition to being girls again at puberty is a step back into a life almost devoid of choice and freedom. Goodreads wrote of the book “At the heart of this emotional narrative is a new perspective on the extreme sacrifices of Afghan women and girls against the violent backdrop of America’s longest war”.
Newcomers are always welcome, and extra copies will be available at the circulation desk.
