99 Nights in Logar
by Jamil Jan Kochai
Synopsis:
A coming-of-age story about one boy’s journey across contemporary Afghanistan to find and bring home the family dog, blending the grit and immediacy of voice-driven fiction like We Need New Names with the mythmaking of One Thousand and One Nights.
Twelve-year-old Marwand’s memories from his previous visit to Afghanistan six years ago center on his contentious relationship with Budabash, the terrifying but beloved dog who guards his extended family’s compound in Logar. Eager to find an ally in this place that’s meant to be “home,” Marwand approaches Budabash the way he would any dog on his American suburban block—and the results are disastrous: Marwand loses a finger and Budabash escapes.
The resulting search for the family dog is an expertly told adventure, a ninety-nine-night quest that sends Marwand and his cousins across the landscape of Logar. Moving between celebrations and tragedies, deeply humorous and surprisingly tender, 99 Nights in Logar is a vibrant exploration of the power of stories—the ones we tell each other, and the ones we find ourselves in.
(cover image and synopsis lifted from Goodreads)
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Penguin
Publication date: January 8th 2019
Source/Format: eARC/Netgalley
Purchase links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository
Trigger warning/s:
My Rating: ★★★☆☆
My Thoughts:
“99 Nights in Logar” adopted the tales within tales style of the classic, “One Thousand and One Nights”. Marwand’s visit to Logar and his hunt for Budabash paved way for his people to tell him their stories: real-life and fantastical stories, funny stories and sad ones or both things at once, stories that are passed from one’s lips to another, oftentimes through speech and sometimes through songs.
The book offered me a lot of insights about storytelling. Marwand’s young uncle, Gulbuddin, advised that it’s okay to change a story if it makes it more interesting. He also said that heroes and romance are staples of a good story. Probably the wisdom with the most impact for me came from Agha, Marwand’s dad. In the subtlest of ways, he made Marwand understand that story-telling is a gateway to know his heritage and his people. And that’s basically the meat of the book for me: Marwand’s coming of age is a cultural awakening of sorts through the Afghan’s rich tapestry of tales.
Marwand’s naive confidence on assembling a crew of young cousins and uncles to hunt for the dog Budabash is delightfully funny. If you are someone who is charmed by a ragtag of precocious kids in American shows like “Stranger Things”, you’ll probably enjoy the adventures of Marwand and crew as well. Aside from our 12-year old Marwand, there’s the 14-year old romantic Gul and his impeccable little mustache, 13-year-old Dawood who loves eating, Marwand’s little bro Gwora who keeps secret journals, and my personal favorite, 13-year old Zia who is pure and prayerful.
The chaos that is Marwand’s big extended family is endearing. With a soft Baba (grandpa) and an obstinate Abo (grandma) at the helm, they are the kind of family who fusses about each other’s business; for instance, an aunt’s marriage prospects. The family’s compound is far from the war zone that the fighting are mere sounds that lull them to sleep. But it’s just as near enough that they encounter the Talibans and the G.I. soldiers on the streets. An uncle is working as an interpreter in an American base.
Without a doubt, I am captivated by the book. As a reader unfamiliar with Afghanistan aside maybe from what’s on the news, I am grateful to glimpse the country and its people through the eyes of Marwand. I admit that the tales within tales style of the book is a wobbly crutch for a satisfying plot and character arc. And there could be layers or symbolism in the book that would make foreigners like me grasping at straws. The reveal to the overarching mystery about the death of Marwand’s uncle, Watak, is a taciturn twist written in the native language. I tried to get an answer from the author in Twitter and what I got is a promise of a sequel. Albeit underwhelming, this is still happy news for me. I'd be glad to read more and get back with these people and in this place again.
Diversity Watch:
Marwand’s parents are both Afghans who immigrated to America.The book offered me a lot of insights about storytelling. Marwand’s young uncle, Gulbuddin, advised that it’s okay to change a story if it makes it more interesting. He also said that heroes and romance are staples of a good story. Probably the wisdom with the most impact for me came from Agha, Marwand’s dad. In the subtlest of ways, he made Marwand understand that story-telling is a gateway to know his heritage and his people. And that’s basically the meat of the book for me: Marwand’s coming of age is a cultural awakening of sorts through the Afghan’s rich tapestry of tales.
Marwand’s naive confidence on assembling a crew of young cousins and uncles to hunt for the dog Budabash is delightfully funny. If you are someone who is charmed by a ragtag of precocious kids in American shows like “Stranger Things”, you’ll probably enjoy the adventures of Marwand and crew as well. Aside from our 12-year old Marwand, there’s the 14-year old romantic Gul and his impeccable little mustache, 13-year-old Dawood who loves eating, Marwand’s little bro Gwora who keeps secret journals, and my personal favorite, 13-year old Zia who is pure and prayerful.
The chaos that is Marwand’s big extended family is endearing. With a soft Baba (grandpa) and an obstinate Abo (grandma) at the helm, they are the kind of family who fusses about each other’s business; for instance, an aunt’s marriage prospects. The family’s compound is far from the war zone that the fighting are mere sounds that lull them to sleep. But it’s just as near enough that they encounter the Talibans and the G.I. soldiers on the streets. An uncle is working as an interpreter in an American base.
Without a doubt, I am captivated by the book. As a reader unfamiliar with Afghanistan aside maybe from what’s on the news, I am grateful to glimpse the country and its people through the eyes of Marwand. I admit that the tales within tales style of the book is a wobbly crutch for a satisfying plot and character arc. And there could be layers or symbolism in the book that would make foreigners like me grasping at straws. The reveal to the overarching mystery about the death of Marwand’s uncle, Watak, is a taciturn twist written in the native language. I tried to get an answer from the author in Twitter and what I got is a promise of a sequel. Albeit underwhelming, this is still happy news for me. I'd be glad to read more and get back with these people and in this place again.
The author was born in Pakistan and grew up in the U.S. As a kid, he traveled to Logar, Afghanistan, to visit with his family.
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I'd love to hear from you!
Have you read this book yet? What do you think of its style? Do you have a favorite folktale or myth from your country? Share with me in the comments.
