The Underground Girls of Kabul (adult nonfiction)

     "If a daughter is born, it is not uncommon for a new mother to leave the delivery room in tears. She will return to the village, her head bowed in shame, where she may be derided by relatives and neighbors. She could be denied food for several days. She could be beaten and relegated to the outhouse to sleep with the animals as punishment for bringing the family another burden".

     Unbelievable, right? Yes, we're talking twenty-first century. No wonder the United Nations has designated Afghanistan the worst country to be born in and the most dangerous place in which to be a woman. In The Underground Girls of Kabul Jenny Nordberg introduces readers to a society in which the birth of even a healthy baby is considered a tragedy and a failure on the part of the mother. 

     It is a very patriarchal society in which men hold all the power and agency, one in which women's sole reason for being is to give birth to sons. A man may marry up to four wives to increase his chances in the genetic lottery. If a woman gives birth to only daughter not only she, but her extended family are considered cursed and lose status and opportunities. 

     But there are more serious consequences than loss of status. In a society in which a woman is not allowed to leave her house unaccompanied a son could chaperone his mother to shops and medical appointments. In a society where a woman is not allowed to work many jobs a son can be the provider for his family from a very early age.

     There is a way of getting around this. A family may declare at least one of their daughters to be a son, dressing her as a boy. For the child it can be a blessing or a curse. For some it can be a chance to experience the many opportunities and privileges not available to sisters. For others it can mean years of drudgery from which sisters are protected. 

     Nordberg, the reporter who broke the story of the bacha pash for the New York Times, takes readers into their complex roles in an ultra patriarchal society. I consider The Underground Girls of Kabul to be an important read for feminists and human rights advocates. 

On a purrrsonal note, my weekend has been mostly about my big goal: getting my summer clothes out of my shed and put up and collecting and stashing my winter clothes. I'm almost there. This morning I went to church for the first time since last Easter. It's hard to get there because I don't drive and there are no weekend busses. I'll be making Eugene a ham dinner. I hope it lasts him awhile because I have a really busy week coming up. 

A great big shout out goes out to my church family at Church of Universal Fellowship. 

Jules Hathaway 

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