The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul: The heart-warming and uplifting international bestseller

The book was very informative about the lives of a group of people and how they had to conduct their lives amongst the horrors of Kabul. The Coffee Shop was central, owned by an American lady, who had made so many Afghan friends.She took in a lovely young woman, who caused her certain concerns. I must say that the story caused a certain amount of tension, which meant that I stayed up late to finish it.I am glad that I did!

This book was first brought to my attention by a member of the Kindlers Club book club. I doubt I would have read the book had it not been selected as the December read.The book tells the stories of a host of characters in Kabul, Afghanistan. The link amongst them all is the coffeehouse of the title. This is definitely a book focusing on the lives of women there, although there are several interesting male characters. I enjoyed reading about the different characters and wanted to see how their stories developed. I was largely satisfied by the plotlines for each of them, but not entirely so. The author intertwines the stories well but, for me, I found some plot developments too convenient and the odd character change a little too abrupt and unbelievable.The ending will please readers who like everything resolved neatly, but it just didn't ring entirely true for me. I felt it ended leaving a sugary taste in my mouth - too sweet and schmaltzy and 'Hollywood' for my liking. The setting is Afghanistan, and while everything is not a happy ending (no spoilers here), we would surely expect some loose ends in reality.I should stress that this didn't ruin my enjoyment of the book. I learnt a lot about Afghanistan and its culture. The writing was very atmospheric and I really felt the danger the Afghans must feel on a daily basis. What surprised me most about the book was that living in Afghanistan is not entirely the unpleasant experience you would expect. Of course it is unsafe, but there is beauty to be found in unexpected places and people there live with goals in life to change the place for the better. Some of the characters' efforts to change Afghanistan for the better were inspiring.The book ends with snippets from the author's own life and experience, which is interesting, and some traditional Afghan recipes.So, in summary, the book gave me a real flavour of a place and culture I had little knowledge of, and the characters I journeyed with were interesting and enjoyable. The only real let-down was the all too convenient execution of the plotlines which felt unrealistic.3.5/5

Very moving and enlightening on life in Kabul. Would definitely recommend as a really good read. You get to love the characters.

I really enjoyed the first half to three quarters of this book. I found the story of Sunny and her motley crew of workers/friends to be an interesting bunch and I found the way of life for the average person in Kabul to be a horrifying yet fascinating read. This was made all the more interesting knowing that the Author had lived and worked in Kabul so presumably had a deep insight into the workings of this city and Afghanistan in general.For me there were two main downfalls - I think there were too many main characters and associated story-lines vying for attention. As a result I felt that we never fully got to know or deeply care for any one character and each story-line left me lacking and wanting more. I am a big crier with books but yet I didn't shed a tear with this book when I would have if I had cared enough about the characters.Secondly, I found the last few chapters and the ending to be bitterly disappointing. Everything tied up in a nice neat bow - I was half expecting the Taliban themselves to throw down arms, join in the party and relinquish their staunch beliefs at the rate things were going. It was all far too happy and trouble free to be realistic in my opinion.For all of this, I liked the book well enough to have enough interest to read the sequel. It was an enjoyable read, it just had its flaws which stopped it from being the brilliant read I believe it had the potential to be.

a story that races away with you, a turn pager right until the unsuspected ending

I have read reviews that describe this book as chic lit and not realistically portraying the ever present danger in Afghanistan. I disagree. The book is written by an author who witnessed and experienced living under the Taliban and the inequalities that people suffer from everyday.The book is colourful and focuses on the lives of a group of women who come together, for disparate reasons. Their lives and experiences are very different, but collectively, they experience the joys of living and supporting each other but also the deadly threats of living under such a regime. The book is uplifting but does not lack gravitas as a result. There are many books (and films) which are the antithesis of this book; this does not mean that this book is not valid.If I have a criticism it is a minor one. I would have preferred more descriptive passages of Kabul. Articulate description by an author allows the reader's imagination to visualise the scene; absorb the atmosphere. For me, this is an important part of a book but on this occasion, did not detract from a rewarding read.

I am absolutely delighted with the quality of this book! The moment I opened the package, I was impressed by the sturdy cover and the smooth, high-quality paper. The printing is crisp and clear, making it a pleasure to read.

I really enjoyed this book and felt that I came away understanding some of the trials and tribulations of Kabul. My heart goes out to the people who have suffered during these terrible times.

Una bella storia che ti trasporta in terre difficile con ironia,e leggerezza.

This book makes me want to travel to Kabul, I really enjoy this Author's style of writing.

C'est la deuxième fois que j'achète ce livre car j'avais dû me séparer de ma copie précédente lors d'un déménagement. L'histoire est chouette, je prends plaisir à le relire. Momox reste tout à fait digne de confiance.