by Connie K. Duckworth

I like to read books about Afghanistan. The ones I’ve enjoyed most are the first-hand, contemporary accounts of this extraordinary land, rich in descriptive detail of stark beauty and complex tribal ethnicity.

My personal favorite is Rory Stewart’s The Places In Between, the astonishing account of his walking across Afghanistan, from Herat, near the Iranian border, to Kabul in the winter of 2002, just after the fall of the Taliban. I recommend listening to it on audio book, to hear Rory’s own reading of his account. Among his many achievements, Rory is the Founder of Turquoise Mountain Foundation (www.turquoisemountain.org), credited with renovating the only remaining British fort in Kabul and establishing the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture which teaches talented Afghans ancient techniques in woodworking, calligraphy, ceramics and gem-cutting. A couple of years ago, TMF and ARZU STUDIO HOPE partnered on a joint catalog, with Rory’s art and our rugs shot on site at the Serena Hotel in Kabul.