Opium Nation: Child Brides, Drug Lords, and One Woman's Journey Through Afghanistan

Inside scoop on the unspoken truth about Afghanistan's drug trade

Although the newspapers have reported on the opium trade in-country, very few have gone into detail about the history or the impact this has on the nation. The author gives a very detailed, personal account of her interviews with many of the witnesses and participants in the trade before, during, and after the American intervention. We hear mostly the political side of the nation's governance including before the Americans arrived to liberate the Afghan people. We failed to understand the depth of the malaise that exists in this assembly of tribes and regional chiefs, driving the country ever further into an endless cycle of violence and oppression of the powerless citizens. Written from the viewpoint of a Muslim reporter, nonetheless, it reflects quite faithfully the tawdry truth about the real war behind the front pages. In view of the recent collapse of American involvement, now is a good time to read this book and begin to understand some of the forces shaping this troubled nation, if it can honestly be called a nation. It's really more like an assembly of independent chieftains that are constantly at odds. You be the judge. Read more