Silent Hearts A Novel
Silent Hearts A Novel by Gwen Florio, published by Simon and Schuster on October 22, 2019, is an unabridged edition comprising 336 pages. This narrative follows the lives of two women in Afghanistan—an American aid worker, Liv Stoellner, and her local interpreter, Farida Basra—who forge an unexpected friendship amid the backdrop of increasing violence in Kabul. Set in 2001, the story unfolds during a time of hope as the country emerges from years of Taliban rule, highlighting the contrasting experiences of the two women as they navigate their complex realities.
Readers will find a rich exploration of cultural heritage and the challenges faced by women in a transforming society. As Liv and Farida work together at an NGO aimed at helping Afghan women recover from the Taliban’s oppressive past, their bond deepens, revealing the intricacies of their lives and the impact of war on their families. Silent Hearts delves into themes of friendship and resilience, offering insights into the personal and societal struggles that define their experiences in a rapidly changing Kabul.
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For fans of A Thousand Splendid Suns, “a rich, haunting, immersive story of cultures at the crossroads” (Jamie Ford, bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet) that follows two women in Afghanistan—an American aid worker and her local interpreter—as they form an unexpected friendship despite their utterly different life experiences and the ever-increasing violence in Kabul.
In 2001, Kabul is a place of possibility as people fling off years of repressive Taliban rule. This hopeful chaos brings together American aid worker Liv Stoellner and Farida Basra, an educated Pakistani woman still adjusting to her arranged marriage to Gul, the son of an Afghan strongman whose family spent years of exile in Pakistan before returning to Kabul.
Both Liv and her husband take positions at an NGO that helps Afghan women recover from the Taliban years. They see the move as a reboot—Martin for his moribund academic career, Liv for their marriage. But for Farida and Gul, the move to Kabul is fraught, severing all ties with Farida’s family and her former world, and forcing Gul to confront a chapter in his life he’d desperately tried to erase.
The two women, brought together by Farida’s work as an interpreter, form a nascent friendship based on their growing mutual love for Afghanistan.
As the bond between Farida and Liv deepens, war-scarred Kabul acts in different ways upon them, as well as their husbands. Silent Hearts is “highly recommended, especially for fans of Khaled Hosseini” (Library Journal, starred review).
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