- ASIN: B08JD248NN
- Publication date: September 16, 2020
- Language: English
- Print length: 160 pages
- Genre: Philosophical War Fiction
The BookViral Review:
Demonstrating outstanding artistry and finesse, ‘Khristmas in Kabul-Once upon a time in Afghanistan’, by Ian Trevor King, proves exceptionally insightful as it immerses its readers in the precarious aftermath of a war-a war which has not quite finished with its players.
Though lifted in part from events that took place in Afghanistan during Americans occupation, King departs from the typical one sided western perspective, exploring motivations which lie more deeply buried than that of pure victory in combat. He makes it his quest to reveal a deep seated instinct for financial security, the desire for vengeance, and a yearning for affection and familiarity, for which, ultimately, the heaviest price must be paid.
King’s narrative is so natural it feels as if his words are reaching you from more than a page-almost as if an old acquaintance is sitting across from you, nursing a drink and reminiscing in an atmosphere of shared emotion. King reels you in, delving deeply into the psyche of Major O’ Donnelly, forcing you to become invested in his protagonist as he negotiates his way between his own kind and the locals he finds himself irresistibly drawn to, as he uses them as a salve to calm his protesting conscience.
With infinite finesse, King reveals the delicate balance between friendship and trust, and the chasm between cultures which sits open mouthed and hungry, waiting for the sure footed to misjudge in a land where there are more than just two sides.
The ultimate twist is exquisite-unanticipated and brutal in its delivery-leaving you reeling from the unexpected shock far further than its initial execution, with King refusing to let you recover as his words grasp you from beyond the grave.
This is not however, in its entirety, a book about war. King’s maturity of thinking and exploration of provocation renders it so much more. Despite delving into the typical fallout of conflict, he comes at it in a multi-dimensional direction, rather than with sugar coated hero worship, highlighting the hypocrisy and duplicity of conflict.
A joy to read, Kristmas in Kabul is a fabulous five star read and firmly recommended five-star read.
