Description

After having visions of a strange land since childhood, Cat Parenti left New York and headed for the rugged landscape of Afghanistan, which felt like time traveling to the 12th century. There she fell in love with the people, the culture, and a tall, dark stranger. In book one of this sweeping two-volume memoir, Cat takes you on an unforgettable journey of full immersion into the sights, sounds, smells, food, rituals and beliefs of the people she came to know and love in this far off land. Her adventures are told with such exquisite detail, you'll feel as if you are there experiencing them first-hand.

Afghanistan offers a rare opportunity to understand Afghan life, culture, and beliefs before the Taliban, and what it was like to be a gutsy, independent women living in a male-dominated world and thriving. From ordinary experiences like starting a business and getting a home to the extraordinary moments of falling in love with a nobleman and nearly losing her life on three separate occasions (featured in book 2), you may have to keep reminding yourself that what you are reading isn't fiction.

• "Building bridges of cultural understanding and respect ... I thank you for giving voice to the wonderful history and culture of the region." - Hillary Rodham Clinton
  
• "The real story here is the author's love affair with an Afghan from a prominent family .... with vivid writing and an engaging story that kept me on the edge of my seat. It takes a brave woman to do these] things." - Monica Bauer, award-winning playwright
  
• "The author takes readers through an innovative personal journey ... a magnetically hypnotizing adventure that is alternately mysterious and unique ... If you want to know what Afghanistan was like before the Soviet invasion and the rise of the Taliban, then this book] is for you." - Abena Agyeman Fisher, Senior Editor, NewsOne
  

Cat Parenti grew up in Brooklyn and lived in Afghanistan on and off for twenty years. She survived the political twists and turns of Afghan history from King Zahir Shah through the rise of the Taliban and started a successful business selling antique clothing and jewelry to U.S. museums and museum shops. She has given presentations on Afghanistan, including at the U.N., and taught Afghan cooking. She currently lives with her daughter in Arizona.