Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Aug 2011
368 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
Twenty-one years ago, diplomat Angela Morgan witnessed the death of her husband during the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Devastated by her loss, she fled back to America, where she hid in the backwaters of the State Department and avoided the high-profile postings that would advance her career. Now, with that career about to dead-end and no true connections at home, she must take the one assignment available - at a remote British army outpost in northern Afghanistan.
Unwelcome among the soldiers and unaccepted by the local government and warlords, Angela has to fight to earn the respect of her colleagues, especially the enigmatic Mark Davies, a British major who is by turns her staunchest ally and her fiercest critic. Frustrated at her inability to contribute to the nation's reconstruction, Angela slips out of camp disguised in a burka to provide aid to the refugees in the war-torn region. She becomes their farishta, or "angel," in the local Dari language - and discovers a new purpose for her life, a way to finally put her grief behind her.
Drawing on the experiences of the author as a diplomat in Afghanistan, Farishta is a deeply moving and fast-paced story of a woman struggling to move beyond a past trauma, and finding a new community, a new love, and a new sense of self in the process.
"McArdle writes insightfully about the quagmire in that country and the human cost of war." - Publishers Weekly
"Despite the danger and drama, the story's pedestrian tone is accented by a documentary feel and wooden dialogue, although a final sequence of disasters intensifies emotion. Sincere but earthbound." - Kirkus Reviews
"...[McArdle] provides unexpected plot twists in this first novel notable for its informed view of modern Afghanistan and its affecting story of one woman making a difference." - Booklist
"A compelling and readable book about the challenges faced by soldiers and civilians stationed in Afghanistan." - The Huffington Post
"Her written wealth of knowledge and experiences enhances the reader's ability to understand and appreciate a complex career and multifaceted culture. Farishta is an outstanding read!" - Deborah Rodriguez, author of the New York Times-bestselling Kabul Beauty School and A Cup of Friendship
"Combining the emotional insight of Three Cups of Tea with the narrative intensity of a Jason Bourne story, Farishta is the gripping story of a female US diplomat living and working in Afghanistan." - Valerie Plame Wilson, author of the New York Times-bestselling Fair Game
This information about Farishta was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Patricia McArdle is a retired American diplomat. During her career she was posted around the world, including northern Afghanistan. She is the winner of the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Visit her online at www.patriciamcardle.com.
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