The Blind Man's Garden is a work of historical fiction that was published in 2013 by British Pakistani author Nadeem Aslam. This novel is his fourth publication and was shortlisted for the Ondaatje Prize in 2014. Its storyline is written from the perspective of a Pakistani family and details the events that ensued from the United States invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001.
Historical context.
The event leading up to America's invasion of Afghanistan was the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11th. (also known as 9/11) This assault was categorized by a string of four coordinated strikes carried out by Al Qaeda operatives, members of a militant group of non-state actors whose origin can be traced to Afghanistan. These individuals hijacked four commercial airplanes and used them as guided missiles, by crashing them into the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Southern Pennsylvania. This assault resulted in nearly 3,000 casualties that caused lasting devastation to permeate throughout the nation. The night of the attacks President Bush vowed to "win the war against terrorism," and in a subsequent address to the Joint session of the 107th Congress he demand that the Taliban "deliver to United States authorities all the leaders of al Qaeda who hide in your land...Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated." This speech previewed the establishment of a new cabinet: the Department of Homeland Security, and marked the beginning of the United States' campaign against terrorism known as the Global War on Terror. On September 18, 2001, just a week after the attacks, President Bush signed a joint resolution that sanctioned military action against the perpetrators of the calculated strike on American soil. On October 7, 2001 the United States invaded Afghanistan and commenced Operation Enduring Freedom, which initially comprised air-strikes on Taliban and Al Qaeda forces, and a small group of special operations forces.
Synopsis.
This novel details the events after the United States invaded Afghanistan and is set in post-9/11 Pakistan and Afghanistan. The narrative opens as Rohan and his son Jeo prepare for their journey to one of Pakistan's provincial capitals, Peshawar, to provide aid to the wounded who are being brought out of Afghanistan. Jeo, however, has other intentions and diverts from the plan. He ventures into Afghanistan with his (adopted) brother Mikal to assist the civilians who are caught in the conflict between the American soldiers and the Taliban. Unbeknownst to them, an ex-military officer seeking revenge against their father enacts a plot that will ensure their demise. Once they arrive in Afghanistan, the brothers are abandoned by their convoy and are forced to join the Taliban. Aslam's novel is a wrenching tale that illustrates lives upended by war, and the consequences of neo-orientalism from the standpoint of Eastern nations.
Reception.
Author James Lasdun writing in "The Guardian" said "By any measure "The Blind Man's Garden" is an impressive accomplishment." Professor Randy Boyagoda also praised the book in "The Wall Street Journal", "For all the grinding misery that Mr. Aslam reveals in this devastated, and devastating, world, his most admirable characters retain their humanity enough to hope, just a little, for something better."
References.
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