I liked this book a lot. Due to the uncomfortable nature of the story told, it was uneasy reading the book to the end. Personally I thought that it portrayed it as a war torn, deeply wounded country. It was made quite clear that we saw Afghanistan through the eyes of a doubly privileged class, the rich child. The members of the servant and poorer classes are consistently portrayed as saintly, self-sacrificing, one-dimensional characters. Finally one critic complained. The book fails exactly where it most needs to succeed - in the depiction of the Taliban. I felt that while that need may be great, I didn't see that as the purpose of this book. However, overall I saw this book as one man's journey toward redemption and him reflecting on the past to see what mistakes he can correct. For the personal perspective alone, I think this book is a worthwhile, if sometimes uncomfortable, read. If you let it, it may make you a better person.