Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse cover

Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse

by Suraya Sadeed

From her first humanitarian visit to Afghanistan in 1994, Suraya Sadeed has been personally delivering relief and hope to Afghan orphans and refugees, to women and girls in inhuman situations deemed too dangerous for other aid workers or for journalists. Her memoir of these missions is as unconventional as the woman who has lived it. Born the daughter of the governor of Kabul amid beautiful gardens and peace, Suraya fled to the United States with her husband and daughter in the aftermath of the 1979 Soviet invasion. In America, she became a prosperous workaholic, but a personal tragedy led her to question the direction of her life. Now, dedicated to the education and welfare of Afghan women and children, she founded Help the Afghan Children (HTAC) to fund her efforts. Here, she shares her story of passion, courage, and love, painting a complex portrait of Afghanistan and its people that defies every stereotype and invites us all to hope.--From publisher description.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?