You will grow to love most of these characters, and want desperately for each of them to find happiness. Not all will. Well done Deborah Rodriguez for all your hard work and help to the Afghan people your storys have done them proud. You are an inspiration.

Then the US troops begin to withdraw – and the women watch in horror as the Taliban advance on the capital at ferocious speed… Moving on to the actual story: the characters have evidently been well thought out, but some seem to be watered down versions of the people they could have been. There's so much more power, energy and zeal that could have been channeled into the female protagonists. Sunny, Isabel and Candace are absolute breaths of fresh air in terms of being female leads without being damsels in distress, but there's so much more that could have been; they are flames that could have easily been wildfires. However, the two Afghan women who feature in the book, Halajan and Yazmina, are absolute powerhouses who command the novel with their unexpected strength and spirit.

Book&aCuppa

It all changes on a dime when the Talib actually storms Kabul and starts the sequence of events that are happening to get the whole family and Sunny out.

I was heartbroken to see what the characters had to go through after thinking they have overcome the tragedy that had fallen on their country and lives all over again. I was happy to read the first book of fiction, “A Cup of Friendship”, by Deborah Rodriguez. Rodriguez, is also the author of the non-fiction book “Kabul Beauty School”. Several years ago, I read her nonfiction work. I did feel that despite one being a work of fiction and one being nonfiction, they were similar. Following all the characters throughout these books has been a pleasure and an eye opener. The subject matter is raw and honest. It has been from the start. This does not shy away from the horrors that the Afghan people have faced and have to brave through. Some of the favourite characters from the first book return in this and it is fascinating to see how events have changed their attitudes and outlooks and even though a lot of the book isn't set in Kabul anymore, there is still plenty of visits there to see how life has changed, if at all, for those trying to get on with normal lives and we see different aspects of the culture explored in a striking way.It is not necessary to have read the previous book, as there is enough character description and history mentioned within the narrative for new readers to be able to follow along. It is also suitable for book groups as it contains a series of reading group questions at the end of the novel. As these five discover there's more to one another than meets the eye, they form a unique bond that will for ever change their lives and the lives of many others. ISABEL, a determined journalist with a secret that might keep her from the biggest story of her life. With a message...to protect and empower the women of Kabul, Rodriguez weaves her tale of life, death, and marriage...Readers will appreciate the in-depth, sensory descriptions of this oft-mentioned and faraway place that most have never seen.” It does something very rare - it remains positive in the light of such horror - and it portrays Afghan society with affection and warmth.

Yes, and what about a woman whose husband has four wives? He is allowed four, and she is allowed just one husband? In that marriage, is she worth just one quarter of a man?" I was utterly captivated by The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, so was extremely delighted to find out that there was a follow up and it hasn't disappointed as I've been captivated again by the characters and storyline. Yazmina, a young pregnant woman stolen from her remote village and now abandoned on Kabul's violent streets ... THE LITTLE COFFEE SHOP OF KABUL CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF READERS WORLDWIDE. NOW, THE COFFEE SHOP DOORS WELCOME YOU HOME ONE LAST TIME… All in all, this book was superbly written, and is a must read for every woman. If for nothing else but to remind the us for how blessed we are us are to lead such privileged free lives, with the right to education, the right to dye our hair, the ability to go out for coffee on our own, to write and read, to paint our nails, to speak up and have our voices heard. To remind us to never take it for granted.But it's not all the same. While ATSS is set in the first time the Taliban took over, this book is set in recent times. Reading about something like this which happened over decades ago is quite different from the same thing happening in the present. There have been many such takeovers in the long history of the world. But somewhere we love to believe that we have come way past that time. We would like to believe that every nation is independent now or at least we would like to reach there. And seeing how easily this mirage can be shattered is scary as hell. And then there is Zara, who is about to be forced into a marriage with devastating consequences, even for Halajan's family. In their respective lives, these women will learn a valuable lesson from Halajan; This has been a wonderful read. I found myself completey immersed in another world and felt as though I came to know the characters of this story intimately.

The boss and the rebel, Halajan is just about the coolest old lady around! I love that she can see the world so clearly, as only one who has lived in it for a long time can. Her willingness to protect her loved ones goes beyond reason and she is a truly beautiful, and badass, woman. On the other hand, what I didn't like much about it was that the characters were too many and for that, I guess, the author didn't pay the ammount of attention needed for me to bond with any of them. There wasn't any depth in their stories, though I thought there would be. Such a superficial approach to the character made it so dissapointing.Ach, who would want more than one?" [...] "But it is also true," [...] "that without us, these men who are so valuable would have no sons. Heaven is under the Mother's feet, so treat her kindly. Have you not heard that said? Our tradition tells us that women should be given kindness, love, and respect if a man truly wants to be righteous." Personally, I think that anyone from Asia or the Middle East will be able to see through the propaganda this book is. In short, the author is an American woman looking to cash in on her foreign holiday experience. Sunny, the proud proprietor, who needs an ingenious plan – and fast – to keep her café and customers safe . . . ZARA, promised in marriage to a violent man she's never met, arrives at the coffee shop seeking sanctuary. There wasn't much of Yasmina in this book compared to the prequel but I gues what was included was enough.