Sparks Like Stars
A Novel
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Sparks Like Stars
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Narrated by:
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Mozhan Marno
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By:
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Nadia Hashimi
About this listen
“Suspenseful…emotionally compelling. I found myself eagerly following in a way I hadn’t remembered for a long time, impatient for the next twist and turn of the story."—NPR
An Afghan American woman returns to Kabul to learn the truth about her family and the tragedy that destroyed their lives in this brilliant and compelling novel from the bestselling author of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, The House Without Windows, and When the Moon Is Low.
Kabul, 1978: The daughter of a prominent family, Sitara Zamani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan’s thriving cosmopolitan capital. The 1970s are a time of remarkable promise under the leadership of people like Sardar Daoud, Afghanistan’s progressive president, and Sitara’s beloved father, his right-hand man. But the ten-year-old Sitara’s world is shattered when communists stage a coup, assassinating the president and Sitara’s entire family. Only she survives.
Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America. In her new country, Sitara takes on a new name—Aryana Shepherd—and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. A survivor, Aryana has refused to look back, choosing instead to bury the trauma and devastating loss she endured.
New York, 2008: Thirty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Aryana’s world is rocked again when an elderly patient appears in her examination room—a man she never expected to see again. It is Shair, the soldier who saved her, yet may have murdered her entire family. Seeing him awakens Aryana’s fury and desire for answers—and, perhaps, revenge. Realizing that she cannot go on without finding the truth, Aryana embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul—a battleground between the corrupt government and the fundamentalist Taliban—and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost.
Bold, illuminating, heartbreaking, yet hopeful, Sparks Like Stars is a story of home—of America and Afghanistan, tragedy and survival, reinvention and remembrance, told in Nadia Hashimi’s singular voice.
©2021 Nadia Hashimi (P)2021 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Sparks Like Stars
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Melissa
- 15-06-24
Captivating
A beautiful poignant story that stirred up so many emotions and connected with me on so many levels. I loved every minute.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lojo
- 14-03-21
Beautifully written
I became consumed by the journey and lulled by the voice. So discriptive I could imagine places I'd never been. Made me want to find out about the history.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sinead Collins
- 19-09-22
Loved this book!
Beautiful writing and narration with a heartwarming but often emotional story. Taught a lot about Afghanistan making me more sympathetic to the awful things people had to experience.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rachel Prather
- 01-01-23
Exquisite
Wonderfully researched. Beautifully written and performed. Compelling. Gorgeous. You can feel what it's like to be in her skin. You can see her memories.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gillian Bowie
- 04-04-24
Beautiful, touching and really real story
Characters come to life and you feel the grief of the scars and trauma of war, love and survival
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Christineb
- 22-05-21
Overall a good story
The first part of the book was very compelling and interesting The characters where good and l was totally engaged it was only the final part that lacked a bit of story The narration was good but the voice was a bit emotionless and bland otherwise a good novel
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anya
- 27-03-23
Excellent
Another great story from this author which feels like an autobiography it’s so real. Good narration and well researched. Really helps us understand real life in Afghanistan.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- mmmaisha
- 03-12-23
The way western countries influence and manipulate changes in poorer countries to the benefit of themselves
I liked the way the child never forgets were she came from or who is was and what she witnessed
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bookbabe
- 13-10-24
Boring narration with no expression to the characters. Opted out after chapter 38
Didn’t like narrator. Story might have been better if not for that fact. A-Shame really
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cathy
- 02-11-24
Beautifully written and narrated
This story was beautifully written and narrated and held my attention all the way through however I felt like the ending was somewhat rushed with the storyline just jumping to the epilogue to wrap things up. It’s such a shame as the story and characters were so detailed and as it’s based on fact, I learned so much about the history of Afghanistan.
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