Book Review | The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul | Deborah Rodriguez

I'm late to the party, I know, I know. A favourite of book clubs since it was published in 2011 by Random House, this book has been long recommended to me by one of my consistent book recommenders: my mother. As with many book recommendations given to me by my parents, at first I resisted, years passed, I resisted some more, 'til eventually: I gave in and read the damn book. It took me about five weeks to read, reading mostly on my lunch breaks at work, and I enjoyed it... moderately.

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez (2011)

This book revolves around Sunny, an American-born woman who moved to Afghanistan following love, and stayed for the friends and family she made through running The Kabul Coffee House in the war-torn city of Kabul. Like the cover mentions, it follows the stories of five different women and how their lives intertwine throughout the years she is there.

As a whole, the story was entertaining, giving a brief view of what like in Afghanistan is like for an ex-pat, and alludes to many of the struggles the Afghani people face, as well as including many different types of love stories and dynamics throughout.

However... it is definitely in the category of chick-lit and I found it lacked the depth and substance of a compelling story. It is definitely a holiday read, that's for sure. That being said - I did cry at one point. It also includes (spoiler alert) vague mentions of traditional Afghani midwifery practices and a birth, so that satisfied a part of my soul at least!

All in all, I give this book 3 - 3.5/5 stars... simply for the fact that it was an easy read, involved many different kinds of love stories, and had a neatly wrapped fairy tale ending which, as the last book I read which did not end this way, was a nice touch. Read it if you want a story about women, love, ex-pat life, with a bit of an insight into life in Afghanistan. I am sure there are better books out there set in Afghanistan - let me know if you can recommend any! That's all for now,

Kelsey :)