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MWSA Review
Katey Schultz weaves a story of three people's lives using an Afghanistan War thread. The reader finds Aaseya, Nathan, and Rahim not happy with their circumstances. It's easy to understand Aaseya's dismay after all members of her family are murdered. Forced at fourteen years old to marry Rahim, she is unable to have children. She is shamed by Rahim's family and villagers. Prevented from completing her education, her life is at a dead end.
The reader is not told why—after six years in the Army National Guard and completing his fourth deployment—Nathan remains a second lieutenant. He loves leading his men. His men are loyal to him. The mission is paramount. Nathan's unhappiness stems from following orders which he does not fully understand. Lamenting the loss of his men haunts Nathan as he questions his actions in combat. Nathan's battlefield focus is interrupted with thoughts of home and family.
Rahim presents himself as a brick maker. He is paid by the Taliban warlords for his services. He resents Aaseya's independence and yearns for a family. He does not like the Taliban but enjoys the money working with them brings. There are no other opportunities for Rahim in his village.
Supporting characters bring Schultz's story to life. Rahim's sidekick Badria believes he is a worthy warrior and wants to please the Taliban. Rahim's sister Shanaz is scornful of Aaseya and was instrumental in Aaseya's family being targeted by the Taliban.
Nathan's men, each quirky in their own way, have their own problems to overcome. Nathan's wife Tenley and daughter Cissy move in and out of the story, letting Nathan explore the love of what he does on the battlefield and the love he craves at home.
Ghazel, age six, a mute unkempt street urchin, gives hope to Aaseya. Aaseya sees a way out of her miserable life by adopting Ghazel. Ghazel is the glue that brings Aaseya and Rahim together. This family unit allows Nathan to do something he feels good about in his quest to find meaning on the battlefield. Helping Aaseya's family escape to a better life brings purpose to Nathan's life. Nathan returns home and finds the love that is waiting for him.
Review by Frank Taylor (May 2020)
Author's Synopsis
When the odds are stacked against you, doing everything right still might not be enough to protect yourself and the ones you love. The three characters in Katey Schultz’s novel are each searching for the best way to be, the best way to live—all the while fighting cultural, societal, and political forces far beyond their control. As their paths intersect over the span of three days, Still Come Home explores how their decisions will forever alter each other’s lives.
Aaseya, an ambitious, educated Afghan girl, struggles to walk the line between social disgrace and faith that her hometown of Imar can unharden and heal. Though she cannot bear her older husband, Rahim, a child, and she suspects her sister-in-law played a part in her family’s murder, Aaseya maintains self-reliance and dignity by rebelling against the misogyny and violence surrounding her.
Second Lieutenant Nathan Miller blames himself for the death of a soldier under his command and worries that his constant absence from his North Carolina home has permanently damaged his marriage.
When Rahim learns that the Taliban, whom he reluctantly works for, are hatching a violent plan, conflicting loyalties to country, to enduring peace, and to his young wife take all three down a road that will change their lives forever.
ISBN/ASIN: 978-1627202312
Book Format(s): Hard cover, Soft cover, Kindle, ePub/iBook
Review Genre: Fiction—Literary Fiction
Number of Pages: 250