Ahmet: Didn't believe his sudden transformation. Came out of nowhere and didn't ring true. Played to the reader, not to the character. 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?" The woman range from young to elderly and each have their own views of the Afgan religion, values and culture. I found it really interesting the younger generation and how some are very drawn to their faith whereas others have adapted a more modern approach. 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. I loved this book. I really did. I loved the characters, the storytelling, the settings, the themes the book explores, everything. I loved it all.

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I don't care how insensitive it makes me, I find the way women are treated in many countries outside of the oblivious western bubble absolutely and utterly disgusting, and I actively support and invest in organisations that are working to bring an end to this. There's a point in the book where Layla says something to the effect of 'It's not true that men are abusive. They only get mean like that when women do something shameful to make them act that way.' The honest, entertaining and life-affirming sequel to The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, featuring the same loveable cast of characters, from internationally bestselling author Deborah Rodriguez. Zara is a character I didn't see coming. While I do feel her whole arc feels more like it is forming the framing rather than allowing her to be an independent character, she is still a good character. This is a time when we are seeing the consequences of an arranged marriage. To a degree her arc lets us see that process, something I didn't know. Even if Rodriguez is using an extreme or old school example seeing that as a piece of culture felt important. As the blurb may indicate Zara has the worst of the endings, though there is a silver lining of a sort there. It's along the lines of Isabel from The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. A reminder that life is messy, imperfect and can be truly ugly.While you will be eager to know what will happen next, thanks to Zara who maintains this feeling throughout the book, the previous characters of Sunny and Yazmina won't appeal to you that much. Even Halajan, who was like a neighborhood badass, is a notch down in the story. Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul could have definitely used some more twists and turns, but what I read was not that half bad. Also, if you think that reading the first book is important to understand the story, do not worry. Rodriguez has made sure to cover important areas and has not left the reader in the dark. 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. There wasn't much of Yasmina in this book compared to the prequel but I gues what was included was enough.

First of all, I honestly can't believe that people like Faheem exist, he has a very disgusting personality and people like him just waste oxygen.

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."

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; ZARA, promised in marriage to a violent man she's never met, arrives at the coffee shop seeking sanctuary. There are so many people like Kat and others like Layla, different flowers that bloomed from the same soil. MY COMMENTS: I struggled somewhat with The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul when I read it some months ago. My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... but I had hoped for the answers to some of my questions in the follow up book. Sadly, it was not to be. The author tends to gloss over things, important things, like Layla's abduction.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. The story of the hero lion was one of Najama's and Halajan's favourites. Of course, she had not shared all the details with her granddaughter. Like how, after the mujahideen had driven the country into violence and chaos, there was no one left to feed the animals in the zoo, and many of them died of hunger. 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. I loved the change in Ahmet's personality and how he became somehow open minded, and that speech he said when he held his daughter was so touching:").