Sparks Like Stars, like many historical fiction books, has a dual timeline, and as is often the case for me, I found the older timeline more appealing. The first part of the book is set in Afghanistan in the 1970s, specifically 1978, when Sitara, the main character, has her life is turned upside down by a coup, one year before the Soviet invasion. The second part of the book takes place 30 years later, in 2008 in New York City and Kabul. Given what we know about what went on and IS CURRENTLY GOING ON in Afghanistan since 1978, the book has an overall sadness to it, for the lost world Sitara remembers.

We get a glimpse of what life was like (at least for the people who were well connected) in Afghanistan before everything changed. The pace of the story is leisurely, although the first part is pretty action-packed. I did hard a hard time connecting with the adult version of the main character, even though I admired her. I loved the character of Tilly, a total free-spirit emblematic of many people in the 1970s.

Recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Sitara lives in Kabul in 1978 and her father is an important political leader. During a brutal coup, only ten-year-old Sitara survives as the rest of her family is murdered. While the government is under siege, she’s spirited away to live undercover in the United States.

By 2008 she’s become a successful surgeon known by the name Aryana Shepard. Her adoptive mother has provided her a wonderful life, but memories of the murder of her family haunt her. When she encounters a man who may have played a key role in the demise of her family, she becomes determined to go back to Afghanistan and find out the truth of who’s responsible and where the bodies are buried.

Sitara/Aryana is adept at compartmentalizing her feelings, a tactic that she needs as a surgeon. But her desperate need to get answers trumps her rational approach to life. The trip to Afghanistan brings the world she escaped back to her in a real way, and she is determined to follow any lead that might provide answers.

The audio version is beautifully read and the narrator’s voice adds flavor to the story. Like her other books, Hashimi focuses on surviving a harsh environment and seeking answers. She bridges the two worlds of America and Afghanistan through the central character. Her fictional characters ring true and the book is engaging and helps fill in our understanding of a tumultuous time in Afghanistan’s history.

This is the first of Nadia Hashimi’s books that I’ve read. She writes so beautifully and you cannot help but feel like you’re right next to the characters in the story. So much rich history was captured in this story and it breaks your heart what the people have gone though. This book is for those who love learning about history and women who fight the odds stacked against them.

Beautiful and heart-wrenching. I was completely engrossed in the story and the beautiful writing. I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did and I’m so glad I took a chance with it. Can’t wait to read more by the author.

So, historical fiction is quickly accelerating up the list to become a favorite genre of mine, and this story doesn’t disappoint. Stories set in the Middle East aren’t super common so this has a different feel to it. It starts out in the late ‘70’s, following 10 year old Sitara. Sitara’s father is a prominent advisor to the king, and Sitara lives a beautiful life where she commonly hangs out in the palace, and has access to the best of what Afghanistan has to offer. That all changes one night when a violent coup is carried out by the same military guards that have protected Sitara and her family as well as the king. In the ensuing chaos a lone guard gets Sitara out of the palace, and she ends up in the care of a US government worker and her mother. Knowing her presence in the country won’t be tolerated, they vow to get her to safety in the US. With a new identity, and new country, Sitara is able to flourish, but she is forever haunted by the memory of the family she never sees again. This a compelling page turner, that is beautifully written, both inspiring and heart breaking in the same breath. I was able to breeze right through it since it flows so well. Review posted to Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, Litsy, and LibraryThing

Sparks Like Stars is the story of 10 year old Sitara an Afghan girl who loses her family during a coup in the Presidential Palace in Kabul in 1978. I enjoyed learning more about Afghanistan, its culture and history as Sitara's story unfolded. It is a story of resilience, family relationships and loss, survival guilt and hope. I enjoyed Nadia Hashimi's writing style and look forward to reading more of her books!

Wow, wow, wow, just wow! What a fantastic read! For sure this book is in my top two for the year so far! Thank you William Morrow and Book Club Girl for the opportunity to read this advanced copy!

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, she is adopted by an American diplomat her who raises her in America.

New York, 2008: Thirty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Sitara’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.

Her father had once told her that the world lived within her. That her bones were made of mountains. That rivers coursed through her veins. That her heartbeat was the sound of a thousand pounding hooves. That her eyes glittered with the light of a starry sky.” That is the gorgeous, lyrical writing you’ll experience in Sparks Like Stars. It’s not the type of book you’ll breeze through; it is the type you’ll savor. The author paints vivid word pictures that engaged all my senses: the sounds of the Kabul marketplace, the chaos of the coup, the fragrance of the gardens, and the despair of a little girl whose family is murdered before her eyes.

It was that strength she calls upon when she leaves all she knows behind to forge a new life in the United States. Sparks Like Stars is epic, emotional, and educational. It’s a great choice for book clubs because there is so much to discuss, and I’ll be recommending it to mine when my turn rolls around.

In 1978 Afghanistan, Sitara witnesses the murder of the president and her family at the hands of a communist coup. Rescued by a soldier named Shair who may have been a part of the coup and adopted by an American family, Sitara grows up as Aryana. 30 years later, living in New York and working as a surgeon, Aryana and Shair cross paths again, prompting Aryana to return to Afghanistan, looking for answers.

I fell in love with Nadia Hashimi's writing in The Pearl That Broke Its Shell, and Sparks Like Stars does not disappoint. Following Sitara/Aryana through her life, as she tries to make sense of what has happened to her and find answers shows her strength, along with the strength of her adoptive mother to support her.

Once again, Hashimi has brought Afghanistan to life, reminding us that there was a time before the Taliban and the subsequent wars.

Wow! This book was incredible. It was so beautifully written that it felt like I was reading poetry. It was so emotional and epic. I will definitely be reading more books by this author. This was one of the best books I've read all year, and I'm recommending it to all of my friends. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Nadia Hashimi has a way of telling a story that instantly gets the reader immersed. This book was no different. I hope she keeps writing for years to come.

3.5 stars
This was beautifully written and tells us a story of a little girl who has gone through so much hurt. We follow her to adulthood. Heartfelt emotions throughout this novel. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a powerful, heartbreaking story with beautiful writing, rich settings, and fascinating history that will keep readers turning the pages until the end. The first-person point of view really captures Sitara’s voice, her strength of character, and her perseverance through tragedy and grief. I was captivated by Sitara’s story and her emotional journey to find the truth of what happened to her family. It is especially moving when Sitara recalls her father’s quotes of wisdom throughout the book. This is the first book I’ve read by Nadia Hashimi and I look forward to reading more! Thank you very much to NetGalley and the Book Club Girls for this ARC.

This book was so entertaining. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and was involved until the end. The characters were complex and interesting. I found the story to be well paced and engrossing throughout the whole book. I was invested in the couple throughout the book and felt all the emotions through both the highs and lows of the story. If you want an entertaining and well written book this is it for you.

Sparks Like Stars opens in 1978 Kabul, Afghanistan. Sitara Zamahi is the young daughter of a trusted adviser to the President. She spends much time at the palace with the children of the President's family. And one day her whole life changes in a coup that kills the President's family and Sitara's family. What follows is the amazing story of Sitara's life following the tragedy. This is a beautiful and hard book and I couldn't put it down. The writing transported me -- so much that I was late taking my kiddo somewhere because I had lost all track of time. This would be an excellent choice for book clubs. Highly recommended.

I have been on an emotional roller coaster this past week. First, this is my first book that I have read by Nadia Hashimi. It will not be my last. So many emotions. In the beginning, the enchantment of an entitled childhood of Sitara who is the ten-year-old daughter of the top advisor to thePresident of Afghanistan’. The family often stays at the palace. The President’s granddaughter is SItara’s special friend. The girls have the freedom to roam the palace and live an enchanted childhood. This ends abruptly in 1978 when there is a coup and a bloody massacre. It seems that Sitara is the sole survivor. She hides and is discovered by a palace guard she has known. After staying with his family for a couple of days, he drops her off at the home of an American diplomat. They get her to America. Soon, the book moves forward in time to 2008. Aryana (Sitara) is now a doctor and runs into a patient from Afghanistan. So many memories are stirred, and she needs to return to Afghanistan to find answers. This book is so emotional. At times, I felt like I was watching a movie. I know this book will live in my heart for a long time. I look forward to reading other books by Hashimi. My thanks to William Morris and Custom House and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi is a very modern day piece of fiction that has its roots deep in Afghanistan in 1978 before and during the coup that started many of the tragedies which have happened there since. A small child named Sitara, with the courage of a lion, is helped to escape a massacre by one of the turncoat soldiers who perpetuated it. She has carried hatred in her heart for years for his part in the murders, never giving him credit for saving her. He took her to the small apartment of a young woman who worked at the American Embassy, and her mother, a hippie of sorts who was dying of cancer, helped smuggle her out of her country and to the United States. She collapses on the plane and is taken to a hospital, and Sitara, now known as Aryana, based on a stolen birth certificate, go to foster care, where she stays, thankfully, only for a few days until the embassy employee who is to become her mother, rescues her and eventually saves the other two children from their nightmare as well. Aryana grows up to be a cancer surgeon and one day treats the soldier who had killed her parents and recued her. He couldn't tell her much, but it turns out he told her all she needed to know.

Grief runs deep as does not knowing. Aryana always had a hole in her heart that could not be filled, not matter how good her life had become. Her adopted mother knew and understood. She may not have handled it as well as she should have, but she did as well as she could. Aryana returning to Afghanistan to hunt for the truth tore her apart, but mended her in ways it is difficult to understand. Sparks Like Stars is a moving piece that puts the reader smack dab into the middle of the life of another, which is one of the many reasons to read. Reading books like this create understandings that can come from no other place. People with other experiences enhance the lives of people that read about them, as this did. It was a stunning portrayal of a couple of weeks of life that no one should have to live, let alone a child. It was a remarkable story of love and healing. I thoroughly recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Sparks Like Stars by Netgalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #sparkslikestars

I have loved all of Nada Hashimi’s books, so very much looked forward to reading 𝐒𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒. Between her gorgeous writing and the sense of urgency in her stories, Hashimi has never let me down, and that is true of her latest, though it didn’t reach the level of her earlier books for me. This is the story of Sitara, a 10-year old girl who is present in the Presidential Palace when it's taken in a coup where many, including her parents, are killed. It’s the story of what happened then and also years later when she’s a surgeon living in the U.S.⁣
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I liked the childhood timeline very much and appreciated learning some of the history of Afghanistan. I enjoyed the perspective of a child in the midst of tragedy and political upheaval, and I loved the relationship between Sitara and her adoptive mother. What didn’t work as well for me was the present day timeline and the woman Sitara had grown into. She felt a little off to me. The story itself didn't have the same sense of urgency present in Hashimi’s earlier stories. I think Sitara’s “secret past” was a way to try to add that in, but for me it felt a bit too much. Despite all that, I flew through the novel, enjoying Hashimi’s writing, and many parts of the story. While this isn’t my favorite of her books, I still consider Nadia Hashimi to be an auto-buy author. ⁣
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If you’ve never read Hashimi, I highly recommend starting with my favorite, 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘸.⁣
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My thanks to @williammorrowbooks for the copy of #sparkslikestars.⁣

In her latest novel, Nadia Hashimi spins a haunting tale of a young girl’s flight from her homeland to find safety in a strange and foreign place. “Sparks Like Stars” tells the heartbreaking story of Sitara, the daughter of one of Afghanistan’s presidential advisors during the 70’s. Sitara and her family are staying at the presidential palace when Sitara’s life is shattered by a coup.

Sitara’s life is one shaped by flight and tragedy as she finds herself handed off to strangers in the hopes that they can help her flee a country that no longer wants her. From here Sitara’s life ceases to be her own and the child has to bury her old self alongside the memories of her family to survive in her new life.

As an adult and respected doctor, Sitara (now known as Aryana) is able to the brunt of her childhood trauma tucked away in the back of her mind, but when a ghost from her past appears before her as a patient Sitara finds herself longing not only for her homeland, but for answers about her past. When she learns that Afghanistan’s government is beginning to look for the remains of those killed in the coup, Sitara sets out to find her family in the hopes of gaining closure.

Hashimi write’s Sitara’s story with a poignant grace as readers travel with her as a young girl through the trauma of loss and relocation to her adult self, who struggles to heal from her grief and survivor’s guilt. As a child her life is altered by death and as an adult, she works to prolong life as an oncologist. Throughout the story Hashimi weaves in details about the political climate in Afghanistan and how those politics have had an impact on Sitara’s life. While Sitara’s story is wrought with heartbreak, hope grows up through the cracks in her sorrow as she heals from her trauma.

Inspired by historical events, this novel transported me to 1978 Afghanistan alongside 10-year-old Sitara whose life is pretty wonderful. She loves her parents, younger brother, extended family, and close friends. Her father's position as advisor to Afghan President Daoud Khan provides a privileged life. In an instant, everything changes when the president, his family, and Sitara's family are murdered as the first victims of a coup. Smuggled out of the palace by an unlikely source, Sitara is delivered to an American diplomat who adopts and raises her in the US and around the world.

Then the storyline abruptly shifts to 2008 where Sitara is a successful oncologist in New York City. She is jolted from her routine when her significant other pursues a new career path and a patient with shocking connections to her past appears in her clinic. These events lead her to revisit her past in search of closure and healing.

The book has some lovely turns of phrase that caught my breath and had me rewinding to replay and consider them. However, the novel felt disjointed, more like two interconnected novellas with a very strange interlude about a bad foster care situation. Given the amount of history in the novel, I likely would've abandoned a print copy so I’m grateful I could listen to the audiobook. Mozhan Marno as narrator was excellent, and her voice was familiar to me from The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali.

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to experience a segment of Afghan history through well-researched fiction. Thank you to Book Club Girl/William Morris for the gifted egalley and audiobook.