Habib Dhil is a member of Afghanistan's privileged elite, enjoying the wealth and prestige that his position as head of a powerful manufacturing concern affords. Yet in 1978, malfeasance and exploitation are prerequisites for obtaining true power, a fact that Dhil refuses to accept.

When his assistant is wrongfully arrested, Dhil feels obligated to navigate the unwieldy bureaucracy and personally arrange his release. It is a system he has consciously avoided, and he thinks of seeking help from his childhood friend, the ambitious Alam Gol, who is now a colonel in the army.

But Gol is on a secret mission assigned by the prime minister himself. If successful, it will solidify Gol’s influence in the government. However, Gol’s actions may also inadvertently put into action events that could ruin or even destroy Dhil.

Silent Trees offers a rare glimpse at an Afghanistan that few Americans ever experienced - before the Mujahedeen, before the Taliban and the Warlords, and even before the Soviet invasion. Although the story is fictional, it is a remarkable portrayal of the Afghan people - from the street vendor to the politician - and a provocative exploration of the corruption and suffering that accompany the unchecked pursuit of power.