Sparks Like Stars: A Novel

Aryana flies to Afghanistan with Antonia and Clay, to whom she has told her story. He asked to come with to write a story about the antiquities. He talks about his work as they sit together on the plane and what it is like to return home after seeing war.

Aryana observes the other passengers and notices few Westerners. She is nervous to be returning to Afghanistan. She and Antonia both wear headscarves when they exit the plane. They take a taxi through town, and Aryana thinks Kabul is “a jungle of juxtapositions” (366), ancient and modern side by side. They arrive at the Hotel Intercontinental, which is luxurious and secure; the Taliban have been routed, but not eradicated. Antonia remembers her old apartment on Chicken Street.

Aryana checks messages and sees that Adam has called. They meet Clay for breakfast and meet their driver, Waleed. As they tour the town, Aryana sees buildings she once knew reduced to rubble. Aryana asks to see her old neighborhood, which Waleed says suffered much during the civil war. There is little left of her old home, and Aryana runs the sand through her fingers. They visit OMAR, the Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation.