The Long Road from Kandahar: A sweeping, evocative story about friendship, family, heartbreak and love

The hand of friendship can span a thousand miles… Pakistan Among the almond orchards of the Swat Valley, Zamir tends goats with his son, Raza. He must make a heartbreaking decision if he is to protect his youngest child from the Taliban. Afghanistan On a military base in Lashkar Gah, Ben lives on edge, wondering if his family will be the next to receive life-changing news from the front line. Cornwall And in a ramshackle house on the Cornish coast, Ben’s mother Delphi, an artist, offers a refuge to her grandson Finn, as he retreats from the changes he senses in his family. When Raza and Finn, two boys from impossibly different worlds, meet, they are united by their loneliness. But will their unexpected bond be enough to save not just each other, but also their families, just as all their lives are about to change forever? ’At once heartbreaking and uplifting, and its focus on the themes of war and loss, love and friendship across cultures is both topical and timeless: a powerful story from a writer operating at the height of her powers’ JANE JOHNSON, The Tenth Gift ‘Interweave[ing] the devastation exacted by war on the lives of two boys… [this] blistering story shows how no one is remote, connecting rural Cornwall with the Swat Valley of Pakistan’ GEORGIA KAUFMANN, The Dressmaker of Paris ‘Sara MacDonald writes with a lyrical quality that captivated me from the start’ AMANDA JENNINGS, The Storm The Long Road from Kandahar, a compelling work of fiction by Sara MacDonald, explores the complexities of marriage and divorce set against the backdrop of war-torn landscapes. It's a poignant tale of romance and resilience, where the bonds of friendship can span continents and cultural divides. For fans of Fiona Valpy (Light Through the Vines), Eve Chase (The Midnight Hour), Ann Bennett (The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu), Rachel Hore (A Gathering Storm), and Jojo Moyes (The Giver of Stars). HarperCollins 2022