I’m always looking for ways to learn more about other cultures so when I saw the publisher’s synopsis for The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad, it looked like a great opportunity to learn more about the tribal groups in an area about which Jamil Ahmad is an expert – the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Not only did I learn more about those groups, their culture and the hostile environment in which they live, but I began to grasp a hint of the geo-political difficulties in that region. That I did not expect.

The Wandering Falcon tells several stories; however, the common thread through the novel is the story of the life of Tor Baz, a man who grows up among the different tribes and wanders among them in a way that most men cannot. His story serves as a way to educate the reader about the cultures and overall point of view or personality of each tribe. It becomes quickly clear just how ridiculous it is for us in the West to lump them all into a single culture/personality for each country. All people who live in the U.S. are not the same yet we somehow expect all people in Iran, Pakistan or Afghanistan to be the same.

To enter our giveaway for an advance reader's copy of The Wandering Falcon and read the rest of my review, go to http://popcornreads.com/?p=1996.