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When the Moon Is Low  By  cover art

When the Moon Is Low

By: Nadia Hashimi
Narrated by: Sneha Mathan, Neil Shah
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Publisher's summary

The unforgettable story of an Afghan family’s escape from the Taliban and perilous trek across Europe to seek asylum, led by one extraordinarily courageous woman. This is the second novel by Nadia Hashimi, the author of last year’s breakout The Pearl That Broke Its Shell.

Mahmoud’s passion for his wife, Fereiba, a schoolteacher, is greater than any love she’s ever known. But their happy, middle-class world - a life of education, work, and comfort - implodes when their country is engulfed in war and the Taliban rises to power.

Mahmoud, a civil engineer, becomes a target of the new fundamentalist regime and is murdered. Forced to flee Kabul with her three children, Fereiba has one hope to survive: She must find a way to cross Europe and reach her sister’s family in England. With forged papers and help from kind strangers they meet along the way, Fereiba make a dangerous crossing into Iran under cover of darkness. Exhausted and brokenhearted but undefeated, Fereiba manages to smuggle them as far as Greece. But in a busy market square, their fate takes a frightening turn when her teenage son, Saleem, becomes separated from the rest of the family.

Faced with an impossible choice, Fereiba pushes on with her daughter and baby, while Saleem falls into the shadowy underground network of undocumented Afghans who haunt the streets of Europe’s capitals. Across the continent Fereiba and Saleem struggle to reunite and ultimately find a place where they can begin to reconstruct their lives.

©2015 Nadia Hashimi (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about When the Moon Is Low

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  • Overall
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A lovely, honest look at the immigrant experience

I love Hashimi’s poetic language throughout. The story stirred intense empathy in my heart and I loved each character met on Saleem’s long journey. My only complaint was the abrupt ending. I just wanted a chapter more. Some hugging and tears. Or just hugging.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good story. Poor ending

Good book. Well rounded characters, but I was disappointed with the ending. I felt like I left in the dark

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1 person found this helpful

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Simply amazing!

Sad story, amazing details! Narrations are professional. Hope to have more novels like these. Refugees stories are heartbreaking.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Disappointing ending.

The ending left you wondering and worrying about all the characters. So many questions, concerning.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Touching story, well narrated.

Touching story , well narrated. It shows the reality of human struggle to survive in many parts of the world.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Unfinished?

I love Ms. Hashimi’s books, but in this one all the story lines abruptly end! I’m left checking for a sequel. A shame.

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In the darkest moments there is light

The book left me curious if there were grains of truth spread throughout. I know very little of the Middle East and we take for granted our fortune living in America. I thank God.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great at first...

I loved the first half or so, but once the narrator changed things went downhill. I couldn't wait for it to be over and I kept thinking the end was going to save it. Clearly I didn't pay attention to the other reviews. It abruptly ended after having gone on for so long with a repetitive storyline for Saleem. I loved Sparks like Stars and had such high hopes for this book, but I was greatly disappointed.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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No ending

How can you take us on a world wide journey and not have an ending?
Also, didn’t love the narration.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

After the first few chapters it goes downhill fast.

It starts out pretty interesting but after the first few chapters it gets very long winded and boring. The end is very unsatisfying.

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