The Other Side of the Sky

The Other Side of the Sky

• Genre: Nonfiction; memoir
• Originally Published: 2005
• Reading Level/Interest: College/adult
• Structure/Length: Prologue, 20 chapters; approx. 249 pages; approx. 4 hours, 41 minutes on audio
• Central Concern: Farah Ahmedi tells the story of her life in Kabul to Tamim Ansary. She grew up with gunfire and bombs, and she almost dies after stepping on a landmine. The war sends her on a remarkable journey across the mountains and through refugee camps until she reaches America, proof that people can endure hardship and reach safety opportunity.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: War violence; injuries; and displacement

Tamim Ansary, Author

• Bio: Born in 1948 in Kabul, Afghanistan; Afghan-American author and public speaker; attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon; wrote an email in 2001 denouncing the Taliban but warning that a US deployment to the country could start a third world war; moderated the San Francisco Writers Workshop for over two decades
• Other Works: West of Kabul, East of New York (2003); The Widow’s Husband (2009); Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes (2009); Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan (2012); The Invention of Yesterday: A 50,000-Year History of Human Culture, Conflict, and Connection (2019)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• Culture Clash and the Immigrant Experience
• A Woman’s Place in the World
• The Vulnerability and Resourcefulness of Refugees
• Placing Faith in God’s Hands
• Education Opens Up the Whole World

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the historical and political contexts around the US War in Afghanistan and the global community of Afghan refugees, both of which are topics central to Ahmedi’s story in The Other Side of the Sky.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes related to Culture Clash and the Immigrant Experience, The Vulnerability and Resourcefulness of Refugees, and how Education Opens Up the Whole World.
• Research, write, and present mock policy recommendations that will benefit refugees like Ahmedi and her family.
• Analyze and evaluate the plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding how Ahmedi’s refugee experience compares to a “hero’s journey,” why Ahmedi leaves out certain details about the Taliban, and other topics.