The Swallows of Kabul Chapter 1

In the first chapter, a woman is stoned to death because she is believed to be a prostitute. I thought it was kind of weird that it was not militia men, but militia women, that escorted this woman out of the prison. I didn't know that women could have a part in their army, since they are looked down on over there. I also couldn't believe that after she was obviously dead, the people just kept stoning her, and that they looked for her blood where they hit her with the rocks. This sounds like a terrible place to live. It is described as nothing but battlefields, cemeteries, and sand. These people also seem to have no consideration for others, as they just walk around in the market with a whip to get through, or drive their truck through a mob of people without slowing down.