Storyteller's Daughter Story aired: Wednesday, October 08, 2003
When Saira Shah was growing up in England, her Afghan father mesmerized her with tales about his homeland. The stories were about a place with orchards that burst with fruit. Pomegranate seeds were like rubies, and the melons were so plentiful, they were given to the goats.
Her father was describing Paghman, the family seat for 900 years. Paghman overlooked a city full of villas and minarets. That city was Kabul before the Soviet invasion, before the Taliban, and before the U.S. attacks.
Eventually Saira Shah was able to see Paghman as a journalist. After years of reporting from the region, Saira Shah became known as the reporter in the film "Beneath the Veil" and the author of the new book "The Storyteller's Daughter."
