If this sounds like the lady in question is the patron saint of Kabul, it’s probably because that biography certainly projects her as one. Her book takes the task seriously too, creating a larger-than-life role for Sadeed in a place where a few thousand others probably do the same thing, but without the luxury of being able to write about it.

Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse, Suraya Sadeed, Hachette, Rs 375