The Lost Legend of Afghanistan

Delvin once again tackles a politically explosive topic: he takes us to today's Afghanistan, this time with a central reference to Switzerland and its history.

In North-eastern Afghanistan, several groups and political powers fight for control: The allied troops led by the US spare no effort to leave the country at the Hindukush soon and hand over political responsibility to the local people. But whom can they trust? The country is threatened by power struggles between different ethnic groups, tribes, Islamists and foreign secret services. The effort required by the allied forces to avoid the situation spiralling out of control is immense. A planned Loya Jirga, a gathering of influential tribal elders where important political and ethnical questions are discussed could resolve the balance of power. However, the individual leaders are at odds with one another and the gathering is likely to fail before it even begins. At the same time, an Afghan visits the renowned archaeographist Éduard Berniér in Switzerland, with a stone. He asks the scientist for his expert opinion on it. Nawid, a Pashtun boy, found the stone in dramatic circumstances. First, Berniér is tempted to pass on this request to his colourful and heinous rival Penrose. But then, he can be convinced to examine the trove himself. As he is on his way to Delhi and Kabul, he can meet the elder of the Pashtun Hamidzai tribe, who has asked for his opinion. A wild chase criss-crossing North-eastern Afghanistan to find the treasure shrouded in mystery begins. This treasure, mentioned already in Afghan history, holds insights into the fate of Afghan society and thus offers conclusions for the Loya Jirga. However, several parties pursue their interest in the stone, amongst them Penrose, the famous American archaeologist, and the Pakistani secret service. His main concern is the value of the precious stone, theirs the political status quo of their neighbouring country. Berniér and his friends including Nawid, the last successor of the Hamidzai elder, are on a mission where friendship and trust are vital for survival. cyrill-delvin.net

Autorentext
Cyrill Delvin, born in 1963, studied philosophy and biology. He lives and works in the Swiss mountains. His books are dedicated to current political and social questions. Be it in the Arab cultural area, where his first two stories are set. »The Gaza Project« and »The Lost Legend of Afghanistan«; be it in Western Europe, where the novella »Swiss Memories of the Future« and the most recently published detective story »Duster's Cat« are set. Delvin is currently working on an unconventional critique of modernity, idiosyncratic in form and content, and highly topical in every respect ... (Translated with DeepL.com, free version)