Afghani by Brendon Patrick

Delicately exploring the dark legacies of war in the Middle East, Australia, and beyond, Afghani by Brendon Patrick is a relentless historical novel following two warriors on parallel journeys.

Lacking a clear path in life, Patterson reluctantly joins the Australian Army, but is soon shipped off to Afghanistan in support of America’s post-9/11 retribution, going to war against his own family history. Meanwhile, a century earlier, a well-traveled Afghani cameleer flees to Australia to escape a Khan’s wrath, only to find himself oppressed by new forms of xenophobia and systemic injustice. These alternating timelines reflect eerily similar themes of identity, duty, and the desire for personal freedom outside the arbitrary borders of race and societal prejudice.

Showcasing the brutality that outsiders face and the lasting impacts of war zone deployment, this novel is an uncensored portrayal of military and refugee life. More controversially, it offers a sharp critique of foreign policy interventions across generations, and the violent remnants of imperialist oppression that still fuel contemporary conflicts.

The informal authorial voice is immersive and gritty, but certain technical elements make the reading experience challenging, notably the lack of dialogic punctuation, which blurs the line between speech and narration. The breakneck pace also leaves limited room for character development, while the prose breathlessly recounts generations of geopolitical nuance, but is often light on context for lay readers. The novel would benefit from more disciplined storytelling to fully engage its intended audience, but it still remains a thought-provoking and intensely plotted work of historical fiction.