Blue is the Colour of Heaven - A Journey into Afghanistan

Afghanistan, remote and elusive, has become infamous since September 11, 2001. But for New Zealand writer Richard Loseby, Afghanistan is a land of wonder, beauty and contrasting strangeness - and the location of a journey that few would even contemplate. This is the story of an astonishing adventure that began in the mind of an eight-year-old boy, obsessed with 'looking for the Afghan' and ended with a perilous dash to safety across more than 750 kilometres of mountain and desert. Avoiding land mines and bullets, he spent months travelling through Iraq and Iran negotiating a way into Afghanistan. Joining forces with the war-weary Mujahedeen, he found unexpected allies and unforgettable friends. Although Loseby encountered danger on many occasions, he experienced a strange joy; daily life was full of small acts of kindness and many acts of hostility - ordinary exchanges charged with tension and drama. The result is a rare glimpse of Afghani people themselves, people of warmth, generosity and humour. But this is not just a travel story, it is a story of tenacity of spirit and of promises made and kept....