A River Is Made - by Fazal Moneer Adil (Paperback)

About the Book

A River is Made is a memoir, tracing one Afghan refugee's journey across borders and through personal tragedy to build a life of belonging in America.

Book Synopsis

A River is Made is the true story of a life carried across borders, wars, and generations, told through the eyes of its author, Fazal Moneer Adil. From South Waziristan to Kabul, Dubai, and Des Moines, Iowa - it traces the journey of a first-generation Afghan refugee from war to belonging in America.

From his years as a child born in exile to his service as an interpreter for U.S. Special Operatives in Afghanistan, Fazal weaves a deeply human story of displacement, endurance, and hope. The book also shares the deeply personal account of his son's medical trauma, illuminating the universal struggle of families facing unimaginable choices. Both intimate and sweeping, A River Is Made is a singular story that bridges the immense weight of historical conflict with the intimate struggle of one Afghan family. It follows three generations marked by lost education, the ultimate cost of survival, and the lessons learned.

A River Is Made is uniquely positioned for a broad and impact-driven readership seeking a powerful story of resilience, identity, and hope.

Review Quotes

A River Is Made, by Fazal Moneer Adil, is a powerful memoir that joins war, displacement, and a father's devotion to his child into a single, steady narrative. Fazal writes with clarity and a strong moral center. He traces his journey from Afghanistan through years of uncertainty, the collapse of Kabul, and the evacuation during Operation Allies Refuge. His account of service as an interpreter, and the risks carried by his family, gives readers access to a history often discussed but rarely told with this level of lived detail.

What distinguishes this memoir is its blend of historical witness and private struggle. Fazal writes honestly about rebuilding a life in the United States while navigating the healthcare system for a child with complex medical needs. The result is both personal and deeply public. It widens our understanding of Kabul's fall, refugee resettlement, and the quiet persistence required to begin again.

This book matters for Des Moines and Iowa because Afghan families have become part of the state's civic life, and their stories shape how communities understand resettlement, belonging, and responsibility. It matters for the country because it preserves an essential firsthand account of the Afghan war's human consequences and the long work of rebuilding that follows.

-Fred Darbonne