One DNA test. One haunting dream. One truth that changes everything.
Andy has never set foot in Afghanistan. As a respected AI engineer in the U.S., his life is built on code, logic, and borders he doesn't question. But when vivid dreams pull him into the heart of a city he can't name, a place rich with color, tradition, and strange familiarity-his search for answers leads to a DNA test... and a discovery that shatters everything he thought he knew.
He's 55% Afghan.
And the city from his dreams? Kabul.
Set during the chaos of the U.S. withdrawal, Stuck in Afghanistan delivers a gripping, genre-bending journey that merges political thriller fiction with biographical literary fiction, threading one man's personal reckoning into the fabric of a war-torn nation's history. This isn't just a story about politics or technology-it's a story about the human soul rediscovering itself.
Naim Atarud's powerful debut blurs the line between fiction and truth. Inspired by real-life experiences and events, this realistic fiction novel is both timely and timeless-offering readers the heart-pounding suspense of the best political thriller novels.
With this book, not only do you witness the unravelling of a man's assumptions, but you also step into the misunderstood soul of a nation too often reduced to headlines.
Through immersive storytelling and emotional depth, Atarud challenges readers to confront their own beliefs about culture, conflict, and identity.
Whether you read for the gripping pace of a political action thriller, the intimate reflection of biographical novels, or the thoughtful questions raised by the best contemporary literary fiction, Stuck in Afghanistan delivers on every level.
It is a reminder that where we come from isn't always found on a map. Sometimes, it's written in our dreams, our blood, and the places we never thought to call [...] readers who love Afghanistan war books that go beyond headlines
For those who crave psychological literary fiction grounded in identity
For fans of biographical fiction books based on true human journeys
For anyone questioning what "home" really means

Raw. Reflective. Riveting. Stuck in Afghanistan is more than a political thriller novel-it's an emotional excavation through memory, migration, and what it means to belong.