MWSA Review
Mataluna-- 151 Afghan Pashto Proverbs, by Captain Edward Zellem, is a wonderful compilation of Afghan Pashto proverbs common to another element of Afghani culture.
Zellem takes an entertaining and enlightening approach to sharing ancient cultural wisdom from a country often veiled from our view. Zellem, as an interpreter and educator while serving in the United States Navy, was privy to an aspect of Afghanistan's history that most combatants never discover. As a man skilled in the languages and historical nuances of a country where our nation was at war, chose to share proverbs that define it but also parallel our own. It is an interesting and different journey into a battlefield for anyone interested in history. I recommend his book and thank Captain Zellem for his continued and successful work.
Reviewed by Mike Mullins (2015)
Author's Summary
By popular demand from around the world, the much-anticipated new book of Afghanistan's top Pashto Proverbs has just been published. Collected and written by Edward Zellem, the award-winning author of Zarbul Masalha: 151 Afghan Dari Proverbs and Afghan Proverbs Illustrated. Illustrated by Afghan high school students in Kabul, Afghanistan. Edited by Hares Ahmadzai.
Mataluna ('Proverbs' in Pashto) is the first and only book of its kind. It is a unique multicultural and multilingual collaboration between an American naval officer, an Afghan high school, and native Pashto speakers from all over the world.
Mataluna features 151 commonly used Pashto Proverbs and 50 original illustrations by Afghan high school students. The book is bilingual in English and Pashto, and includes Pashto script, English translations, and transliterations for easy pronunciation.