The Wandering Falcon

Traditions that have lasted for centuries, both brutal and beautiful, create a rigid structure for life in the wild, astonishing place where Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan meet--the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Ahmad has written an unforgettable portrait of a world of custom and compassion, of love and cruelty, of hardship and survival. 256 pp. 12,500 print.