In 1976 Abdullah Sharif departed Afghanistan first for France and then the United States, leaving behind a viable nation state. Thirty-five years later he returned as a US diplomat. The country he remembered was gone, lost to the ravages of a Russian invasion, the harsh rule of the Taliban, and ongoing clashes between insurgents and US-led forces. As an Afghan-American, Sharif's thoughts are deeply revealing. Sardar presents his insights through nineteen missives written over the course of the first of two civilian deployments with the Departments of State and Defense. With a bird's eye view of US reconstruction efforts, he deconstructs setbacks and mistakes made during the peace process, and offers suggestions on how to better address such problems. A compelling read for anyone interested in US involvement in Afghanistan, Sardar reveals what it takes to carry out daily duties deployed in a foreign country where differing ideologies, language, religion, and social norms provide fertile ground for misunderstandings, conflict, and distrust.