Afghanistan (1991) is a semi-autobiographical debut novel by Swiss-American author Alex Ullmann. It follows Patrick Scheffler, a young Manhattan magazine editor who, after a series of personal and professional crises, sets off on a European journey seeking meaning and escape. Though inspired by his colleague’s tales of war reportage, Patrick never reaches Afghanistan—instead, his journey becomes one of emotional reckoning, culminating in a chaotic mission to rescue his ex-girlfriend’s troubled brother in France. Poignant, darkly comic, and introspective, the novel explores identity, loss, and the myths we tell ourselves about adventure. Ullmann died of leukemia at age 34, the year after publication.
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