Afghan exile wins Goncourt

An exiled Afghan writer won France’s top literary prize Monday for his novel about the misery of a woman caring for a husband left brain-damaged by a war wound.

Atiq Rahimi was awarded the Goncourt prize for “Syngue Sabour,” Persian for “Stone of Patience,” a title derived from a folk tale about a black stone that absorbs the distress of anyone who confides in it.

The 105-year-old Prix Goncourt guarantees literary acclaim and high sales for the winning author. Past recipients include Marcel Proust, Simone de Beauvoir and Marguerite Duras.