An interesting memoir about an Afghan woman who rose to prominence because she believes in her country.
Born in 1994, Ghafari has seldom seen her country experiences sustained peace. She aspires to help Afghan women and struggles today.
I liked learning her family history because I have been interested in Middle Eastern culture, but I did skim over the politics because it becomes so muddled.
It’s a good book to read for exposure on Afghan culture.

The first part of this book offered an incredible insight into Afghanistan and the taliban. I was completely enraptured by the descriptions and scenes described, particularly in the context of being a young girl growing up with certain values about your freedom and worth already decided. The arc was exceptionally long at nearly 1000 which was a little too much for me and I did start ti feel a little jaded about halfway. However, with some thorough editing, this book is a real winner.

Zarifa Ghafari is an Afghan politician, leader, and activist. She was the first woman mayor of the Wardak region of Afghanistan. She has fought for women’s rights and against corruption and human rights abuses in her country. When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban with the United States’ withdrawal in 2021, she and her family left, but she braved the odds and returned in 2022 to get a first-hand look at what’s happening in Afghanistan, and to continue to provide aid to as many people as she could.

Truly, Ghafari’s memoir is an incredible read. She relates her experiences from growing up in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, to the American invasion, in sharp detail. Her fight to start a radio station for women, become mayor of Wardak, and to run her aid organization are well-described. Additionally, she describes the politics of Afghanistan through the last twenty years in a way that is easily read and understood by those of us with less understanding of the situation than we should. Finally, two parts of the book that stand out to me especially are her recounting of the death of her father, and her family’s evacuation from Afghanistan in August 2021.

I can’t recommend this book enough. I have read a lot of books by American soldiers who fought in Afghanistan, but I’ve never had the opportunity to read one by an Afghan citizen who experienced this war in her own country (and city). I have a changed perspective on the war in Afghanistan because I’ve read this, and I find myself studying what’s happening now and what I can do to help those who are oppressed by the Taliban. We should all hope to be as selfless, caring, and as strong leaders as Zarifa Ghafari.

A timely and powerful firsthand account from a woman who lived through multiple regimes in Afghanistan including the recent takeover by the Taliban. Her words repeatedly made me take pause from reading to fathom what she went through. It's impactful to hear from someone who personally had to fight against the Taliban and others who didn't want her in power solely because she's a woman. Zarifa also explains how the United States fumbled their many years there and left women in the dust as well as the effect of years of corruption preventing aid from going to Afghans. A valuable read for anyone interested in women's rights!