Full disclosure: Sam Aronson, one of the two individuals featured in this book, is my brother-in-law.

Homeira Qaderi's inner struggle regarding whether to remain in a country she desperately wished to see flourish and was ready to fight to help rebuilt - and indeed, had long been fighting to change for many years - or to flee to safety alongside the child she'd finally gained stability with following an acrimonious landmark custody battle was nothing short of moving. With advice and pleas from family members, friends, and colleagues pulling at her desire to both protect her young son, Siawash, and remain in her homeland to continue her battle against the Taliban, Homeira's decision to evacuate Afghanistan was riveting and emotional. Her hopes and wishes for better and her solemn, remorseful understanding of the realities of her country are gut-wrenching and sincere. This was a particularly painful and moving story to follow.

Sam Aronson's personality leapt off the page. Setting aside that I do, in fact, know him personally, it's very easy for the reader to feel as though they know him from the book's descriptions of his easy manner, his frustrated invectives in the face of an impossible circumstance, and his heartfelt yet simple promises to do his best for the people he is tasked to help.

I've now read this book twice, and my husband (older brother to Sam's wife, Liana) has listened to the audiobook. The story itself is incredibly well-written while providing necessary political and social context without detracting from the people at the heart of the narrative. This is a powerful story about two exceptional people who both carry immense love and responsibility for those around them.

I highly recommend reading "The Secret Gate" alongside Homeira's memoir "Dancing in the Mosque", another excellently written story about her difficulties as a woman in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, particularly her custody fight for Siawash.

I, along with millions of other people, watched with horror the chaotic evacuation and rapid drawdown from Afghanistan following the Taliban's rapid takeover last year. THE SECRET GATE attempts to answer a question that I had been thinking about since first watching those videos on CNN:

What happens to the people of a country after its leadership and that of its allies basically declare that the outcomes in a twenty year war had been lost?

THE SECRET GAME was wonderful in that tells the story of both the forest and the trees. The backdrop was the failed US and Afghanistan policies, but the heart of the story was that the desperation and chaos of human beings - Afghans, Americans, and other citizens alike - trying to do what they can to survive under the rapid collapse of a country that had been propped up for decades by its allies. THE SECRET BOOK is a work of non-fiction with real people and real events, but told in such a creative and tight dramatic narrative structure that one can't help but be on the edge of their seats throughout the entire book.

Homeira Qaderi is a writer, women's right advocate, and most importantly, an Afghan mother, sister, and daughter. Her bravery leaps off the pages, oftentimes to the detriment of her own safety. She was someone who mourned the looming loss of her country under the resurgent rule of the Taliban with outward defiance to hold strong to the republican gains her country made for the past twenty years. There were a lot of times in the book that I wanted to yell at her, just agree to get on the damn plane, already! while my next thought was empathy and admiration for her fierce desire to keep her entire (extended) family together. I mean, who gets offered two seats on the evacuation plane and then tries to negotiate for an extra one (or twelve) more seats? I say this with all due respect, though... the audacity. I could never.

But that speaks to Homeira's life, first under the oppressive regime of the Taliban pre-9/11, and then later in advocating for an expansion of women's rights post-Afghan republic. She had the audacity to not just dream a better life for herself and her entire country, but to fight for it.

Homeira's courage was matched by Sam Aronson, a U.S. State Department Foreign Service Officer who volunteered to assist with the evacuation attempts in Afghanistan initially for the rush and adventure. He quickly learned that he bit off way more than he can chew, though pivoted to bend the rules to approve as many people as possible to be evacuated out. My heart broke with reading how he had to reject families trying to enter the airport based on the fluid acceptance criteria of the day.

As a secret policy wonk, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the inner workings of the state department, especially in crisis situations. In my real life, I work with quite a few refugees, and while all are resilient and most tell me their story of their journey to the U.S., I know that what they are telling me is only the tip of the iceberg.

I could go on and on about what a great job the author and editor did with the alternate narrative structure from Sam to Homeira and with the pacing, but what stayed with me were the moral and ethical questions that lingered long after I finished this book. What happens to the people of a country after its leadership and that of its allies basically declare that the outcomes in a twenty year war had been lost? What does one do in order to survive?

A fantastic story about an Afghan woman, her son, and brother, and the US Diplomat who risked his life to get them out of Afghanistan at the last minute.

Filled with twists and turns and some really great information, this was a great read. I learned so much and much of that was never, ever shown on TV or reported on. I think that people's opinion would change about the whole situation if they read this book - I don't think anyone was prepared for all that happened, especially those on the ground. Mitchell Zuckoff writes in such a way that you often feel you are in the middle of the fray and there were moments where I found I was gripping my chair so hard I lost feeling in my hands; intense doesn't seem to be a strong enough word. Amazing.

I am so glad I read this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mitchell Zuckoff, and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'The Secret Gate' is an excellent account of the final days of the American withdrawal in Afghanistan, focused on the evacuation taking place at Kabul International Airport. This particular book focuses on Sam, an American diplomate who volunteered to assist with the evacuation efforts, and Homeira, an Afghani woman who was well known for her work advocating for Women's Rights in her country. Zuckoff balances the narrative well, giving just enough context for each of the protagonists lives to add depth to the events documented here. I appreciated the subtle shifts in writing style and prose Zuckoff employed when switching been Sam and Homeira's stories.

If you enjoyed "Operation Pineapple Express" by Scott Mann, you will also enjoy "The Secret Gate".

For more reviews and bookish pots please visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

The Secret Gate: A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice During the Collapse of Afghanistan by Mitchell Zuckoff is the true story of a prominent female Afghan writer, and a young American diplomat helping her evacuate. Mr. Zuckoff is a published, best-selling, author and educator.

An excellent, somewhat intimate, recount of the last two weeks, or so, of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. Mr. Zuckoff personalized the experience as only he can, recounting in detail two experiences of totally different people.

Homeira Qaderi, academic, author, educator, and icon of women’s liberation who got custody of her child after a divorce, finds herself in a tremendous bind. Leave behind everything she loves, or take her chance with a Taliban-controlled country.

Sam Aronson, a nice Jewish boy from New Jersey, is looking to make a diplomatic career for himself and volunteered to remain in Kabul Airport to help 100,000 Americans and Afghans. Sam rescues as many people as he can navigating through bureaucratic red tape, and using new and old connections.

At some point, of course, Ms. Qaderi’s and Mr. Aronson’s paths meet. The book even includes pictures the author refers to, which certainly helps the narrative. The author manages a fine balance of heroism and brutality of war. The impossible moral choices both protagonists and their loved ones, are faced against are heartbreaking at times.

The Secret Gate personalizes experiences that the majority of us will never know. It’s easy to seat back at home and criticize, but Michell Zuckoff manages to capture the danger, courage, and anguish of the Afghan people, as well as the Americans.

This book is informative, inspiring, and well-written. Given the huge amounts of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda surrounding the withdrawal, I actually feel as if I learned a thing or two. Us bibliophiles will appreciate the tremendous efforts the publishing community went through to ensure Ms. Qaderi’s safety.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for providing the ARC of Mitchell Zuckoff’s latest. This was a fascinating recap of the pullout of the US from Afghanistan last year told from the alternating points of view of a US security / diplomat and an Afghan activist woman. How their stories intersect was great, and the descriptions of the activities around the airport helped me better understand what I saw on the news. I hope the final publication contains maps, especially of the airport perimeter and where the various gates were. It was hard to visualize that area based on the description. Recommend for non-fiction and current events readers.

We all make countless decisions every day, but none will measure up to the magnitude of the decision Homeira Qaderi made on August 30, 2021.

On behalf of her son, and knowing she’d need to leave the rest of her family in Kabul, Qaderi made the difficult decision to flee Afghanistan. When the Taliban took control on August 15, 2021, thousands of anxious people rushed to flee the country. Being outspoken, divorced and a known author, Qaderi knew that despite her longing to remain in her homeland, it wasn’t safe for her nor her family if she stayed. She was marked for certain death by the Taliban.

Homeira and her eight-year-old son, Siawash were two of the last to fly out of the Kabul airport on a US military transport.

From the comfort of our homes, we all breathed a sigh of relief when we heard about the agreement reached between the Taliban officials and the USA. American troops and diplomats would control the airport for a massive evacuation until August 31 when Kabul would return to Taliban rule. In our limited scope, we imagined what it would be like. We still couldn’t come close to the reality - even after watching the images of hundreds of Afghans chasing an Air Force C-17 as it taxied down the runway with a dozen men clinging to its side.

THROW AWAY ANY CONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT THE EVACUATION PLAN AND PRE-ORDER ‘THE SECRET GATE’. You have NO idea what those serving, nor those escaping, faced in those two weeks. Let Mitchell Zuckoff share with you what it was really like and how a secret CIA gate made Homeira’s escape possible.

I was in awe reading about the ten days that the U.S. and its allies had to assemble, screen, and safeguard 120.000 people. I read in horror at the risks taken to ensure a better life and shook my head in disbelief at the struggle those with proper identification faced even when they reached the airport.

Mitchell has channeled the turmoil, anguish, desperation, sacrifice, and courage as well as the glimmer of hope in relaying to us the harrowing experiences of Sam Aronson, a political officer with the State Department who was on duty at the Secret Gate, and Homeira Qaderi, a mother with a vision for a better future.

“In the war with the Taliban, everyone has a method. Everyone has a weapon. My weapon is my pen.”

I was in awe at the publishing community and their efforts to ensure Homeira’s safety. I’d previously read Deborah Rodriquez’s ‘Kabul Beauty School’ and was happy to read about her influence on Homeira’s escape.

This book needs to be on your radar come April 25, 2023.

I was gifted this copy by Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.