Pashtana Durrani's indomitable spirit and ferocity come alive in the pages of Last to Eat, Last to Learn. She writes about her life's mission, to open schools and teach Afghan girls while having to receive permission from warlords, tribesmen, and Taliban members. Despite the Taliban's crusade to keep all women down, Durrani continued her mission.

A truly incredible and inspiring story that reminds us of the importance of education and how much we take it for granted in the U.S.

Oh my goodness, I just finished this book and am in complete awe of Pashtana Durrani. She is a true hero and inspiration for Afghanistan, education and women everywhere.

Durrani Afghanistan. She includes narratives about living in a war torn country and being a refugee, but despite these setbacks she continues to strive for the greater good. We have always heard about the war and ongoing troubles in Afghanistan but they continued for so long we perhaps became immune to the human rights violations. It's horrible to think of people suffering so in this day and age.


I hope that Durrani will write another book to let us all know how she did when she came to the US, and what she has done since.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Last to Eat, Last to Learn, Pashtana Durrani brings the reader to Pakistan and Afghanistan in her autobiography. Focusing on her life as a refugee in Pakistan and her return to Afghanistan as a NGO organizer to educate girls in rural Afghanistan. Durrani is honest about her struggles growing up and starting her NGO LEARN in Kabul. Durrani also emphasizes her learning experiences and the emotional highs of her life thus far, and she provides a detailed perspective about her life and her activism. Durrani’s language is powerful, vivid, and thought-provoking, and she does not shy away from the hard topics surrounding Afghan women, their education, and the political situation in the region. Durrani, throughout the book, provides background information and in-depth information about the internal infrastructure challenges that she ran into while building LEARN. Durrani even addresses more recent events, from COVID-19 to the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, and she emphasizes the international coverage of events she experienced firsthand. By drawing attention to her work and her world, Durrani is giving voice to the struggles faced by Afghan women (under the Taliban and not) and the importance of spreading educational access to this population.

Thank you for drawing me into the world of Afghanistan. Thank you for your courage and undeniable perseverance. One can only imagine how much courage it took, but also your absolute commitment to enabling young girls to learn. I’m left speechless. This is a book well worth reading. I will certainly be reading it again

It was an enlightening read about another culture. Books like this helps to put a human context to the conflicts that are reported in news. I appreciated the insights into the community and the fortitude of the author. We should celebrate the people to serve and lead with their hearts.

Love learning about strong women working hard to make life better for women and girls. Because if we don't then who will.

An inspirational read. Not only is Durrani a survivor, but she’s an advocate for Afghan women and girls.
She makes a good point about invading countries failing to appreciate the history and the context of her country because what they set to achieve almost fails every time.
I knew a little about her culture, but leaned more from her book. Her campaign to educate girls is a life time commitment, not easy under the circumstances.
Anyone who thinks they can’t accomplish a goal, needs to read Durrani’s story.

This is an inspiring memoir that gives the reader insight into a life they've only heard about. Pashtana is strong and determined and doesn't accept failure, no matter what life throws her way. She plans to change history and ensure education a new system of education. The book is heartbreaking, but also humorous at times, which I didn't expect. In addition to her individual struggles, the author explains what it's like for Afghans to live under Taliban rule. I enjoyed learning about her nonprofit organization (LEARN). It sounds like a truly worthy cause, and it's one I'd never heard about before this book. This book may put thing into perspective for many readers in regard to what so many of us take for granted in the many freedoms afforded to us.

An interesting memoir which provides insight on Afghan culture and the position and status of women and girls in Afghan society. I learned alot about previous key women in Afghan society like Queen Soraya who campaigned for women's right to vote this was very enlightening. I found the book a very open honest account / memoir of a young woman's campaign for girls education. I would recommend this is women and education courses, and classes on women and activism. I would like to read a sequel or follow up on what happens to Pashtana and her family.

The book had sounded interesting but sadly I found it quite dull. It was quite whiny. Poor me. Really not for me

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5414531029
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𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧/𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩/𝙪𝙣𝙗𝙞𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬. Thank you @netgalley !

Last to Eat, Last to Learn is a biography of Pashtana Durrani. Born into a noble family, Pashtana has never lacked of thing. Her father is a Khan and it gives Pashtana a privilege to do and possess what others cannot possess. She’s allowed to ride the bike and went mingling with the boys. They lived in comfort in Pakistan. What overwhelming is the fact that the father - a large Aghanistani tribe leader wanted all of his children to be educated including the girls.

No feast lasts forever, they said - as so Pashtana’s life. The family lost their privilege because of the war and to escape ISIS and the Taliban. The effects later intrigued Pashtana’s awareness. It’s strengthen with her understanding when she visited her homeland and learnt that women are not treated equally. She dreams of providing education to these women.

Does it mean that she’d have to deal with the long held customs and a culture where women will always be put as a second-class citizen? Will she succeed? Her book will answer the questions and enlighten you about different parts of the world we are living in.

Des✨

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The bravery of Pastana was so inspiring to read. The people of Afghanistan are so resilient and demand a better life not only for themselves but those around them and she showed how she did it. I can’t even imagine what it would be like wanting to help people and wanting to do good in your country but yet there are people wanting to kill you for that?? People like Pashtana inspire me to want to do more in my own life for those in my community. She is strong leader who didn’t take no for an answer and because of that she helped countless girls and women make a better life for themselves. Amazing

When you aren't accepted in a land you've lived in for years, and not accepted back in your homeland, where do you go can will you ever be accepted for who you are? That's where Pashtana finds herself. her family left Afghanistan to escape ISIS ant The Taliban. Her father was the head of a large Afghanistani tribe which allowed them to live in comfort in Pakistan. He wanted all of his children to be educated, even the girls.

When Pashtana learns more about her homeland she goes to visits and learns women there are not treated as equals. Her dream becomes one of providing education to these girls. It's a dream that pits her against long held customs, the current rulers of Afghanistan, and a culture where women will always be put last.

But Pashtana does not accept failure. She intends to change history, create a new system of education, and alter current educational delivery methods. Pashtana doesn't take no as an acceptable answer.