Virago
Virago
Virago
Little, Brown Audio
A poignant and inspiring memoir by Afghanistan's youngest female mayor and devoted human rights activist. As featured in the NETFLIX documentary IN HER HANDS.
A moving and inspiring memoir by Afghanistan's youngest female mayor and campaigner for human rights, as seen in Netflix's In Her Hands documentary.
'Zarifa will break your heart' Christina Lamb, author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefields and I Am Malala
'Incredible' Stylist
'In this earnest and fiery memoir, an activist and politician from Afghanistan recounts how her country's instability marked her life' New York Times
Zarifa Ghafari was two years old when the Taliban banned girls from schools. She was seven when the American airstrikes began. She was twenty-four when she became the youngest and one of the first female mayors in Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan. An extremist mob barred her from her office and assassins tried to kill her six times. Through it all, Zarifa promoted peace and tried to lift up women, despite constant fear for herself and her family.
Written with honesty, pain and, ultimately, hope, Zarifa is an astonishing memoir that offers an unparalleled perspective of the last two decades in Afghanistan from a citizen, daughter, woman and mayor.
'Zarifa's words, like her life, are an act of courage, weaving heartache with hope' Shubhangi Swarup, author of Latitudes of Longing
'This gripping book can be read at one go and surely is a must buy' Telegraph (India)
'Frank and impassioned, Ghafari's narrative spotlights the power of activism... a remarkable story of perseverance and resilience' Publishers Weekly
Anyone wanting to know the grim reality of being a woman in Afghanistan and trying to make a difference, could not find a more illuminating book. Zarifa will break your heart. - Christina Lamb, author of Our Bodies, Their Battlefields
Zarifa's words, like her life, are an act of courage, weaving heartache with hope. They illuminate all the things we take for granted, especially the ordinary moments, the daily freedoms and most intimate of relationships. They illuminate the threads that connect our rights, freedoms, and happiness into an interconnected whole. - Shubhangi Swarup, Tata Prize winning author of Latitudes of Longing
[Ghafari] tells her inspiring life story with sincerity and passion, providing a nuanced and, at times, horrifying glimpse into Afghanistan's devastating history ... A searingly honest, profoundly courageous memoir of one fearless woman's fight for her homeland. - Kirkus
Incredible. - Stylist