First published 2011
Kamila Sidiqi earned her teaching degree during Afghanistan's civil war, a remarkable accomplishment for any woman in her country. Then the Taliban took Kabul. Schools closed to women. Kamila found herself trapped at home. When her father and brother fled the city, she faced a stark reality: five siblings depended on her for survival. With no other options, Kamila picked up her sewing supplies and began making clothes. What started as desperation grew into something larger. She built a network of women who worked from their homes, creating a business that thrived despite the restrictions surrounding them. Former ABC News correspondent Gayle Tzemach Lemmon spent years documenting Kamila's experience, conducting extensive interviews and research in Afghanistan. The result reveals the daily struggles and quiet victories of women living under one of history's most oppressive regimes. This story captures both the brutality of war and the strength people discover when everything familiar disappears.
Genres: biography, business, non-fiction, 21st-century, entrepreneurship
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, overcoming-adversity, resilience
Setting: Afghanistan, Kabul
Period: Civil War, Taliban Rule
258 pages · Hardcover · Harper
Content warnings: war