First published 2023
Homeira Qaderi faces death when the Taliban seizes Afghanistan. A celebrated author and women's rights advocate who won custody of her son in a rare legal victory, she becomes a marked woman overnight. At Kabul Airport, chaos reigns as evacuation planes depart above crushing crowds. Homeira struggles desperately to save her eight-year-old son Siawash and her family. Meanwhile, American diplomat Sam Aronson cuts his vacation short to volunteer at the airport, where he discovers a secret CIA entrance away from the deadly crowds. Using this hidden gate, Sam rescues fifty-two people in a single day. On the evacuation's final day, Homeira's literary agent contacts Sam with an urgent plea. Sam risks everything to reach Homeira, using night-vision goggles, armed security contractors, and a flashlight signal borrowed from summer camp. Homeira defies Sam's instructions as gunfire erupts around them. Afghan Army soldiers grow increasingly nervous about the restless crowds. To reach safety, Homeira and Siawash must abandon their extended family and leave behind everything they know. This rescue unfolds in the final hours before the secret gate closes forever, testing both a mother's determination and a young diplomat's courage.
Genres: drama, adventure, contemporary, thriller, action, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: against-all-odds, race-against-time, rescue
Setting: Afghanistan, Kabul, Kabul Airport
Period: 2021
316 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: violence