Zarifa

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
Incredible -- Francesca Brown 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
Frank and impassioned, Ghafari's narrative spotlights the power of activism... a remarkable story of perseverance and resilience Publishers Weekly
Candid, poignant and powerful ... This gripping book can be read at one go and surely is a must buy Telegraph (India)
This is a simply written and inspiring work that zips along with the pace of an adventure story. You can only be left in awestruck admiration at everything Zarifa has already achieved in her short life. Despite the current situation, you at least feel some hope that Afghanistan's trajectory will have been nudged towards a better tomorrow by her unceasing vision for a just and corruption-free homeland' -- Olivia Edward Geographical Magazine
[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
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
Zarifa Ghafari's story is one of strength in the face of adversity. She perfectly captures the tragic reversal of fortune over the past year in Afghanistan as the Taliban have once again risen to power. Everyone should read this inspirational and heart-wrenching account of life in Afghanistan for women. Layla Moran, MP

Zarifa Ghafari

At the age of twenty-four, Zarifa Ghafari became mayor of Maidan Wardak, a province of Kabul, Afghanistan; before that she had launched and operated a women-focused radio station. During her tenure, violent threats were made against her to dissuade her from taking up her role, including six attempts made on her life, and her father murdered in retribution. After overseeing 70,000 families during the fall of Kabul, she escaped from the Taliban in August 2021 to seek refuge in Germany. Ghafari was included by the BBC as one of the '100 most inspiring and influential women in the world' in 2019, received the International Woman of Courage Award from the US State Department in 2020 and the Oxi Day Foundation Award for Courage in 2021. She is now setting up a foundation for women in Afghanistan.

Hannah Lucinda Smith

Hannah Lucinda Smith, author of Erdogan Rising: The Battle for the Soul of Turkey (HarperCollins/William Collins 2019), is The Times correspondent in Turkey, where she has covered conflicts, a coup attempt and the rise of controversial president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. During her time in the region, she has also reported on the Middle East, from inside rebel-held Syria, on the front lines of the battle against Isis in Iraq, and joined the mass movement of migrants on their journey to Europe in 2015. She has also worked also for the BBC, contributed to the Atlantic and the Spectator, and has been awarded a Pulitzer grant to write for Wired magazine.

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