The Escape from Kabul
A True Story of Sisterhood and Defiance
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Duckworth Books
Published:28th Aug '25
Should be back in stock very soon
The extraordinary story of the Afghan women judges who fought for their careers and their lives, and the international network of women who helped them to escape the Taliban
The extraordinary, moving story of the Afghan women judges who fought for their careers and their lives, and the international network of women who helped them escape the Taliban.
A gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity.
In the twenty years since 2001, Afghan women obtained legal degrees, became judges and set out to transform their country – tackling corruption, and reducing horrifying levels of violence against women and children. These educated and powerful women led the mission to build a modern democracy. However, when Western forces withdrew in August 2021, the women judges of Afghanistan and their families faced mortal danger.
The Escape from Kabul is the never-before-told story of the escape of nearly 200 women and their families, thanks to a network of professional friends, female judges and lawyers from around the world, who refused to abandon them to the Taliban.
A searing insight into the challenges of safely building a new life overseas and also the captive fate of women in Afghanistan.
‘Anyone concerned about the fragility of rights or the isolation of those living under repression should read this book’ Martha Minow, author of When Should Law Forgive?
‘That these women went through so much to achieve what they did makes it all the more terrible the way they were betrayed by the people they saw as allies… In the end, it was the humanity of fellow female judges who saved them, where governments failed’ The Sunday Times
‘A cautionary tale of the toll that displacement and denial continue to take on progress in countries like Afghanistan’Ms Magazine
‘Anyone concerned about the fragility of rights or the isolation of those living under repression should read this book’ Martha Minow, author of When Should Law Forgive?
‘A remarkable book. In it, Karen Bartlett masterfully depicts the Afghan women judges who faced challenges Western judges could only imagine, culminating in their perilous flight from Afghanistan. Brave, bold, and touching, this is an extraordinary story everyone should read’ The Honorable Nancy Gertner, United States District Judge, US District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Ret.)
‘Karen Bartlett’s reportage of the escape of Afghan women judges and their families in the chaotic final days before the resurgence of Taliban domination is harrowing. The heroic assistance of women judges from the United States, Europe and the UK that made those escapes possible reveals the unwavering support of women judges from around the world… a story not to be missed’ The Honorable Shira A. Scheindlin, United States District Judge, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Ret.)
ISBN: 9781914613937
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages