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  • Published: 15 May 2012
  • ISBN: 9780099542186
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $29.99

Dear Zari

Hidden Stories from Women of Afghanistan




Compelling, enlightening, heart-breaking, Dear Zari is a collection of true stories from women in Afghanistan that is more urgent now than ever.

'A poignant celebration of human resilience' Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner
Dear Zari gives voice to the secret lives of women across Afghanistan and allows them to tell their stories in their own words: from the child bride given as payment to end a family feud; to a life spent in a dark, dusty room weaving carpets; to a young girl brought up as a boy; to life as a widow shunned by society. Dear Zari uncovers the reality of life in Afghanistan.

  • Published: 15 May 2012
  • ISBN: 9780099542186
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $29.99

About the author

Zarghuna Kargar

Zarghuna Kargar was born in Kabul in 1982. When civil war erupted across Afghanistan, she and her family escaped to Pakistan, and it was there that Zarghuna attended a journalism course organised by the BBC. Then in 2001 her family sought asylum in the UK, and she started working for the BBC World Service Pashtu Section. She joined the team on the groundbreaking programme Afghan Woman's Hour as producer and presenter in 2004, until it was discontinued in 2010. Zarghuna now works on current affairs programmes for the BBC Afghan Service. She lives in London.

Naomi Goldsmith worked on Dear Zari with Zarghuna. She is an award-winning journalist who has reported and presented for the BBC. She met Zarghuna in Afghanistan, where they both trained local women to make radio programmes.

Praise for Dear Zari

I am deeply touched by these stories... Dear Zari should be read by anyone who cares and wants to know about Asia and Asian women

Xinran

This isn't a book for the faint-hearted, but is a chilling yet emotional read for anyone who cares to know about the real plight of Afghani women. A powerful collection of true-life stories compiled over the years (and re-introduced by the author's own experience). Dear Zari takes the blanket off Afghani women, showcasing the bleak reality of their existence

Asiana

Intimate, emotional, often painful but at time uplifting, these stories uncover how the customs of this deeply religious and intensely traditional society can cause real suffering for many women'

The Middle East

A poignant celebration of human resilience

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner

Remarkable...heart-rending...astonishing

The Times

An absorbing collection of life stories...their bravery and resilience shines through

Independent on Sunday

Harrowing and heart-warming

Sunday Telegraph

Heart-rending...harrowing... In each case, though, the resilience of the human spirit shines through

Metro

A heart-wrenching anthology of the personal stories

Guardian

Dear Zari is disquieting but essential reading. Occasionally uplifting, frequently harrowing, and unfailingly candid, it is a must for anyone – male or female – seeking to better understand Afghanistan

Mike Stafford, bookgeeks.co.uk