The Dressmaker of Khair Khana

“[A] fascinating window on Afghan life under the Taliban . . . a celebration of women . . . who support . . . loved ones with tenacity, inventiveness and sheer guts.” —People

The life Kamila Sidiqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. After receiving a teaching degree during the civil war—a rare achievement for any Afghan woman—Kamila was subsequently banned from school and confined to her home. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Kamila became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own.

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban. Former ABC Newsreporter Gayle Tzemach Lemmon spent years on the ground reporting Kamila's story, and the result is an unusually intimate look at the daily lives of women in Afghanistan. These women are not victims; they are the glue that holds families together; they are the backbone and the heart of their nation.

“Remarkable.” —New Yorker

“An exciting, engrossing [story] that reads like a novel.” —Publishers Weekly

“Pure inspiration. . . reveals in acute detail the anxiety of ordinary people trying to fold their lives around the whims and laws of abusive regimes.” —Los Angeles Times

“Guaranteed to move you—and to show you a side of Afghanistan few ever see.” —Angelina Jolie

“The Dressmaker of Khair Khana verges on required reading.” —Christian Science Monitor

“Proves once again the power of girls to remake our world.” —Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea