It was just a year ago that the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. On that date, Nahid Shahalimi, an Afghan female writer living in Germany, realized that she needed to hurry to record the stories of prominent Afghan women who soon would try to escape their country, or stay and risk death. She did so, and compiled their stories in “We Are Still Here.” The world’s attention has turned to the crisis in Ukraine, but Afghanistan is still there and should not be forgotten, particularly the stories of women oppressed by the Taliban. This week, a conversation with Nahid Shahalimi, as she writes, “Listen to these women. See them. See their commitment to freedom and to their rights."

Books mentioned in this podcast:

• We are Still Here edited by Nahid Shahalimi
• The Book of Life by Jidda Krishnamurti
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi
• The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi
• The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
• A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
• And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
• A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi
• When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi
• Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
• One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi
• The Sky at Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi
• The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi

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