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The Escape from Kabul

A True Story of Sisterhood and Defiance

Karen Bartlett

$26.99

Paperback

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English
Duckworth
02 September 2025
Combining moment-by-moment drama with an emotional story of friendship and bravery, The Escape from Kabul is also a searing insight into the captive fate of women in Afghanistan.

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 that respected the rule of law and human rights. However, when Western forces withdrew in August 2021, the women judges of Afghanistan faced mortal danger.

The Escape from Kabul is the extraordinary, never-before-told story of their escape, and the shocking fates of those who were unable to flee. Bestselling, veteran journalist Karen Bartlett has had unique access to many of the women involved, including those in exile and the judges still trapped in Afghanistan, as well as the international network of women judges who were vital to the escape effort.
By:  
Imprint:   Duckworth
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm, 
ISBN:   9781914613937
ISBN 10:   1914613937
Pages:   272
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Karen Bartlett was a speechwriter for President Nelson Mandela and has written for publications including The Times, Wired and Newsweek about women's rights and empowerment around the world. She is the author of five works of non-fiction, including The Health of Nations and the Sunday Times bestseller After Auschwitz. She lives in London.

Reviews for The Escape from Kabul: A True Story of Sisterhood and Defiance

‘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.)


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