Dancing in the Mosque - An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son

A People Book of the Week & a Kirkus Best Nonfiction of the Year

An exquisite and inspiring memoir about one mother’s unimaginable choice in the face of oppression and abuse in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

In the days before Homeira Qaderi gave birth to her son, Siawash, the road to the hospital in Kabul would often be barricaded because of the frequent suicide explosions. With the city and the military on edge, it was not uncommon for an armed soldier to point his gun at the pregnant woman’s bulging stomach, terrified that she was hiding a bomb. Frightened and in pain, she was once forced to make her way on foot. Propelled by the love she held for her soon-to-be-born child, Homeira walked through blood and wreckage to reach the hospital doors. But the joy of her beautiful son’s birth was soon overshadowed by other dangers that would threaten her life.

No ordinary Afghan woman, Homeira refused to cower under the strictures of a misogynistic social order. Defying the law, she risked her freedom to teach children reading and writing and fought for women’s rights in her theocratic and patriarchal society.

Devastating in its power, Dancing in the Mosque is a mother’s searing letter to a son she was forced to leave behind. In telling her story—and that of Afghan women—Homeira challenges you to reconsider the meaning of motherhood, sacrifice, and survival. Her story asks you to consider the lengths you would go to protect yourself, your family, and your dignity.

This powerful memoir is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of tyranny:

Women’s Rights in Afghanistan: A courageous woman’s fight for education and freedom, from running secret schools for girls to defying a misogynistic social order at every turn. An Unimaginable Choice: The devastating true story of a mother forced to choose between her own survival and the son she loves more than life itself, Siawash. Life Under the Taliban: An unflinching, firsthand account of daily life in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, where giving birth is a walk through wreckage and defiance is a death sentence. A Mother’s Letter: Written as a searing, heartfelt letter to the son she had to leave behind, this story redefines the meaning of motherhood, sacrifice, and love.