SPARKS LIKE STARS
I am thrilled (so, so thrilled!) to share my next title SPARKS LIKE STARS. Since it is still a ways from publication, I’ll only say that it’s the story of the rise of a girl and the fall of a country. I’ve really enjoyed the research and interviewing for this piece of historical fiction. Alas, the book wont' hit shelves until early 2021. Why so long? There’s much that goes into getting a “dirty draft” into final book form. Editing, proofreading, designing a cover, choosing a font, and proofreading again to avoid getting an email from a grammatically correct reader.

UPDATES FROM AFGHANISTAN
Much has been happening in the world of Afghan women lately. Peace talks between a US representative and the Taliban halted rather abruptly after President Trump cancelled a Camp David meeting with Taliban figureheads. I wrote about the problematic peace talks for Ms Magazine this past summer.


Meanwhile, Afghanistan celebrated the centennial of its independence. This year marked 100 years since the third Anglo-Afghan war. (Yes, the British had their eyes on Afghanistan as well.) This milestone was marked with a grain of salt given the uptick in Taliban-wrought violence in the country but there is much to celebrate. I had the pleasure of emceeing an event at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, DC. Did you know Ambassador Roya Rahmani is the first woman to serve in this critical post? Afghan vocalist and outspoken feminist, Aryana Sayeed performed the Afghan national anthem. She and so many Afghans eagerly await the results of the recent presidential elections, with hopes that the peace, security, and prosperity will grow. I weighed in on how the elections might impact women on CGTN’s The Heat.



MY NIGHTSTAND
Once upon a time, I would only read books I could hold in my hands. Reluctantly, I accepted the convenience of e-books. Then I tried an audiobook. And a second audiobook. (It’s a slippery slope, friends.) One of the best recent audio experiences I’ve had was Daisy Jones & The SixDaisy Jones and the Six. I may have tried to find vintage video of the band on YouTube before realizing this was a brilliant work of fiction. Some other recent favorites: This is How It Always Is, A Pure Heart, The Great Alone, and the upcoming American Dirt, a gripping and gritty novel about the human stories unfolding at our southern border. In the world of children’s books, I’ll plug: Ghost Boys and The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Ghost Boys is a gut punch of a read about a Black boy holding a toy guy shot by a police officer. TGWDTM made bedtime with four children more magical and less mayhemic.

UPCOMING EVENTS
On October 23, I gave the keynote address at the Sahar Education for Girls annual dinner in Seattle, WA. The organization builds stellar schools for girls in Afghanistan. I’m proud to support this organization because we build a thriving, peaceful future by empowering ambitious girls.

Look out for a future post on how incredible it was to be in conversation with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, the pediatrician who helped expose Flint’s water crisis. Her book, What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City, is an astonishing look at how elevated lead levels in the blood of her patients clued her in to a public health tragedy.

BOOK CLUBS
I can be virtually anywhere. To coordinate a virtual visit with your classroom or your book club, please email me at [email protected].