Ulteriori informazioni
"A heart-tugging true story of identity, friendship, and perseverance from a survivor of the war in Afghanistan and an American who is forever changed by what she hears. When Cindy Miller met Lailoma Shahwali, who was altering her daughter's wedding dress, she expected their interactions would be brief. But in Lailoma she found not just a seamstress, but a survivor who opened up about her remarkable experience enduring Afghan war crimes, her husband's brutal murder in front of Lailoma and her young son, and her escape to the US and journey to a new life and the American dream. A breathtaking account of triumph in the face of all odds, The Alterations Lady documents Lailoma's courageous pursuit of education as an Afghan girl, what she endured when extremists took over her beloved country and she was stripped of her rights, her relentless determination to protect her child, and much more. It is also an evocative reminder of the life-changing importance of remaining attuned to the continued struggles in Afghanistan today, and of how those in our day-to-day can inspire us to be better, fuller, and more empathetic humans if we simply take the time to listen"--
Sommario
Afghan Rulers
Preface
Chapter 1
Arizona, 2009
Kabul, 1996
Arizona, 2013
Qurisha
Afghanistan, 1950s and Early 1960s
Chapter 2
Kabul, 1970s
Baba Amin
Kaka Zaher
School Days
Arizona, 2013
Chapter 3
Kabul, 1979
Arizona, 2010
Kabul, 1979 to 1989
Chapter 4
An Afghan Friend, 1988
An American Friend, 2013
Three Engagements, Kabul, 1988
Tragedy, 1988
Chapter 5
Wedding Season, 1989 to 1990
Kabul, 1990 to 1991
Arizona, 2012
Ojeie, 1992
Chapter 6
Winter, 1992
Chapter 7
Ahmadwali, 1996
Taliban Takes Kabul, 1996
Night of Terror, 1996
Lunch in Scottsdale, 2014
An Escape Plan, 1996
The Climb
Chapter 8
Safety in Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan, 1999
Time to Travel, 2000
Chapter 9
Arizona, 2000
Navigating the Streets, 2000
Driving school, 2001
Good News from Pakistan, 2005
Making a Move, 2005
Chapter 10
To Pakistan and Back, 2001 to 2005
Afghanistan to Pakistan to Russia, 2000 to 2012
Chapter 11
Arizona, 2008
The Family in Afghanistan, Early 2000s
Sponsoring Naim, 2008
Ahmadwali, 2016
The Third-Best Day
Epilogue
Glossary
Acknowledgments
Info autore
Cindy Miller is a writer and editor who has worked in newspaper and magazine publishing for twenty-eight years. Cindy edited
Arizona Woman magazine and the
Arizona Woman Who’s Who in Business, was the founding editor of the award-winning
AZ Society magazine and the
Red Book Magazine, and has written and edited for the
Arizona Republic. Her high-profile interviews have included Senator John McCain, Governor Janet Napolitano, Madeleine Albright, several top athletes, and the philanthropist Mavis Leno as she was spearheading the movement to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Cindy lives in Scottsdale, AZ.
Lailoma Shahwali was born in Afghanistan and emigrated to the United States in 2000, supporting herself and her son through her skills in clothing alterations. She lives in Scottdale, AZ.
Riassunto
A refugee’s exhilarating story of displacement and perseverance in the face of extremism and the American who is forever changed by what she hears.
When Cindy Miller met Lailoma Shahwali, who was altering her daughter’s wedding dress, she expected their interactions would be brief. But in Lailoma she found not just a seamstress, but a survivor who would open up about her remarkable experiences in her native Afghanistan under Taliban rule, her husband’s brutal murder in front of Lailoma and her young son, her mountain escape into Pakistan, and her journey to a new life in the United States.
A breathtaking account of triumph against all odds, The Alterations Lady documents Lailoma’s childhood as an Afghan girl, the indignities she endured when the Taliban seized her beloved country and stripped her of her hard-won rights, her relentless determination to protect her child and offer him a better life, and her navigation of the complicated United States immigration system. This timeless story of one refugee’s pursuit of the American dream and her search for sanctuary in a foreign land is a poignant reminder of the plight of refugees everywhere and the possibilities offered by a nation of immigrants.
Prefazione
National and regional media categories to include general interest, women’s media, political media covering refugees, and media in the authors’ home state of Arizona. Outlets to include New York Times, Washington Post, New Yorker, New York magazine, LitHub, Vanity Fair, Vogue, The Nation, BuzzFeed, Arizona Republic, East Vally Tribune, Arizona Daily Star, Scottsdale Independent, Arizona local TV and radio, and more.
Trade media outreach will target reviews in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, ALA Booklist, and Shelf Awareness, and a book trailer will be submitted as well as ads.
Mainstream media targets will embrace author’s connections as a journalist, targeting outlets she is connected to, such as USA Today, the Arizona Republic, Arizona Woman, the Inspired 360 podcast, and more.
Influencer, BookTok, and other social media campaigns will reach book reviewers with large audiences and others likely to review the book.
In-person and virtual events throughout Arizona and elsewhere as opportunities arise. To include Arizona bookstores and the Tucson Book Festival, likely Neiman Marcus, where Lailoma works, and Lutheran Social Services, which sponsored Lailoma and her son's entry into the US.
Print and digital ARCs will be available for sales, marketing, publicity, and endorsement solicitations.
Promotion around timely hooks, including ongoing immigration debates and flashpoints, the 2024 election, the anniversary of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan with Lailoma speaking on why it’s necessary to continue to offer support, fall reading book lists, and more.
Holiday promotions to include Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day (March 8), and World Refugee Day (June 20).
