What people are saying.
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“Niloofar Rahmani’s story would be remarkable anywhere. But set as it is in Afghanistan, it soars beyond. Not only was her epic struggle to prove her worth as a fighter pilot compounded by intense threats from the Taliban, but she found little support from the men who should have been her brothers in arms. Her story of perseverance and triumph will be an inspiration not only for women but for anyone striving to achieve a difficult goal in the face of opposition.”
— Jim DeFelice, coauthor of American Sniper, Code Name: Johnny Walker, and Every Man a Hero Chicago Review Press
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"As a young Afghan woman who dreamed of becoming an Air Force pilot, Niloofar Rahmani confronted far more than technical challenges; she faced the opprobrium of an entire society."
— Pamela Constable, author of Playing with Fire and former Kabul and Islamabad bureau chief for the Washington Post Amazon
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"In this exhilarating debut, Rahmani tells the inspiring story of how she became the Afghan Air Force’s first-ever female pilot. Born in 1991 in Kabul, under the Taliban regime, she spent her childhood in Pakistan as a refugee and returned to her homeland with her family in 1999. Up until then, Rahmani’s dream of becoming a pilot “was a mere fantasy,” but after U.S. troops arrived in Afghanistan, and with the help of an advisor from the U.S. Air Force, she began flight training in 2010 and advanced up the ranks in Afghanistan’s air force, even traveling to the U.S. to receive the International Women of Courage Award, meet then First Lady Michelle Obama, and fly with the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels. But her path to success wasn’t without turbulence, and she unsparingly reveals the violence women in her country were subjected to—her mother was once whipped for showing her ankles in public—and the two assassination attempts against her brother because of her military service. In 2016, she sought political asylum in the U.S., where she remains today. Delivered with compassion and courage, Rahmani’s heart-racing account will leave readers gripping their seats. This is a vital work of the highest order."