“In Afghanistan, you have to fear for the future of an educated child.” This line from Sola Mahfouz’ memoir, Defiant Dreams, captures the core struggle of the true life story that a girl from Kandahar, Afghanistan, endures as she courageously and defiantly pursues her dream of education and learning. Sola, along with her friend and co-author Malaina Kapoor, invites readers into Sola’s journey of learning the traditional ways of culture and womanhood in an Afghan family system alongside her burning desire to learn, grow, and widen her literal view from behind the traditional burqa that women from Kandahar are required to wear. 

Sola Mahfouz was born in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 1996, the year the Taliban took over her country for the first time. They banned television and photographs, presided over brutal public executions, and turned the clock backward on women’s rights, practically imprisoning women within their own homes and forcing them to wear all-concealing burqas. At age eleven, Sola was forced to stop attending school after a group of men threatened to throw acid in her face if she continued. After that she was confined to her home, required to cook and clean and prepare for an arranged marriage. She saw the outside world only a handful of times each year.

The unfolding of Sola’s story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. The courage and grit that she embodies as she faces literal “gunfire, bombings, and detonations” in her pursuit of education and learning is on display throughout this book. Sola is honest in telling her story. Readers will see, hear, and feel the fear, struggle, frustration, sadness, and despair alongside the excitement, hope, and joy that Sola experienced in her young life. Sola’s story, and the joys and sorrows it holds, is skillfully captured on every page of this book. 

Defiant Dreams is a deeply moving memoir of Sola’s journey into education and higher learning, and it is a book rich with the historical and cultural context of the people and politics of Afghanistan. The Middle East’s sights, smells, sounds, and colors are on full display in this book. It is truly a window into a culture and tradition that is so unlike the Western and North American experience that dominates our newsfeeds, book lists, and daily lives.

People of all ages, genders, life stages, and backgrounds will benefit from reading Defiant Dreams. Sola’s story and the way she invites us into her journey is a gift that offers beauty and hope in the midst of devastation and struggle. As a mom of three young adults, this book reminded me that the resilience, persistence, and creativity of our youngest generations are the hope for a brighter and more just world one day. Sola’s story must be told and shared with our children, teenagers, and young adults. I would encourage teachers, pastors, ministry leaders, parents, and grandparents to read this book, share it, and discuss it with their friends, family, and peers. Our world needs more of the dreams and determination of people like Sola!