The incredible, true story of a breathtaking rescue in the frenzied final hours of the US evacuation of Afghanistan — and how a brave Afghan mother and a compassionate American officer engineered a daring escape.
When the US began its withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the Afghan army instantly collapsed, Homeira Qaderi was marked for death at the hands of the Taliban. A celebrated author, academic, and champion for women’s liberation, Homeira had achieved celebrity in her home country by winning custody of her son in a contentious divorce, a rarity in Afghanistan’s patriarchal society.
Despite her fierce determination to stay in her homeland, it finally became clear to Homeira that escaping was the only way she and her family would survive. However, like so many, she was mired in the chaos that ensued at Kabul Airport, struggling to get on a plane with her eight-year-old son, Siawash, along with her parents and the rest of their family.
Meanwhile, a young US foreign service officer, Sam Aronson, who had volunteered to help rescue the more than 100,000 Americans and their Afghan helpers stranded in Kabul, learned that the CIA had established a secret entrance into Kabul Airport two miles away from the desperate crowds crushing toward the gates. He started bringing families directly through, and on the very last day of the evacuation, Sam was contacted by Homeira’s literary agent, who persuaded him to help Homeira get out.
The story that follows is unbelievable but true. Zuckoff’s firsthand accounts come exclusively and directly from Homeira, Aronson, and Homeira’s literary agent. The Secret Gate is beyond riveting, and will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
‘Mitchell Zuckoff has located a genuinely thrilling tale, told with style, grace, and empathy. The Secret Gate will get your blood pumping.’
Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and On Desperate Ground
‘The Secret Gate allows us to bear witness to the rare alignment of stars required to extract Homeira Qaderi, one of Afghanistan’s boldest women, from a capsized Kabul. Zuckoff’s meticulous recounting provides instructive glimpses into the chaotic end to America’s military engagement as well as the barbed trauma of being uprooted from home.’
Nadia Hashimi, international bestselling author of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell and Sparks Like Stars
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‘No one else but Mitch Zuckoff could pull this diamond of a survivor’s tale from the rough chaos of the evacuation of Afghanistan. A harrowing true story of escape, perseverance, and courage under fire, told with a journalist’s eye and a novelist’s skill.’
Chuck Hogan, New York Times bestselling author of Gangland
‘A women’s rights activist facing death by the Taliban. A young American diplomat plunged into a humanitarian disaster. Their unforgettable — and ultimately, intertwined — stories make The Secret Gate a triumph of narrative nonfiction. Mitchell Zuckoff reveals the chaos of the US departure from Afghanistan with pulse-pounding urgency and heartrending insight.’
Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author (as Karen Abbott) of The Ghosts of Eden Park
‘Reads like a thriller … Zuckoff does a remarkable job not only of describing the chaos and confusion at Kabul airport, but also of framing the fraught choices faced by Afghans and Americans alike. The Secret Gate describes, in compelling detail, the excruciating decisions faced by members of the diplomatic corps and military as they decided who to evacuate and who to leave behind; however, the book doesn’t fall into the trap of allowing the American narrative to subsume the Afghan one. [It] is a fast-paced escape narrative, but it is also a morally complex interrogation of Homeira’s wrenching choice.’
The Washington Post
‘An American diplomat intervenes to help a women’s rights activist and her son flee Kabul before it falls to the Taliban in this taut account from journalist Zuckoff … Drawing on extensive interviews with Aronson and Qaderi, Zuckoff reveals the human side of geopolitics. Readers won’t be able to put this down.’
Publishers Weekly
‘A suspenseful chronicle of a dramatic rescue at the end of America’s evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021 … An uplifting account of genuine heroics in the latest American military debacle.’
Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Fall and Rise: the story of 9/11:
‘With his rigorous research and moral clarity, Mitchell Zuckoff has provided us with an invaluable service. He has deepened our understanding of what happened on 9/11 and recorded the voices of the victims and the survivors. What's more, he has ensured that we never forget.’
David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon
Praise for Fall and Rise: the story of 9/11:
‘The 9/11 book we've been waiting for. A terrific storyteller and gifted researcher, Mitchell Zuckoff has rendered that world-changing day on a scale both intimate and monumental. This is narrative history at its very best.’
Cokie Roberts, New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning journalist
Praise for Fall and Rise: the story of 9/11:
‘Inspiring, depressing, heartbreaking and simply astonishing. ... Zuckoff delivers a master-class in long-form historical journalism.’
The Sydney Morning Herald
Praise for 13 Hours: the inside account of what really happened in Benghazi:
‘A crisply written, gripping narrative of the events of the battle in Benghazi that adds considerable detail to the public record of what happened there … [an] authoritative account.’
The Wall Street Journal
Praise for 13 Hours: the inside account of what really happened in Benghazi:
‘A great number of journalists and government instrumentalities have tilted at Benghazi … All of those efforts look fragmentary when placed side-by-side with 13 Hours.’
The Washington Post
