The Escape from Kabul
WINNER OF THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2026
A gripping story of rescue, survival and female solidarity.
In the twenty years since 2001, Afghan women obtained legal degrees, became judges and set out to transform their country – tackling corruption, and reducing horrifying levels of violence against women and children. These educated and powerful women led the mission to build a modern democracy. However, when Western forces withdrew in August 2021, the women judges of Afghanistan and their families faced mortal danger.
The Escape from Kabul is the never-before-told story of the escape of nearly 200 women and their families, thanks to a network of professional friends, female judges and lawyers from around the world, who refused to abandon them to the Taliban.
A searing insight into the challenges of safely building a new life overseas and also the captive fate of women in Afghanistan.
‘Anyone concerned about the fragility of rights or the isolation of those living under repression should read this book’ Martha Minow, author of When Should Law Forgive?
Book details
- Format
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9781914613937
- Published
- 28 August 2025
- Pages
- 272
- Duration
- Dimensions
- 129 x 198 mm
- Genre
- Memoir and Biography
- Imprint
- Duckworth
Reviews
'It’s taut and crisp, and shines a light on a story that deserves attention. The plight of Afghanistan’s immensely brave female judges in the face of Islamic fundamentalism is a gripping tale - and Karen Bartlett tells it with deep reserves of empathy and compassion. The book is truly Orwellian in the most positive sense, and a richly merited winner'
'That these women went through so much to achieve what they did makes it all the more terrible the way they were betrayed by the people they saw as allies… In the end, it was the humanity of fellow female judges who saved them, where governments failed'
'This book tells, in detail, the remarkable story of one of many groups of Afghans who were left behind... One of the greatest strengths of Bartlett’s book is in telling the stories of generations of Afghan women who fought to play a role in their country’s justice system – no matter who ruled Afghanistan'
'A story about the experience of trying to get out of Afghanistan in those horrible days in 2021, the airport chaos in which people spent days with no food or water, standing in sewage, being subjected to artillery fire – this would have been powerful enough, and is indeed covered compellingly. But the book also has context and history. These women are not faceless refugees. Bartlett carefully builds pictures of their lives to convey just what you lose, even when you have gained safety.'
'A cautionary tale of the toll that displacement and denial continue to take on progress in countries like Afghanistan'
'Anyone concerned about the fragility of rights or the isolation of those living under repression should read this book'
'A remarkable book. In it, Karen Bartlett masterfully depicts the Afghan women judges who faced challenges Western judges could only imagine, culminating in their perilous flight from Afghanistan. Brave, bold, and touching, this is an extraordinary story everyone should read'
'Karen Bartlett’s reportage of the escape of Afghan women judges and their families in the chaotic final days before the resurgence of Taliban domination is harrowing. The heroic assistance of women judges from the United States, Europe and the UK that made those escapes possible reveals the unwavering support of women judges from around the world… a story not to be missed'
