The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice

The extraordinary story of the women who took on the Islamic State and won"One of America's premier storytellers has risked her life to research perhaps the most important subject of our times: the empowerment of women and the establishment of a truly egalitarian society. Documenting the extraordinary struggles of a small group of women battling ISIS, Lemmon has shown us unequivocally what female leadership can do for a society. It is breathtaking to behold." --Sebastian Junger, author of Tribe and WarIn 2014, northeastern Syria might have been the last place you would expect to find a revolution centered on women's rights. But that year, an all-female militia faced off against ISIS in a little town few had ever heard of: Kobani. By then, the Islamic State had swept across vast swaths of the country, taking town after town and spreading terror as the civil war burned all around it. From that unlikely showdown in Kobani emerged a fighting force that would wage war against ISIS across northern Syria alongside the United States. In the process, these women would spread their own political vision, determined to make women's equality a reality by fighting--house by house, street by street, city by city--the men who bought and sold women. Based on years of on-the-ground reporting, The Daughters of Kobani is the unforgettable story of the women of the Kurdish militia that improbably became part of the world's best hope for stopping ISIS in Syria. Drawing from hundreds of hours of interviews, bestselling author Gayle Tzemach Lemmon introduces us to the women fighting on the front lines, determined to not only extinguish the terror of ISIS but also prove that women could lead in war and must enjoy equal rights come the peace. In helping to cement the territorial defeat of ISIS, whose savagery toward women astounded the world, these women played a central role in neutralizing the threat the group posed worldwide. In the process they earned the respect--and significant military support--of U.S. Special Operations Forces.Rigorously reported and powerfully told, The Daughters of Kobani shines a light on a group of women intent on not only defeating the Islamic State on the battlefield but also changing women's lives in their corner of the Middle East and beyond.

BESTSELLING AUTHOR: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon's first two books were both New York Times bestsellers. Both of those books-as well as much of her work in print and broadcast journalism-center on women seizing the opportunities that the upheaval of war presents them. This book is right in her wheelhouse.NARRATIVE OF FEMALE EMPOWERMENT: The characters at the heart of this book are young women who are not only taking a stand against ISIS, but also fighting for gender equality in their communities. It's a hugely inspiring story of women taking their lives into their own hands.CONNECTED MEDIA POWERHOUSE: Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is hugely connected at the highest levels of both media and government and counts people like Hillary Clinton, Reese Witherspoon (who optioned her second book for film), and Sheryl Sandberg among her admirers. She regularly appears on a variety of news programs. We can expect major publicity for this book.TENSE, ONGOING STORYLINE: The fate of the Syrian Kurds is far from certain, and Gayle has become a leading voice that producers and readers alike consistently seek out for insight on this story.