“America’s longest war” may have ended with last month’s airlift from the Kabul airport, but the Afghanistan experience will likely shape our political landscape for years to come. Too few of us understand the full history of that war and its antecedents, nor the nuances of our involvement. As we welcome thousands of Afghan immigrants to the US, we need to learn more about the land they left behind and the culture and the trauma they bring with them.

Nadia Hashimi is someone who can help shed some light on these issues. Daughter of Afghan immigrants, pediatrician, one-time Congressional candidate in Maryland’s CD6, and now an internationally bestselling author, Hashimi has written six books set in Afghanistan which provide us a window into the history, heritage, and traditions of a nation that has resisted foreign invasion time and time again. Although she was an organizer of Afghan Americans for Biden in the 2020 race, she – like many Americans – questions the way the evacuation was handled. Her most recent historical novel is Sparks Like Stars.

Hashimi is a member of the US Afghan Women's Council, Afghan American Foundation, Montgomery County Commission on Health, and serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations. Learn more at nadiahashimibooks.com.