There are some beautiful moments, but there is an awful lot of really harsh reality as experienced by women in Afghanistan that if nothing else will make you grateful for how much more freedom we have in the UK. A few of the stories, though fictional, are based on real-life incidents, and these are the most hard-hitting. Despite their brevity, the stories convey so much - about life, hardship, sacrifice, strength, endurance and triumph. They have poured their creativity spirit forth in this collection of stories and all the authors are to be commended for their wonderful ability to tell their stories through amazing storytelling.

There are visceral scenes and descriptions that are rich in the sights, sounds and smells of the country… the clay walls that emanate a specific feel, and the rich fragrances of cooking and herbs waft off the page.Y, who happens to be a famous news reporter, arrived from work complaining about being stalked by a rocket: “I had just got up off a chair and hadn’t even reached the newsroom door when a rocket landed and its shrapnel hit that same chair. Skausmingos, tragiškos, kai kurios viltingos istorijos apie kasdienį, pagrinde moterų, (ne)(iš)gyvenimą. A place where they are not allowed to express themselves or pursue their dreams and where the other half silences half of the population. Attractively written, beautifully translated and moving short stories offering a glimpse of social life in a still almost feudal country from the perspective of their female authors. The Most Beautiful Lips in the World - Elahe Hosseini – I truly didn’t see the direction this story took.

She has been reporting from Afghanistan since 1988 when she lived in Kabul and has been a frequent visitor ever since.

The tales highlight a daily life that isn't routine, where one doesn't know how one will survive against the natural elements or political elements or military elements or patriarchal elements. Yet they all encompass a central theme of resilience and love, which is more poignant now than ever.

These stories make for deeply sobering reading and depict the options—or the lack of options—available to Afdghani women.My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird gives Afghan women the opportunity to take control of their own narrative and to use their voices to advocate for themselves and their country. I have never come across a local publisher willing to publish a book without asking for money from the author,” she said. The West has a disgusting tendency to use Afghan women as their political pawns; often without letting Afghan women speak for themselves. Eighteen Afghan women’s works written in their native Pashto or Dari language were translated for this deeply impactful anthology.