The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice
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- Author：Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
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Summary
The extraordinary story of the women who took on the Islamic State and won
The Daughters of Kobani is an unforgettable and nearly mythic tale of women's power and courage。 The young women profiled in this book fought a fearsome war against brutal men in impossible circumstances--and proved in the process what girls and women can accomplish when given the chance to lead。 Brilliantly researched and respectfully reported， this book is a lesson in heroism， sacrifice， and the real meaning of sisterhood。 I am so grateful that this story has been told。--Elizabeth Gilbert， author of Big Magic and Eat， Pray， Love
Absolutely fascinating and brilliantly written， The Daughters of Kobani is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand both the nobility and the brutality of war。 This is one of the most compelling stories in modern warfare。--Admiral William H。 McRaven， author of Make Your Bed
In 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。
The Daughters of Kobani is an unforgettable and nearly mythic tale of women's power and courage。 The young women profiled in this book fought a fearsome war against brutal men in impossible circumstances--and proved in the process what girls and women can accomplish when given the chance to lead。 Brilliantly researched and respectfully reported， this book is a lesson in heroism， sacrifice， and the real meaning of sisterhood。 I am so grateful that this story has been told。--Elizabeth Gilbert， author of Big Magic and Eat， Pray， Love
Absolutely fascinating and brilliantly written， The Daughters of Kobani is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand both the nobility and the brutality of war。 This is one of the most compelling stories in modern warfare。--Admiral William H。 McRaven， author of Make Your Bed
In 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。
Reviews
Nova
，
An interesting overview of what happened in Syria。 A story of true grit and sheroism。 Well researched and written with passion。
Michael Hutchison
，
I have been following the activities of the Kurds for many years。 I support their efforts for self determination and a homeland of their own。 I found the rise of the YPJ in Northern Syria an inspirational event。 The story of women， young women， taking up arms to defend themselves， their people， culture， and territory， while insisting on equality for women。 These women lived and died in battle。 They are battlefield tested and also proved themselves in administering villages and towns throughout t I have been following the activities of the Kurds for many years。 I support their efforts for self determination and a homeland of their own。 I found the rise of the YPJ in Northern Syria an inspirational event。 The story of women， young women， taking up arms to defend themselves， their people， culture， and territory， while insisting on equality for women。 These women lived and died in battle。 They are battlefield tested and also proved themselves in administering villages and towns throughout the region in a very democratic manner。 Doing all this in a culture and area that have traditionally kept women corralled tightly and severely restricted with little decision power or choices。 This is a story of women who fought a group of radical terrorists， （Isis） that shocked the world with their brutality and savagery。 Women soldiers that knew what waited for them if they were captured and would chose to blow themselves up instead。 Azeema， Rojda， Nowruzm characters in the book。 Fighters， soldiers， leaders， in the YPJ， personalizes the experience for the readers。 These YPJ fighters earning the respect of the YPG and American Special Forces， advanced into battle， with their counterparts， against the savage enemy that we all remember seeing on TV and won the battle。 。。。more
Ginger Stephens
，
I was very excited when I finally received my copy of this book in February 2021。 I pre-ordered it in October 2020 from Amazon， so that should tell you how much I looked forward to reading it。 I heard a lot of good things about the book before I actually found time to start it。 But， once I started reading， it definitely lived up to its expectations。 I will admit that the Autonomous Area of North and East Syria （AANES） is very close to my heart。 I have become very familiar with the situation in t I was very excited when I finally received my copy of this book in February 2021。 I pre-ordered it in October 2020 from Amazon， so that should tell you how much I looked forward to reading it。 I heard a lot of good things about the book before I actually found time to start it。 But， once I started reading， it definitely lived up to its expectations。 I will admit that the Autonomous Area of North and East Syria （AANES） is very close to my heart。 I have become very familiar with the situation in that area since I found out that they took the children that Yezidi women were forced to give up when they were released by ISIS。 The Yezidi community does not accept these children because their fathers were ISIS fighters， and a person must have two Yezidi parents to be considered a Yezidi。 The government in AANES cares for those little ones and I believe that they receive better care that children in IDP camps。With all of that said， I enjoyed The Daughters of Kobani immensely。 It was easy to read。 I found it interesting that the women in the YPJ joined for one very simple reason: they wanted to control their own future。 Most of them were disappointed by the restrictions that they families forced on them which denied them education and the type of life that they wanted， simply because they are girls。 Their bravery in the fight against ISIS （Daesh） is a testimony to what determined women can do。 I am glad that the story of how AANES included women's equality as one of their three main objectives was included。 The difficulty of that in a patriarchal community should not be underestimated and it gives me hope that things can improve in that area， with enough support。I will acknowledge that the United States abandonment of the SDC has been an embarrassing page in U。S。 diplomacy for me as an American citizen。 The Turkish militias that have occupied AANES are little better than ISIS。 They have committed atrocities against the civilian population and it appears that they treat Kurdish women like ISIS treated the Yazidi women。 The book does not discuss the difficulty of rebuilding AANES because they are still part of Syria and the Caesar sanctions prevent a lot of international aid from reaching SDC-controlled areas。 The Turkish occupation affects humanitarian aid for that area。 To put it in perspective， non-profit groups that work in the IDP camps in Syria and Iraq consider AANES too dangerous to even attempt assistance。 After reading The Daughters of Kobani， I think AANES deserves to be recognized as an official government so they can separate themselves from the Assad regime and start a program to build a better future for their people。 It will take careful policy negotiations and a brave step on the part of the United States。 I hope for the women who shared their stories in The Daughters of Kobani， and all the brave SDF members who fought for freedom from ISIS， that the U。S。 will do this。 They deserve nothing less。 。。。more
Ellen
，
Fabulous book。 The author explains the complicated political landscape in a clear understandable manner。 The women se portrays are outstanding soldiers。 I highly recommend this book
Judy Evenson
，
Syria has been a land of conflict forever it seems。 This is a well researched telling of a snapshot in time when a group of Kurdish women form an all women militia and take on ISIS。 Their success is hard earned and well deserved。 This is an extremely complicated story of politics and economics etc。 it’s a country that remains in conflict today。 The role of women In Syria however， appears to have been changed forever。
Emma
，
As someone who admittedly knows very little about Syria， this book was eye opening。 I finally began to understand the context of the Syrian Civil War and appreciated the different view points。 Learning about the YPJ and their battle for their community and women’s rights in Syria was powerful。
Gerry
，
Lemmon spent years interviewing and reporting on this incredible group of women who led the Syrian Kurds' battle against ISIS， inspired by their determination to eliminate this group that denigrated and brutalized women。 These women battled house by house and street by street to liberate the town of Kobani （the site of their first victory and ISIS' first defeat in Syria） and other towns and later， with limited American support and in an alliance with other Syrian Democratic Forces， extended thei Lemmon spent years interviewing and reporting on this incredible group of women who led the Syrian Kurds' battle against ISIS， inspired by their determination to eliminate this group that denigrated and brutalized women。 These women battled house by house and street by street to liberate the town of Kobani （the site of their first victory and ISIS' first defeat in Syria） and other towns and later， with limited American support and in an alliance with other Syrian Democratic Forces， extended their territorial hold and destroyed the geographical embodiment of the Islamic Caliphate in Raqqa。 Equally important to these woman as destroying ISIS was their goal of autonomy and full equality for women， a goal that has yet to be fully achieved， but one toward which their modeling of female leadership and accomplishments has made both more viable and more appealing to the larger female population of Syria。 。。。more
Madelyn
，
Total page turner。 I loved learning about this different culture and these incredible women who have accomplished so much。 Fascinating to learn more in depth about the war that my country has been involved in but I am embarrassingly ignorant of。 I wish she expanded more on the losses of the war and some more of the Syrian individuals。
Book
，
Listen to the full review at: https://bookclubbed。buzzsprout。com/Gayle Lemmon details the efforts of the YPG--comprised of Kurdish women shirking their traditional roles and picking up guns to blast away some ISIS asshats—to secure some strip of land they can live peacefully on， fighting off waves of ISIS that no one else bothered resisting。 This is the closest we can get to a “good vs evil” story in modern times， which we love as an audience。 The trope can be simple and inspiring。 We can’t have Listen to the full review at: https://bookclubbed。buzzsprout。com/Gayle Lemmon details the efforts of the YPG--comprised of Kurdish women shirking their traditional roles and picking up guns to blast away some ISIS asshats—to secure some strip of land they can live peacefully on， fighting off waves of ISIS that no one else bothered resisting。 This is the closest we can get to a “good vs evil” story in modern times， which we love as an audience。 The trope can be simple and inspiring。 We can’t have good vs。 evil with American soldiers anymore because we all know what they have been complicit in， so it’s refreshing to have moral clarity still exists somewhere in the world。Unfortunately， we try to cover too much in 212 pages， including: the history of the Kurdish party， the many enemies they have， how they established themselves as a progressive group， the rise of ISIS， the backgrounds of these particular women， what inspired them， scattered battle scenes， and the negotiations and collaboration with the waffling US government。 In short， a history book， when we are supposed to be reading creative nonfiction。 Honestly， I just want to hear the stories of the female soldiers。 Let them speak， Gayle。 The author is clearly a journalist， not a writer。 The prose is competent， but it doesn’t have the textured details， the little unimpeachable moments and scenes that transport us there。 It’s a travelogue during a war。Really， they should have skipped the book release and made it straight into a movie， as that is undoubtedly what they are aiming for anyways。 。。。more
Courtney Gonsky
，
Do you want to educate yourself on the Syrian war？ This book is a good place to start。 It expanded on the basic facts that I already knew， with a narrative that focuses on the fighters of the Women's Protection Units （YPJ）。 Maybe someday， when the conflict is over， one of the war heroines will write a memoir that accurately represents the Kurdish peoples of the time。 Until then， I believe this Iraqi-American author has done her research regarding timelines， visits to Syria， interviews， and other Do you want to educate yourself on the Syrian war？ This book is a good place to start。 It expanded on the basic facts that I already knew， with a narrative that focuses on the fighters of the Women's Protection Units （YPJ）。 Maybe someday， when the conflict is over， one of the war heroines will write a memoir that accurately represents the Kurdish peoples of the time。 Until then， I believe this Iraqi-American author has done her research regarding timelines， visits to Syria， interviews， and other facts， as well as portraying the bravery of the YPJ fighters。 At the very least， this is an educational read focusing on a very real conflict that is still going on today。 。。。more
Virginia
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Kurdish Women forces -- inspiring of their leadership
Anitha Lane
，
ExcellentWhat she said about American politics is the same as i heard on the news。 I highly recommend the book！
R。B。Tomlinson
，
A testament of courageThis is a story that all Americans should hear。 Most Americans are woefully ignorant about other countries and the world outside the U。S。 We need to understand what is happening beyond our shores， and we need to understand how this impacts us。
Lee Woodruff
，
Syria is one of the least likely places to find a revolution centered on women’s rights。 Journalist and author， Lemmon， spent hundreds of hours reporting on the incredible group of all-female militia who took on ISIS armed with AK-47’s on the frontlines alongside the US。 In the telling， the courage， grit and dreams of these women come to life in an intricate and heart-warming story of a band of sisters who were told they couldn’t go to school， play soccer or marry whom they wanted。 In response， Syria is one of the least likely places to find a revolution centered on women’s rights。 Journalist and author， Lemmon， spent hundreds of hours reporting on the incredible group of all-female militia who took on ISIS armed with AK-47’s on the frontlines alongside the US。 In the telling， the courage， grit and dreams of these women come to life in an intricate and heart-warming story of a band of sisters who were told they couldn’t go to school， play soccer or marry whom they wanted。 In response， they became an elite fighting squad， battling （and winning） against the forces of evil in their region who were blocking their rights and trafficking in women and girls。 No surprise， as in her previous book “Ashley’s War，” the movie rights for this story have already been snapped up。 。。。more
Andrea Stoeckel
，
“The best revenge is not to be like your enemy。” Marcus Aurelius， Meditations"Syria's civil War started with a small student protest in 2011。 By the time Gayle Tzemach Lemmon starts writing in 2017， women， ignored by ISIS， had begun an active fight for social and political change。 Women would not be lead by men but would lead then， and that's this story's foundations。 First person interviews， stories and pictures prove that premise。 The question remains if that change is permanent。Lemmon's sex a “The best revenge is not to be like your enemy。” Marcus Aurelius， Meditations"Syria's civil War started with a small student protest in 2011。 By the time Gayle Tzemach Lemmon starts writing in 2017， women， ignored by ISIS， had begun an active fight for social and political change。 Women would not be lead by men but would lead then， and that's this story's foundations。 First person interviews， stories and pictures prove that premise。 The question remains if that change is permanent。Lemmon's sex allows her access others could not have。 It took time for her to build trust and she never takes advantage of it。 It's a really good book。 Recommended 4/5 。。。more
Riaz Ujjan
，
Excellent book by Gayle， telling tale of Kurd women fighters who faced brutal opponent in shape of ISIS in Syria & drove it out in 5 years。 Who lost hundreds of their fighter in the campaign。 Also shares other events unfolding。 A must read book
christopher J。 Lopko
，
A TRUE Work of RealityTo All the More Than Brave WOMAN who fought， I salute you， and wish you a long life。 As well as the Proud Author， which you are。
Bob
，
Compelling and powerful。 This story is amazing， and the reporting/journalism done to uncover the details behind this incredible group of women is truly remarkable。 I rarely say this， but I had a hard time putting this book down， it was so interesting and engaging that I kept wanting more。 I highly recommend this book。
Betty
，
I loved Lemmon’s book “The Dressmaker of Khair Khana” so was really looking forward to reading her newest book。 Unfortunately， it was not what I expected。 I was expecting much more about the women themselves and their interaction， both in battle and privately。 Instead， the book is mostly about the history of the Kurdish people and their determination to keep ISIS from taking over portions of Syria。 The portions that did address the all-female militia （the YPJ） that defended Kobani were interesti I loved Lemmon’s book “The Dressmaker of Khair Khana” so was really looking forward to reading her newest book。 Unfortunately， it was not what I expected。 I was expecting much more about the women themselves and their interaction， both in battle and privately。 Instead， the book is mostly about the history of the Kurdish people and their determination to keep ISIS from taking over portions of Syria。 The portions that did address the all-female militia （the YPJ） that defended Kobani were interesting and portrayed these brave women nobly。 Azeema， Rojda， Znarin， Nowruz， and Miriam are representative of all the women fighting not only to stop ISIS but also to prove that women could lead in war。 They fought alongside their male counterparts （YPG）， often directing and leading the attacks， and won the respect of the US Special Forces by fearlessly fighting against the men who bought and sold women。 Their goal， beyond the defeat of ISIS， was to build a democratic and egalitarian society and to defend women from around the region wherever they faced discrimination or persecution， not just in Kurdish areas。A couple of favorite quotes: Miriam comments on ISIL - “Now they can talk to each other about getting killed by women instead of just beheading and enslaving them。” Nowruz says “One day we will be finished with this war。 And then people will know that women showed their power on the front lines。”If you know nothing of the history of the Kurds， this is a good synopsis and would be worth reading just for that。 Lemmon did an extensive amount of research and interviews for this book。I was provided an advance copy of the book by the publisher。 The opinions expressed here are my own。 。。。more
عمران ابن مصر
，
"الشجاعه قدر، ومن قُدِّرت عليه الشجاعه حمل بين ضلوعه جمرة لا يطفئها إلا الموت"。الابطال الخالدون لاينسلون الا نساء حرائر ليست اتراح انها عوده ابو صلاح بنات جدهم صلاح الدين تحيه الي النساء بالطبيعه الربانيه الرجال الافاضل الشجعان بمنطق الواقع والتضحيات بنات الاكراد في عين العرب كوباني عين العرب كوباني عندما تقاتل النساء في اروع ملحمه نسائيه في التاريخ الحديث بنات كوباني هي القصة التي لا تُنسى لنساء القوات الكردية اللواتي أصبحن على الأرجح جزءًا من أفضل أمل في العالم لوقف تنظيم داعش في سوريا "الشجاعه قدر، ومن قُدِّرت عليه الشجاعه حمل بين ضلوعه جمرة لا يطفئها إلا الموت"。الابطال الخالدون لاينسلون الا نساء حرائر ليست اتراح انها عوده ابو صلاح بنات جدهم صلاح الدين تحيه الي النساء بالطبيعه الربانيه الرجال الافاضل الشجعان بمنطق الواقع والتضحيات بنات الاكراد في عين العرب كوباني عين العرب كوباني عندما تقاتل النساء في اروع ملحمه نسائيه في التاريخ الحديث بنات كوباني هي القصة التي لا تُنسى لنساء القوات الكردية اللواتي أصبحن على الأرجح جزءًا من أفضل أمل في العالم لوقف تنظيم داعش في سوريا。 فمن خلال المساعدة في ترسيخ الهزيمة الإقليمية لداعش، الذي صدمت وحشيته تجاه النساء، العالم، لعبت تلك النساء دوراً رئيساً في تحييد التهديد الذي يمثله التنظيم في جميع أنحاء العالم"。 وأضافت أنه "في هذه العملية، حصلت تلك النساء على احترام العالم اجمع "。 "من منزل إلى منزل وشارع إلى شارع ومدينة تلو الأخرى، أصرّت تلك النساء على جعل مساواة المرأة حقيقة واقعة بقتال الرجال الذين اشتروا وباعوا النساء。 وبالاعتماد على مئات الساعات من المقابلات، تقدّم الكاتبة النساء اللواتي يقاتلن في الخطوط الأمامية، مصممات ليس فقط على إخماد إرهاب داعش ولكن أيضاً على إثبات أن المرأة يمكن أن تخوض الحرب ويجب أن تتمتع بحقوق متساوية عند السلام"。 。。。more
Brooke
，
I became familiar with the YPJ （the women's unit of the Kurdish People's Protection Units） a few years ago and was fascinated by the news reports and documentaries about these women fighting for their homeland and， by extent， the Kurdish culture which has so often been oppressed by majority governments。 This book gives a good overview of the conflict in Syria， the various opponents， and the intervention （or lack thereof） by foreign powers。 I was expecting to hear a bit from the YPJ women themsel I became familiar with the YPJ （the women's unit of the Kurdish People's Protection Units） a few years ago and was fascinated by the news reports and documentaries about these women fighting for their homeland and， by extent， the Kurdish culture which has so often been oppressed by majority governments。 This book gives a good overview of the conflict in Syria， the various opponents， and the intervention （or lack thereof） by foreign powers。 I was expecting to hear a bit from the YPJ women themselves， but the author focuses on four characters and the chapters detailing their backgrounds and actions during the war take on a third-person narrative style。 There are also extensive passages about American agents liaising with Kurdish forces that -- while part of the overall story about fighting ISIS -- were not as interesting to me as the sections about the YPJ fighters。 Overall I found this book good but I was hoping for more about the lives， thoughts， and dreams of the YPJ women and material that delved deeper than the mythical Amazon mantle their stories are so often shrouded in。 。。。more
Zara
，
US KURDS SAY NO。 A white woman making a book about us and then allowing the Clintons to make a show about it？！ Profiting off the Kurdish struggle when they wouldn’t know the first thing about it！ When THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION SOLD WEAPONS TO TURKEY TO KILL KURDS AND NOW THEY WANT TO MAKE A SHOW ABOUT OUR FIGHTERS！ NO， WHAT A SICK JOKE。 At least allow Kurds to tell their own stories， not some white woman！
Rev
，
Excellent recommended
Qale
，
They are the greatest fighters against ISIS and Turkish backed militias
Mainlinebooker
，
Take one war。 Combine with women's oppression。 Mix with inestimable courage and bravery。 The final product。。。the daughters of Kobani， Syria。 Four major female characters are highlighted to illuminate the tenacity and heroism of the Kurdish women who became an all female militia and helped direct men in battle to take back their land against ISIS and other geopolitical forces。 In a world where women are expected to be more docile， these rising warriors sacrificed much in the inhumanity of war。 T Take one war。 Combine with women's oppression。 Mix with inestimable courage and bravery。 The final product。。。the daughters of Kobani， Syria。 Four major female characters are highlighted to illuminate the tenacity and heroism of the Kurdish women who became an all female militia and helped direct men in battle to take back their land against ISIS and other geopolitical forces。 In a world where women are expected to be more docile， these rising warriors sacrificed much in the inhumanity of war。 The author， a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations， spent several years researching and traveling to Syria to explore the history of the war and to observe this group of dedicated women fighting not only for their land and tribe but also for women's rights and long term political and social change。 Kobani is pressed right up against the Turkish border along with nearby Iraq ，and the people experienced minimal rights within their own country being essentially stateless， with Arab families living on the land owned by the Kurds。 The author， with painfully exhaustive research becomes a guide to the history of the war while giving tribute to the women。 This non fiction piece is a testimony to accomplishing a goal with grit and boldness。 Hillary Clinton thought so。 Along with Chelsea， they are adapting this book as a TV series。 May we all be so lucky to view both。 。。。more
Steven R。 Netter
，