The Secret Gate

A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice During the Collapse of Afghanistan

By: Mitchell Zuckoff

Narrated by: Sean Pratt

The incredible true story of a breathtaking rescue in the frenzied final hours of the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan—and how a brave Afghan mother and a compassionate American officer engineered a daring escape—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 13 Hours

“Reads like a thriller . . . The Secret Gate is a fast-paced escape narrative, but it is also a morally complex interrogation.”—The Washington Post (Best Books of the Year)

When the U.S. began its withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Afghan Army instantly collapsed, Homeira Qaderi was marked for death at the hands of the Taliban. A celebrated author, academic, and champion for women's liberation, Homeira had achieved celebrity in her home country by winning custody of her son in a contentious divorce, a rarity in Afghanistan's patriarchal society. As evacuation planes departed above, Homeira was caught in the turmoil at the Kabul Airport, trying and failing to secure escape for her and her eight-year-old son, Siawash, along with her parents and the rest of their family.

Meanwhile, a young American diplomat named Sam Aronson was enjoying a brief vacation between assignments when chaos descended upon Afghanistan. Sam immediately volunteered to join the skeleton team of remaining officials at Kabul Airport, frantically racing to help rescue the more than 100,000 stranded Americans and their Afghan helpers. When Sam learned that the CIA had established a secret entrance into the airport two miles away from the desperate crowds crushing toward the gates, he started bringing families directly through, personally rescuing as many as fifty-two people in a single day.

On the last day of the evacuation, Sam was contacted by Homeira's literary agent, who persuaded him to help her escape. He needed to risk his life to get them through the gate in the final hours before it closed forever. He borrowed night-vision goggles and enlisted a Dari-speaking colleague and two heavily armed security contract “shooters.” He contacted Homeira with a burner phone, and they used a flashlight code signal borrowed from boyhood summer camp. For her part, Homeira broke Sam’s rules and withstood his profanities. Together they braved gunfire by Afghan Army soldiers anxious about the restive crowds outside the airport. Ultimately, to enter the airport, Homeira and Siawash would have to leave behind their family and everything they had ever known.

The Secret Gate tells the thrilling, emotional tale of a young man's courage and a mother and son’s skin-of-the-teeth escape from a homeland that is no longer their own.

©2023 Mitchell Zuckoff (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“An unforgettable account of a daring attempt to temper the brutality of war. It’s all here: the impossible moral choices, the desperation and the ingenuity, the courage to step in and help when most needed, the anguish of those who must uproot themselves and take the struggle for freedom to another shore. The Secret Gate is inspiring on every level.” (Robert Kolker, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road)

“Mitchell Zuckoff’s meticulous recounting provides instructive glimpses into the chaotic end to America’s military engagement as well as the barbed trauma of being uprooted from home.” (Nadia Hashimi, internationally bestselling author of The Pearl That Broke Its Shell and Sparks Like Stars)

“This riveting book has ‘major motion picture’ written all over it. A must read!” (Douglas Brinkley, New York Times bestselling author of Silent Spring Revolution and American Moonshot)

compelling

great story and a compelling read. it reads like a fiction, but the fact that it's real is what makes it so amazing.

Must read

The bravery of everyone involved in the tragedy of the entire entire US involvement in Afghanistan

Awesome Story

Great book, enjoyed it all around. Will need to read and listen to Homerias other books.

Fascinating Non/fiction

This book tells us the truth from a very human perspective of the collapse of Afghanistan. An excellent read!

See What I Say

I lie: I gave it 5 stars to get attention, but I really think it is a one star book or less. It is a ture story, but I did not like it. The main story line is about a woman the USA went to great lengths to rescue from Afghanistan, but to me she was a conceited, arrogant, ungrateful wretch who should have been left behind for the Taliban to deal with. Zuckoff is a very good author and I have read all his other books, all of which were very good, but this was a big dissapointment.

Enthralled

Enthralled, I needed to read more of these heroic events. Both the fact that it’s recorded true events and the way it was written, kept my palms sweaty and my heart aching.

Beautiful yet sad

I am glad there are people who will do this kind of work. The abandonment of Afghanistan by the US government is disappointing and horrific but is comforting to know that they are Americans who will do the right thing and work hard to save lives. That makes me proud to be an American. The story is compelling, made all the more so by the fact that it is true.

Vivid

A well told reminder of the consequences of conflict and the limits of our ability to force control over others.

Amazing story

Impressed by author’s ability to share multiple perspectives effectively and emotionally without having to add dramatized scenes, dialogue, or characters. Rarely walk away from a story this action-packed without feeling like narration/timeline was messy, confusing or all over the place, but this was well organized. It is clear that the author cares deeply about conveying these people’s experiences truthfully.

Barely interesting enough to finish

I struggled to finish this book. The time period it covers is interesting and it provides some insight into the final days as the US pulled out of Afghanistan. However, I had a hard time feeling compassion for someone who said so long to get out and who was so quick to place the lives of others in danger through her entitlement and sense that she should get special treatment.