In this landmark collection, 18 Afghan women tell their stories of family, war, friendship, and gender identity through the lenses of various characters that span decades. While the quality & length of each story vary quite a bit, I find PEN an essential read that reflects the precarious situations of Afghan women and their resilience.

Through a mother who hopes to give birth to a son, three young women & their deviant boss, a young man who secretly wears his sister's clothes, a school teacher accused of a violent crime, an immigrant who visits his hometown and loses sleep, and a matriarch and village women facing impending floods, PEN is a powerful collection that celebrates the bravery of writers who face unprecedented hostilities toward their creativity, womanhood, and freedom.