Samman Akbarzada is an Afghan refugee in her early twenties and the author of two books. Deeply reflecting on her life in war-torn Afghanistan, and her experiences assimilating into the United States, Samman’s writing embodies both darkness and light. Her words capture the suffering, heartbreak, gratitude, and redemption that mark a life lived on the blade of conflict with love and empathy as her constant guiding light.

“When I left Kabul, our land might have been burning, but the sky was blue. And the epiphany struck me that they could not ruin Afghanistan’s sky. When there is a way for the light to come in, there will come a day when the darkness will end—it is inevitable. Here’s to that day.”

—Samman Akbarzada