Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. The American pull out of Afghanistan

and the type of power the Taliban wielded after, there are these two big stories that don't take

up much oxygen in the daily news cycle these days. You know, they get trotted out every time

someone wants to score a political point, but

at least I haven't seen much reporting about the people affected by the pullout. But we've got

two books for you today that zoom in on certain aspects and give you a greater understanding of

what exactly went down and where things are right now. In a bit, we'll hear from a woman who grew up

under Taliban rule.

But first, here and now Scott Tong spoke with journalist and author Mitchell Zuckoff about his book,

The Secret Gate, which focuses on these two people, an Afghan mother and a young diplomat,

and details how their lives intersected in really spectacular ways on the day of the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, sources and methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,

helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

When Afghanistan fell to the Taliban in the summer of 2021, it happened quickly.

So American troops and officials scrambled to evacuate more than 100,000 people, U.S. citizens, allies, persons threatened by the

Taliban. You might recall seeing TV footage of Kabul Airport, tens of thousands of mostly

Afghans desperately trying to squeeze through the gates to fly out.

Well, there's a new book out, centering on an Afghan mother, a woman's rights activist,

and a young American diplomat in Kabul.

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