Guest House for Young Widows

Meer over het boek

An intimate, deeply reported account explores the shocking decision of women who left their comfortable lives to join the Islamic State. In early 2014, as ISIS solidified its grip on Raqqa, its leader called for Muslims worldwide to join the caliphate. Witnessing the brutal oppression of the Assad regime, thousands answered his call, including a group of unforgettable young women. Emma from Germany, Sharmeena from Bethnal Green, and Nour from Tunis were among those who came from urban families, some still in high school, others with university degrees and dreams of adventure. Instead of finding justice and piety, they became trapped in a brutal terrorist regime marked by chaos and violence. The narrative raises critical questions about the line between victim and collaborator, the judgment of these women who both suffered and inflicted pain, and the role of Muslim women in the West. Through vivid storytelling, the author takes readers into diverse settings—from school hallways in London to coffee shops in Tunis and the caliphate's 'Guest House for Young Widows'—revealing that terrorism is a complex, political issue that demands deeper understanding than commonly acknowledged.