In the Shadow of Mount Qale Bard- by Mallaka Mostafa Soltani In the Shadow of Mount Qale Bard is a profound memoir of life, resistance, and survival written by Mallaka Mostafa Soltani, one of the first Kurdish women to join the Peshmerga forces after the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Through an unflinching and deeply personal narrative, Soltani recounts her life as a daughter, sister, wife, mother, political activist, and armed fighter in one of the most turbulent periods of Kurdish and Iranian history. Spanning childhood, political awakening, armed struggle, imprisonment, exile, and the enduring weight of loss, the book offers an intimate portrait of a woman whose private life was inseparable from collective resistance. Soltani writes from lived experience, bearing witness to state violence, betrayal, solidarity, and the emotional costs of commitment—especially for women whose bodies and lives were constantly policed by both authoritarian power and patriarchal norms. Blending personal memory with historical testimony, In the Shadow of Mount Qale Bard is more than an autobiography. It is a work of historical documentation and feminist remembrance, preserving the voices of Kurdish women who fought, endured, and survived largely outside official narratives. Written with honesty, restraint, and emotional depth, the book stands as a testament to women’s agency, resilience, and the long shadow of resistance that shapes lives long after the battles end.