Last Thousand

Under the protection of foreign forces, a special place has flourished in Afghanistan. The Marefat School is an award-winning institution in the western slums of Kabul, built by one of the country's most vulnerable minorities, the Hazara. Marefat educates both girls and boys; it teaches students to embrace the arts, criticize their leaders, interrogate their religion, and be active citizens in a rapidly changing country. But they are dependent on foreign forces for security. When the United States begins to withdraw from Afghanistan, they are left behind, unprotected.

Acclaimed journalist Jeffrey E. Stern explores the stakes of war through the eyes of those touched by Marefat: the school's daring founder and leader, Aziz Royesh; a mother of five who finds freedom in literacy; a clever mechanic; a self-taught astronomer; the school's security director; and several intrepid students who carry Marefat's mission to the streets.

We see how Marefat has embraced the United States and blossomed under its presence---and how much it stands to lose as that protection disappears.

The Last Thousand tells the story of what we leave behind when our foreign wars end. It shows us up close the promise, as well as the peril, of our military adventures abroad. Stern presents a nuanced and fascinating portrait of the complex history of Afghanistan, its American occupation, and the ways in which once community rallies together in compelling, heartbreaking, and inspiring detail.

Contents

1. Eleven Months Left
2. The First Thousand
3. Twenty- one Years Left
4. The School
5. The Student
6. Four Years Left
7. The Student
8. The American
9. Two Years Left
10. The Mechanic
11. Nine Months Left
12. The Astronomer
13. Eight Months Left
14. The Troublemaker
15. Seven Months Left
16. The Troublemaker
17. Six Months Left
18. The Driver
19. Five Months Left
20. The Student
21. The Mechanic
22. Four Months Left
23. Three Months Left
24. The Student
25. Two Months Left
26. The Driver
27. The Mechanic
28. One Month Left
29. The Storyteller

Epilogue
Author's Note
Acknowledgments