MASUDA RAHMATI MEMOIR
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS

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Introduction: A look at the Afghanistan of Masuda’s childhood: culture, politics, and general
way of life. This was the 1960s and 70s, when the country was governed as a monarchy and
was open, free, progressive and quite westernized.

Chapter One: Masuda’s childhood in Kabul, birth to age 11, up until just before the Soviet
invasion on Dec. 24, 1979. A poignant picture of a way of life gone forever.

Chapter Two: The Soviet invasion, including a brief history of the relations between
Afghanistan and the major world powers. The impact on Masuda’s family, including the
death of her uncle at the hands of the government for giving medical supplies to the
Mujahadeen . Making the difficult decision to flee from the country. Masuda’s heartbreaking
goodbye to her beloved dog and her grandparents, and not being able to say goodbye to
her best friend, and escaping in the night. The harrowing flight across the desert, and
finally arriving to safety in Pakistan.

Chapter Three: Masuda and her family spend two years in Pakistan as her father attempts
to obtain the necessary papers to allow the family to immigrate to the U.S. Her uncle,
already living in Los Angeles, sponsors their efforts to relocate in America. Though they
find physical safety in Pakistan, Masuda is treated like an unwanted outsider and the local
children would not play with her.

Chapter Four: Arrival in the USA. Masuda is now 13. Speaking no English and knowing only
the traditional culture of Afghanistan, she must deal with major culture shock. The family
lands in the San Fernando Valley, and the teen scene she encounters is something straight
out of “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” She felt torn in two directions: honoring her family
tradition while fitting in with Southern California teen life. Masuda finally comes to a major
life decision for a young teen: she will have to apply herself if she is going to survive.

Chapter Five: Masuda applies herself with every ounce of determination she has. She learns
English by watching television and reading road signs. Watching “Little House on the
Prairie” gives her hope as she identified with Laura Ingalls. The show also helps her learn
English. She discovers that mathematics has no language barrier and starts earning pocket
money as math tutor. Through hard work and discipline, she earns straight A’s and is
chosen for her school’s Leadership Council. She is a part of a select group of students
invited to be in the audience of the 1984 Olympics and a taping of Wheel of Fortune, and is
asked to give a graduation speech. By now, her father has a successful business repairing
and restoring antique Oriental rugs. This phase of her life ends with her father making the
startling announcement that he has accepted an offer to work with a businessman who had

an import business dealing in artifacts from Afghanistan and other countries. The family
will be making another move, this time to Carmel, California.

Chapter Six: Once again, Masuda must adjust to a brand-new school. Carmel High presents
a new set of challenges, given the vast difference between Masuda’s family and the wealth
and social status of many of the students. As she grows older, she must balance the
traditions of her Islamic heritage, where young women do not even touch a non-family
male until their wedding night, and the American high school dating scene. She makes
crucial life decisions to avoid the wild party life she sees all around her, and creates her
own vibe, concentrating on studying and sports and creating her own fashion statements.
She has a secret crush on the captain of the football team.

Chapter Seven: Just weeks before Masuda’s graduation from Carmel High, chaos and
devastation strikes the family. Her parents are getting a divorce and her father is leaving.
Masuda is heartbroken. The only thing that keeps her from hitting rock bottom is her
passion for listening to music, running and photography, especially the beautiful Carmel
sunsets, and her strong belief in God. She prays daily that God will bring her parents back
together.

Chapter Eight: With little in the way of financial resources from the family, Masuda
manages to put herself through Monterey Peninsula College and then UC-Santa Cruz. A trip
to Europe convinces her of the importance of becoming a US citizen, as her Afghani
passport creates suspicion when she leaves the States. Masuda takes the citizenship test
and passes on the first try. She runs into her secret high school crush at Macy’s and the two
exchange phone numbers. September 11, 2001, is especially devastating for Masuda, as she
must deal not only with the heartbreak over the loss of innocent lives and that her adopted
country was attacked, but also with the prejudice she encounters against people from
Afghanistan. She feels misunderstood because she loves, respects and appreciates the
United States. On a happier note, her parents reunite, and her high school crush proposes.
They have a fairytale wedding at Holman Ranch.

Chapter Nine: Masuda struggles to discover what she wants to do as a career. Her life
changes when a local real estate broker mocks Masuda’s interest in becoming an agent,
telling her there’s no way she’d ever pass the test. This could have crushed Masuda’s
enthusiasm for her goal, but instead it sparks a fire of determination. Masuda takes the
required classes, studies like crazy, and passes the test on the first try. She becomes an
agent at several Carmel real estate companies and discovers she loves the business, igniting
her entrepreneurial spirit. Her American dream comes true as she purchases her first
home. Meanwhile, one night she and her husband are watching the Mrs. World pageant on
television, and Masuda notices there is no representative from Afghanistan.

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Chapter Ten: Masuda is devastated as to how women are being treated in Afghanistan and
is determined that Afghanistan will be represented in the next Mrs. World pageant. She
writes to the pageant president, assuming she’ll never hear anything. To her surprise, the
president responds by telling Masuda he would be honored to have her enter the pageant
as Mrs. Afghanistan. She proceeds to do just that, even though many people warn her about
the dangers of putting herself in such a public position on this prestigious international
stage. By now, Masuda has a burning desire to use this platform to call the world’s attention
to the Taliban’s killing of innocent women in Afghanistan for the “crime” of wearing
fashionable clothing and makeup, or for having their own businesses. She was also
motivated by the closing of schools and the denial of educational and career opportunities
for young women. She received numerous death threats and in one very scary moment, a
member of the Taliban shows up at an open house in Carmel. Masuda’s journey to India to
represent Afghanistan in the Mrs. World pageant puts her on an emotional roller-coaster:
from the abject poverty she witnesses on the two-hour drive to the pageant venue, to the
glamour and luxury of the pageant itself, and most of all, the heartbreak of being so close to
Afghanistan and unable to set foot in her home country.

Chapter Eleven: Masuda’s life post-pageant. Her next life goal is to become a mother, but by
now, well into her 30s, she had trouble becoming pregnant. After much heartbreak, it’s a
happy day when Masuda gives birth to a daughter. Determined to continue doing
humanitarian work, she joins the HALO Trust, as she was inspired by the work by Princess
Diana to remove landmines. A high point of her life is being invited to a HALO Trust
reception at the British embassy in Washington, DC, an event featuring Prince Harry, in
honor of his mother. Masuda’s family relocates to San Diego. Sadly, she and her husband
decide to take a break from each other. Life as a single mother is challenging.

Chapter Twelve: Masuda accepts a job with a major corporation, feeling it was the best
choice for her and her daughter. Though it pays the bills, her entrepreneurial spirit finds
corporate culture difficult to navigate, feeling as if she is no longer in charge of her success.
She stays for three years and suffers a heart attack due to inferior higher management.
Masuda’s life reaches a low point when her beloved mother dies. Her situation slowly
changes for the better as she meets a mentor who gives her valuable financial advice. She
and her husband reunite and they move back to Carmel. The withdrawal of U.S. troops from
Afghanistan in August of 2021 and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban create more grief and
stress in Masuda’s life.

Chapter Thirteen: Masuda’s life today. She continues her commitment to humanitarian
work and has adopted as her “beloved brother” a young musician from Afghanistan, Atiq-
jaan. She has dedicated herself to helping Fatima Amiri, the young woman who lost her eye
during a suicide bomb attack in Kabul. Masuda adopts her as a sister. Masuda shares her
thoughts about success, and how she makes it happen. Thanks to the internet, Masuda is

able to connect with her best friend from her childhood in Kabul, and with a cousin now
living in Germany—neither of whom had she seen since escaping from Afghanistan more
than 40 years ago. Masuda returns to her passion for selling real estate as an independent
agent, partnering with an incredible, innovative real estate firm.

Chapter Fourteen: A look at what Masuda’s life might be like today if the family had stayed
in Kabul, how horribly restricted her life would be under the Taliban dictatorship, and even
worse for her daughter. Also, what Masuda misses about Afghanistan: the close family ties,
the reverence shown to elders, the warm and welcoming hospitality. Masuda’s dream to
someday return and open an orphanage. Despite everything that has happened in her life,
she has no regrets. Even though she loves her adopted country, her heart will always be in
Kabul, Afghanistan.

Appendix: Favorite recipes from Afghanistan.