The Alterations Lady

A heart-tugging true story of identity, friendship, and perseverance from a survivor of the war in Afghanistan and an American who is forever changed by what she hears. 

When Cindy Miller met Lailoma Shahwali, who was altering her daughter’s wedding dress, she expected their interactions would be brief. But in Lailoma she found not just a seamstress, but a survivor who opened up about her remarkable experience enduring Afghan war crimes, her husband’s brutal murder in front of Lailoma and her young son, and her escape to the US and journey to a new life and the American dream. 

A breathtaking account of triumph in the face of all odds, The Alterations Lady documents Lailoma’s courageous pursuit of education as an Afghan girl, what she endured when extremists took over her beloved country and she was stripped of her rights, her relentless determination to protect her child, and much more. It is also an evocative reminder of the life-changing importance of remaining attuned to the continued struggles in Afghanistan today, and of how those in our day-to-day can inspire us to be better, fuller, and more empathetic humans if we simply take the time to listen.