Overview

“Abdul Atah's service and sacrifice for America makes a moving and meaningful story. His dedication to our nation-its ideals of freedom and justice-should reaffirm our own.” - United States Senator Richard Blumenthal Wounded twice in service to America, Afghan combat interpreter Abdul Atah Wahedi is one of America's unknown heroes, but to the Taliban, he is considered the “Voice of the Infidel.” As America began to exit Afghanistan, Abdul, hunted by the Taliban, must flee with his wife and family, but his escape is blunted by the closure of the American Embassy in Kabul during COVID. With less than a handful of days before his Special Immigration Visa (SIV) and the visas of his family are about to expire, the mother of Abdul's former commanding officer intervenes. Working with an American senator and an American SIV coordinator from Keeping Our Promise, she orchestrates Abdul's harrowing escape to America with his wife and children, getting them out with only hours to spare. The story begins in the 400-year-old village of Mata in the Panjshir Valley, and chronicles Abdul's life from his earliest memories, including the drowning death of his older brother in the Panjshir River, the ten-year Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and his father's escape to the caves of the Hindu Kush mountains, to Abdul's life on the battlefield, his marriage, the births of his children, and finally his escape to America. AUTHOR: Ron Farina is the author of At the Altar of the Past, Out of the Shadows: Voices of American Women Soldiers, Who Will Have My Back, and Sacrifice, The Final Chapter. In 2021, Ron was awarded the AWP Intro Award for fiction and the American Society of Professional Journalists, Connecticut Chapter first-place award for general column magazine feature, for the essay “War Torn.” In January 2025, cited for using his passion for writing to advocate for and bring attention to the needs of veterans and their families, Ron was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame and selected as an INDIE Publisher's 2025 book award finalist for military nonfiction, for the book Sacrifice, the Final Chapter. 29 images

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9781636246475

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Reviews

""Abdul Atah's service and sacrifice for America makes a moving and meaningful story. His dedication to our nation--its ideals of freedom and justice--should reaffirm our own.""--United States Senator Richard Blumenthal

""It is heartwarming to know that Abdul received a Quilt of Valor, an honor normally reserved for American Military men and women.""--Nancy Burns, group leader, Old Saybrook Piecemakers, Quilts of Valor Foundation ""Read this story and open your hearts; humankind was born to love.""--Helen Keiser-Pedersen, past president of Connecticut Gold Star Mothers, co-founder of APK Charities, in memory of Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel (KIA March 11, 2013) ""Ron Farina, an award-winning novelist and short story writer, has brought all his narrative skills to bear in this remarkable nonfiction portrait of one Afghan man, Abdul, from a remote village in Afghanistan, a translator for a decade for U.S. troops. In a time when so many Americans stereotype immigrants, Farina zooms in to show us the humanity of this one resilient individual who served with bravery and distinction. The reader watches Abdul grow from a boy to a man, from an Afghan to an Afghan-American, each step a harrowing challenge that he meets every time. By focusing on his individual story, Farina shows us Abdul's personhood and asks us to see him for what he is--a man who served, not who we imagine he might be.""--Mary Collins, award-winning nonfiction author and the executive editor for the Vietnam Gold Star Families: ""I Never Thought He Wasn't Coming Home"" project ""The joy of this book is that it is written with such warmth and detail that you feel less like a distant observer and more like a guest in Abdul's home. Centering on the humanity of Abdul and his family, Farina brings a desperately needed perspective of an Afghan man who put his life on the line for the safety and security of our troops.""--Sharon L. Young, professor and veteran studies researcher on veteran issues ""Abdul Atah's service and sacrifice for America makes a moving and meaningful story. His dedication to our nation--its ideals of freedom and justice--should reaffirm our own.""--United States Senator Richard Blumenthal ""In Sha Allah follows Abdul Atah from the early days of his life as a boy in a remote Afghan mountain village to a new life in America. His path is shaped by faith, family, and unwavering loyalty. When he leaves the village as a young man and becomes a combat interpreter for the United States military, he walks a dangerous line--one that demands courage and sacrifice at every turn. Guided by award-winning author Ron Farina, this powerful narrative invites you into a world where trust is fragile, freedom is never guaranteed, and one man's journey becomes a testament to resilience. Through moments of danger, heartbreak, and unexpected hope, readers walk beside Abdul, seeing what he sees, smelling the air of each village, feeling the weight of every sacrifice. It is a story that reveals the complexity of family ties, the cost of standing by one's beliefs, and the quiet heroism woven into everyday survival.""--Jeff DeWitt, USAF veteran and author of the book series Connecticut Military Heroes ""In Sha Allah is the fascinating and gripping story of Abdul Atah, an Afghan interpreter who served and fought side by side with American military units throughout Afghanistan for more than ten years. Abdul's story is one of courage, loyalty, heartbreak, and triumph. This book gives the reader a rare insight into life in Afghanistan under Russian, Taliban, and the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan rule. Those who come across this book will be granted a window into a life well lived and come away with a better understanding of the sacrifices of thousands of Afghans who did so much to advance the cause of freedom in their own country alongside American Forces. We all owe a debt of gratitude to men and women like Abdul, and it is wonderful to know that he and his family have resettled in the United States.""--Lieutenant Colonel Christopher T. Day, Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran, West Point Class of 2006, and classmate of Captain Andrew Pedersen-Keel ""In Sha Allah, If God Wills It,"" tells the story of Abdul Atah, an Afghan combat interpreter, hunted by the Taliban and forced to flee his homeland. Abdul's situation, a case assigned to me in the summer of 2020, was like dozens of cases I worked on before and after 2020. Abdul had to leave Afghanistan, but time was running out. On the pages of this book, you'll learn of the unthinkable situation that surrounded his escape. In Sha Allah takes readers deep into Abdul's experience, allowing us to know the man behind the case number--his childhood in Afghanistan, his service alongside U.S. Special Forces and SEALs, and the immense heart that defines him. He is a man who cares deeply, learns eagerly, and loves without reservation. He embodies why the Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program was created. It is America's opportunity to honor courage, loyalty, sacrifice, and the hope for a better life. Abdul earned his place in America, and it has been a privilege to be a part of the journey that brought him here.""--Kim Staffieri, executive director, Association of Wartime Allies ""In a world where we are bombarded with soundbites and seconds-long video clips disguised as entertainment and news, Ron Farina delivers a true gem of a story with the power to change how we think about people, cultures, places, and institutions. No angle--just experience. Truth. Life is complicated. Ron doesn't simplify it; he dives in deep so the reader can understand how circumstances and decisions guided--and impacted--Abdul Atah's life. From before his birth to the present day, this is not simply the story of an Afghan interpreter; it is a story of the Afghan people, a story of the U.S. military, of brotherhood and family, and of friendship and empathy from people halfway around the globe. Once again, Ron Farina opens our eyes to a world unfamiliar to most. If we are open to listening--to learning from the stories Ron chooses to tell, like In sha Allah--we are better for it. Ron's telling of Abdul's story is not sensational; it is remarkable.""--Bob Vitale, president, Sticks for Soldiers ""Ron Farina's In sha Allah first invites you to the remote village of Mata in the Hindu Kush Mountains, where the story of Abdul Atah begins. Ron deftly guides the reader through Abdul's transformation from humble villager to combat interpreter embedded with U.S. Special Forces and Navy SEALs fighting the Taliban. If you've ever thanked a member of the U.S. Armed Forces for their service, Ron Farina's In Sha Allah will have you extend that same gratitude to the combat interpreters who bravely serve alongside them. By the end of this book, there shouldn't be a doubt that our promises to our Afghan allies must be kept.""--Robert Kugler, Staff Sergeant USMC and author of ""A Dog Named Beautiful"" ""Some stories demand to be told--not because they are convenient, but because they are true. I lost my son, Andrew Patrick Ross, in November 2018. Drew fought alongside many great Americans and loyal Afghans alike. This story helped me to better understand all that he faced. In Sha Allah, If God Wills It is Ron Farina's powerful telling of Abdul's life, a young Afghan who risked everything to stand beside American Special Forces as an interpreter during the war in Afghanistan. Through Farina's careful, compassionate lens, Abdul emerges not only as a wartime ally, but as a man of profound faith, loyalty, and family devotion--qualities forged under unimaginable pressure. For many Americans, the sacrifices of Afghan interpreters remain abstract. This book makes them deeply personal. Abdul's story reveals the daily dangers faced by those who chose to help U.S. forces, the moral courage it took to do so, and the devastating consequences that followed when Afghanistan fell, and allies were forced to flee for their lives."" --Stephan Ross, Gold Star Father, vice president of the Drew Ross Memorial Foundation ""With In Sha Allah, Ron Farina delivers another searing portrait of the courage and heroism of the warfighters that we too often take for granted--this time, Afghan interpreters. It has become easy to tar all outsiders with the same brush but In Sha Allah reminds us that we Americans owe debts of honor to those who stood beside us, and often fell beside us, in our wars. It is a book that stays with you.""--Dr. Oren Litwin, publisher, Lagrange Books

Author Information

Ron Farina is the author of At the Altar of the Past, Out of the Shadows: Voices of American Women Soldiers, Who Will Have My Back, and Sacrifice, The Final Chapter. In 2021, Ron was awarded the AWP Intro Award for fiction and the American Society of Professional Journalists, Connecticut Chapter first-place award for general column magazine feature, for the essay “War Torn.” In January 2025, cited for using his passion for writing to advocate for and bring attention to the needs of veterans and their families, Ron was inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame and selected as an INDIE Publisher’s 2025 book award finalist for military nonfiction, for the book Sacrifice, the Final Chapter. He lives in Connecticut with his wife.

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