Freedom Fighter: My War Against ISIS on the Frontlines of Syria

A Kurdish woman's gripping account of fighting ISIS on the frontlines of Syria.

Inspired by the Arab Spring, Joanna Palani left her student life in Copenhagen to join the YPJ―the all-female brigade of the Kurdish militia in Syria. After military training as a saboteur and sniper, Joanna served as a YPJ fighter and took part in the brutal siege of Kobani.

In this raw memoir, Joanna provides an eye-witness account of the devastating war and reveals the personal cost of the battles she has fought on and off the frontlines. For readers of military history, women's studies, and those seeking a personal story of courage and resilience.

Joanna Palani played a variety of roles for the YPJ—the female battalion of the Syrian Kurdish group YPG, the Peshmerga, and as part of coalition forces, including the SDF, supported by US and UK special forces. Her last position in the YPJ was in a sniper unit.