▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East , ▁where ▁she ▁covered ▁the ▁First ▁Int if ada , ▁the ▁peace ▁process , ▁and ▁the ▁partial ▁Isra eli ▁withdraw al ▁from ▁Leb anon . ▁She ▁spent ▁five ▁years ▁in ▁Moscow , ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times ▁correspond ent ▁and ▁reported ▁for ▁N BC / M ut ual ▁Radio . ▁She ▁wrote ▁about ▁politics ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁average ▁Russian ' s ▁life ▁during ▁the ▁collapse ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union . ▁She ▁reported ▁from ▁Afghan istan ▁in ▁both ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁she ▁tra ve led ▁in ▁Ken ya ▁to ▁research ▁the ▁novel ▁The ▁Cam el ▁Book mobile ▁( 2 0 0 7 ), ▁published ▁by ▁Har per Coll ins . ▁She ▁had ▁previously ▁published ▁the ▁books ▁St air case ▁of ▁a ▁Th ous and ▁Ste ps ▁( 2 0 0 1 ), ▁The ▁Dist ance ▁Between ▁Us ▁( 2 0 0 4 ), ▁ 3 1 ▁H ours ▁( 2 0 0 9 ), ▁and ▁What ▁Ch anges ▁Everything ▁( 2 0 1 3 ). ▁ ▁World ▁liter acy ▁projects ▁She ▁started ▁two ▁world ▁liter acy ▁projects : ▁the ▁Cam el ▁Book ▁Drive ▁ ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁cam el - power ed ▁library ▁in ▁N ortheast ▁Ken ya , ▁begun ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁Afghan ▁Women ' s ▁Writing ▁Project , ▁to ▁fost er ▁the ▁voices ▁of ▁Afghan ▁women , ▁begun ▁in ▁ 2 0 0