A memoir of overcoming oppression

Samra was born in 1982 in Pakistan, and grew up in Abu Dhabi.  Now at the age of 17 she is about to marry a man she has met only once, but who has promised her all she dreams of and a new life in Canada.  This is Samra’s memoir which is shocking, emotional and ultimately uplifting.  It is the story of what one woman can achieve when all seems hopeless.

Samra shows us how she, as a very young girl and as a successful student with dreams of studying at a top university abroad, was pushed into agreeing to marriage.  Her hopes, her fears and then the reality.    Living with her in-laws and being pressured (in many different ways) to conform to her culture, while those around her are living very different lives.   How gradually Samra comes to see what is going on in her life, and how she, with immense bravery, changes her future and that of her daughter. 

This is a fascinating, though hard, read, describing family traditions that are so different to the ones I have known.  The Cycle of Abuse is explained, giving an insight into why abused women (and men) so often return to their abusers.  However Samra’s story also shows how, with the help of people who hardly knew her, Samra gained the strength she needed to break away from her old life and move forward into a brighter future. 

As Samra points out in the Epilogue (itself a fascinating read), this is not a story about a particular culture,  it is the story of so many people who are living lives where their self-worth has been taken away, and their lives become one of repression and fear. 

What a strong read.  There is so much to stop and think about/talk about. How would I have reacted at that age? What would I have done in Samra’s position?   How many around me are living similar lives now? What an amazing person Samra is to have moved from this life to being the person she is now (see Google)   Perfect for Book Clubs!     5*s from me!

Set:  Abu Dhabi, Pakistan and Canada

Publisher:  Harper Collins / Penguin Books

Published:  December 2019

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