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Samira and Samir
This is a story of love and courage, and of a remarkable woman who finds her own path in life. When the young girl, Samira, is born, her father - a brave commander fighting in the mountainous land of Afghanistan - decides to bring her up as a boy known as Samir. Soon the fact that Samir is really a girl has been forgotten. Samir learns to fight, ride and shoot, and when her father is killed, she becomes head of the family. However, as an adult, Samir's love for the friend of her youth forces her to confess the truth. She wants to live as Bashir's wife but in return she must reveal her female identity and, in so doing, give up her freedom. Samira follows her heart but she hates wearing the veil. Eventually the torment is too great and Samira realises there has to be a third way for her - the way of a self-confident woman who bravely takes charge of her own life/
376 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2003
44 people are currently reading
612 people want to read
About the author
Siba Shakib
15 books45 followersWriter and maker of documentaries and films, Siba Shakib was born in Iran. She grew up in Teheran and recalls learning early in life that ‘girls have lesser value than boys’. She attended a German school in Teheran. where she received lessons in five religions and where she learnt different languages. Her higher education took place mainly in Germany where she completed her studies at the University of Heidelberg. Her work has taken her to many countries, but her attention became more and more concentrated on the war-torn Afghanistan where she worked before and during the command and terror of the Taliban. Several of her documentaries have won awards, including the moving testimonials she has made of the horrors of life in Afghanistan and the plight of Afghan women in particular.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
July 16, 2015
One of the most outlandish stories I’ve ever read. But what’s weird about the story is also what makes it brilliant: the duality of the character.
This beautiful girl (Samira) is brought up as a boy (Samir) in a culture that shames having a daughter as the first child, and worse, the only child.
Consequently, the father raises his Samira as Samir. He teaches her how to fight, ride, Shoot, haunt, etc. She dresses like a boy, talks like boy, walks like a boy. But Samira shows courage, she shows strength, she shows compassion. She becomes her mother's strength, her grandfather’s missing arm. She is never scared, she is never fretful. She lives and acts as men do. As Samir, she teaches others lessons about bravery and confidence.
It’s hard to decide whether Samira is a victor or a victim. But the author does a decent job of giving us a rare glimpse into the oppressive lives of the women in Afghanistan and the damages caused by gender constrained roles in certain Arab-Islamic societies.
One thing I didn't like about this book is the open ending - it didn’t do it for me. I was waiting for something to happen, but at the end of it all no one really knows what happened to Samira.
This beautiful girl (Samira) is brought up as a boy (Samir) in a culture that shames having a daughter as the first child, and worse, the only child.
Consequently, the father raises his Samira as Samir. He teaches her how to fight, ride, Shoot, haunt, etc. She dresses like a boy, talks like boy, walks like a boy. But Samira shows courage, she shows strength, she shows compassion. She becomes her mother's strength, her grandfather’s missing arm. She is never scared, she is never fretful. She lives and acts as men do. As Samir, she teaches others lessons about bravery and confidence.
It’s hard to decide whether Samira is a victor or a victim. But the author does a decent job of giving us a rare glimpse into the oppressive lives of the women in Afghanistan and the damages caused by gender constrained roles in certain Arab-Islamic societies.
One thing I didn't like about this book is the open ending - it didn’t do it for me. I was waiting for something to happen, but at the end of it all no one really knows what happened to Samira.
July 10, 2008
One of the best books I've ever read! The story is HARD TO BELIEVE, but the writing style is awesome.
May 31, 2015
A deeply emotional story with very well portrayed, vivid characters, that provides an insight to Afghan culture and the suffering of women.
April 23, 2013
An outstanding story about a girl who was brought up as a boy in Afghanistan. It's very uniquely written and there is no sugar coating anywhere in the story, rather completely realistic. It visualizes the trauma faced by the girl and the difficult decisions she has to undertake in her life as a boy-girl. There is this tension going on between the boy and girl in her head, and she is confused about how to move on with her life. At a very young age, she witnesses all sorts of cruelties in the adult's world, but little she understand who 'she' or 'he' is, because of the way she was raised. It's a tedious journey to find her real self and future that is portrayed in the story.
October 28, 2009
Difficult to star rate this book as I really want to give it a 3.5*, not quite a 4*
This novel is an extraordinary true story of a young Afghan girl, who is brought up as a boy by her parents. Her father is devastated that his wife has not brought forth a boy child as his first born. There are a few parts in the telling that I found a bit confusing. For example; father needed a son as his first born, to succeed him as commander of their nomadic tribe. Not sure whether Afghan culture demanded the death of the first born girl or not - the writing is a bit sketchy around this part.
The style of Siba Shakib is very unusual; Daria finds her child. Come, she says. No punctuation. At times it made me wonder if the narrator was actually talking or dreaming. Indeed half of the whole book was told as if in a tortuous dream.
Back to the story; Samira (the girl) becomes Samir (the boy). She has absolute male freedom,despite feeling increasingly uneasy as she grows older. She becomes the provider and protector for herself and mother, and now real difficulties arise when she begins to mix with boys in their early teens and older men.
Not wanting to spoil the story for anyone I won't divulge the story further, except to say that as she approaches adulthood she falls passionately in love, and she in turn is loved by both a male and female. Decision time - does she reveal her identity and give up her freedom - or remain a 'male' in a man's world where women are at most simply chattels and a vessel for their men's seed.
One paragraph near the end of the book summed it all up for me...Samira says, mother, we live in a country where even the men are not free. Were they free, they would not need to take women's freedom away. One who is free needs not to deny anyone else their freedom.
Thought provoking, extremely sad at times, a tale of remarkable courage and love. Well worth a read for the content and different literary style.
This novel is an extraordinary true story of a young Afghan girl, who is brought up as a boy by her parents. Her father is devastated that his wife has not brought forth a boy child as his first born. There are a few parts in the telling that I found a bit confusing. For example; father needed a son as his first born, to succeed him as commander of their nomadic tribe. Not sure whether Afghan culture demanded the death of the first born girl or not - the writing is a bit sketchy around this part.
The style of Siba Shakib is very unusual; Daria finds her child. Come, she says. No punctuation. At times it made me wonder if the narrator was actually talking or dreaming. Indeed half of the whole book was told as if in a tortuous dream.
Back to the story; Samira (the girl) becomes Samir (the boy). She has absolute male freedom,despite feeling increasingly uneasy as she grows older. She becomes the provider and protector for herself and mother, and now real difficulties arise when she begins to mix with boys in their early teens and older men.
Not wanting to spoil the story for anyone I won't divulge the story further, except to say that as she approaches adulthood she falls passionately in love, and she in turn is loved by both a male and female. Decision time - does she reveal her identity and give up her freedom - or remain a 'male' in a man's world where women are at most simply chattels and a vessel for their men's seed.
One paragraph near the end of the book summed it all up for me...Samira says, mother, we live in a country where even the men are not free. Were they free, they would not need to take women's freedom away. One who is free needs not to deny anyone else their freedom.
Thought provoking, extremely sad at times, a tale of remarkable courage and love. Well worth a read for the content and different literary style.
June 13, 2016
This might be not the most exciting read but it offers a lot. It offers a peek into Afghan people's (mostly Hazara people from Hindukush) lives, an interesting comment on gender and sexuality in general, not necessarily restricted to Afghan/muslim way of thinking. The language might be problematic and not for everyone - it's so simple it can be irritating but in this simplicity the author finds poetry that really appeals to me (from what I noticed it's very common for the writers from this region - as opposed to Arabic fiction for instance, where everything is so rich and flowery, often too much so for me). It leaves you with questions broader than the culture the book describes (e.g. social roles based on gender, but not only) - and I guess this can be enough of a recommendation.
January 21, 2015
A sad yet amazing and also true story of a brave Woman in Afghanistan. Another story that gives you the courage to be who you want to be. A girl's struggles trying to know herself, her goals, and fulfill her parents and her society's wishes. The story shows you that nothing is impossible, and YOU are in charge of your life, no matter what. As it says in the book:
"Be afraid of only one thing. Of not living your life"
"As long as we live we have the strength to make whatever we want from our life."
"Be afraid of only one thing. Of not living your life"
"As long as we live we have the strength to make whatever we want from our life."
June 2, 2015
موضوع و محتوا تکراری بود،دختری که نباید دختر باشد.باید مرد بشود ،عاشق مردی می شود و با او می گریزد،اما انتهای داستان که متفاوت با داستان های معمول است و او می رود حتی بعد از این که مدتی زن بودن را امتحان می کند.نکته ی بسیار مهم و قابل توجه نثرترجمه است که اصالت زبان و لهجه ی افغانی نویسنده را به بهترین نحو حفظ کرده است.مسلما ماجراهای زنان و رنج آن ها در جوامع عقب مانده پایانی ندارد.
August 25, 2017
Personalmente la ritengo "la Lady Oscar mediorientale".
Padre non soddisfatto dalla nascita di una femmina, decide di crescerla come un maschio e fare di lei un guerriero.
Comunque è un bel libro, molto intenso.
Padre non soddisfatto dalla nascita di una femmina, decide di crescerla come un maschio e fare di lei un guerriero.
Comunque è un bel libro, molto intenso.
August 23, 2017
One of my favorite books/novels ever if not the only one, I always recommend this book as my number one book 👍🏿
May 18, 2025
Reading around the world: Afghanistan 🇦🇫
Il libro narra la storia di Samira/Samir. Nata donna, ma allevata e cresciuta come uomo per sopperire ad una mancanza percepita dalla famiglia. La storia è appassionante e la narrazione, che è molto scorrevole, ci trasporta nelle montagne dell’Hindu Kush con un retrogusto amaro per quella bambina e per tutte le storie simili alla sua, nei paesi dove nascere femmina è una disgrazia e nascere maschio invece un privilegio.
Il libro narra la storia di Samira/Samir. Nata donna, ma allevata e cresciuta come uomo per sopperire ad una mancanza percepita dalla famiglia. La storia è appassionante e la narrazione, che è molto scorrevole, ci trasporta nelle montagne dell’Hindu Kush con un retrogusto amaro per quella bambina e per tutte le storie simili alla sua, nei paesi dove nascere femmina è una disgrazia e nascere maschio invece un privilegio.
September 14, 2023
Interessante Geschichte aber zu sehr in die Länge gezogen, Aufbau von Sätzen und Aussagen waren oft unklar auch Ort und Zeit wurden deswegen unklar. Leider nur 2,5 Sterne
June 22, 2023
Consiglio di leggerlo è un bel libro
September 20, 2015
This is an interesting story of a girl called Samira, who is brought up as a boy called Samir by her parents in Afghanistan.
Since the first child of the Commander needs to be a son- else the Commander is expected to marry twice, Samira is raised as a son. She is taught horse riding, a game called "buzkashi", hunting among the mountains and many "manly" stuffs by her father- the Commander. While the girl enjoys her childhood with her beloved father, her mother Daria is grief-stricken with the guilt of doing injustice to her daughter. As Samira grows up, she discovers- she is not a "real" man and faces many challenges in her life.
I particularly liked the easy language (a rather too simple btw) of the book, the characters, the plot and the story line itself. Shakib has proved that one need have a vast lexicon to describe the array of feelings the characters feel. I also liked the mixed emotions of Samira who knows she is a woman but acts like a man. It was interesting to see her develop romantic feelings which would eventually make her more confused. Whom is she supposed to like, men or women?
This book has also portrayed the grim reality of situation of women in Afghanistan, which resembles closely to that of rural Nepal. I liked the part where Samira arranges for women to be educated. The ending is beautiful- the fact that she chooses her dream over her love made me feel good.
Since the first child of the Commander needs to be a son- else the Commander is expected to marry twice, Samira is raised as a son. She is taught horse riding, a game called "buzkashi", hunting among the mountains and many "manly" stuffs by her father- the Commander. While the girl enjoys her childhood with her beloved father, her mother Daria is grief-stricken with the guilt of doing injustice to her daughter. As Samira grows up, she discovers- she is not a "real" man and faces many challenges in her life.
I particularly liked the easy language (a rather too simple btw) of the book, the characters, the plot and the story line itself. Shakib has proved that one need have a vast lexicon to describe the array of feelings the characters feel. I also liked the mixed emotions of Samira who knows she is a woman but acts like a man. It was interesting to see her develop romantic feelings which would eventually make her more confused. Whom is she supposed to like, men or women?
This book has also portrayed the grim reality of situation of women in Afghanistan, which resembles closely to that of rural Nepal. I liked the part where Samira arranges for women to be educated. The ending is beautiful- the fact that she chooses her dream over her love made me feel good.
April 7, 2008
This book pretty much gave us the picture about how patriarchy culture have developed even in a very small community n' very personally...
Love the personal struggle n' decision that Samira trough. Also love about revealing her gender and her identity crisis...
...Samir (Samira), yang kelahirannya tidak diharapkan karena berkelamin perempuan, dipaksa, dididik dan tumbuh menjadi seorang pria oleh ayahnya yang seorang pimpinan pasukan perang di sebuah desa di kaki gunung. Ibunya hidup dalam depresi berat selama tahunan, dan akhirnya meninggal dalam kesedihannya sendiri.
Meski tidak pernah mengalami siksaan fisik dan psikis dari ayah dan lingkungannya, namun akhirnya Samir(Samira) menyadari ada yang salah dengan dirinya, tubuhnya berbeda dengan kawan2 sepermainannya (yang semuanya adalah pria), ia mengalami 'gender shock' ketika menyadari bahwa sesungguhnya dirinya adalah perempuan. Melalui pertentangan2 batin yang berkecamuk dan permasalahan2 kultural serta agama, akhirnya Samira memutuskan untuk membebaskan dirinya, mengambil keputusan untuk meninggalkan semua yang menekannya dan menjadi perempuan yang merdeka...
Love the personal struggle n' decision that Samira trough. Also love about revealing her gender and her identity crisis...
...Samir (Samira), yang kelahirannya tidak diharapkan karena berkelamin perempuan, dipaksa, dididik dan tumbuh menjadi seorang pria oleh ayahnya yang seorang pimpinan pasukan perang di sebuah desa di kaki gunung. Ibunya hidup dalam depresi berat selama tahunan, dan akhirnya meninggal dalam kesedihannya sendiri.
Meski tidak pernah mengalami siksaan fisik dan psikis dari ayah dan lingkungannya, namun akhirnya Samir(Samira) menyadari ada yang salah dengan dirinya, tubuhnya berbeda dengan kawan2 sepermainannya (yang semuanya adalah pria), ia mengalami 'gender shock' ketika menyadari bahwa sesungguhnya dirinya adalah perempuan. Melalui pertentangan2 batin yang berkecamuk dan permasalahan2 kultural serta agama, akhirnya Samira memutuskan untuk membebaskan dirinya, mengambil keputusan untuk meninggalkan semua yang menekannya dan menjadi perempuan yang merdeka...
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May 7, 2008Great Novel!!! Great Story!!
seorang anak Manusia yang dilahirkan ke dunia sebagai seorang wanita, tetapi sang ayah mengubahnya menjadi seorang laki-laki sejati,.. Samira dan Samir,.. satu pribadi yang sungguh sangat menarik!!!
kita sebagai manusia dapat menjadi apa saja sesuai dengan keinginan kita hanya dengan membiasakan diri kita untuk berusaha dan bersungguh-sungguh dalam menggapai apa yang kita inginkan!!
Samira dan Samir memberikan wacana sendiri tentang kehidupan rakyat Afganistan,..
akhir cerita jadilah anak manusia ini menjadi seorang Samira,. sang wanita sejati,...
seorang anak Manusia yang dilahirkan ke dunia sebagai seorang wanita, tetapi sang ayah mengubahnya menjadi seorang laki-laki sejati,.. Samira dan Samir,.. satu pribadi yang sungguh sangat menarik!!!
kita sebagai manusia dapat menjadi apa saja sesuai dengan keinginan kita hanya dengan membiasakan diri kita untuk berusaha dan bersungguh-sungguh dalam menggapai apa yang kita inginkan!!
Samira dan Samir memberikan wacana sendiri tentang kehidupan rakyat Afganistan,..
akhir cerita jadilah anak manusia ini menjadi seorang Samira,. sang wanita sejati,...
May 24, 2008
a struggle about a girl who turns into a boy and then she has to make a choice to live like a man in her country afghanistan where men are always dominating to protect her family and herself and to be able to do things that she loves to do like hunting, etc.
go read it.. it's really an interesting and nice book to read.
go read it.. it's really an interesting and nice book to read.
January 30, 2013
It was quite boring at the starting as anyone can be predict what is going to happen next. However, at the end i found my eyes filled with tears. The way the story is different from normally what we read, which may be disturbing at the being but while going through the pages you can feel the flow. Well written book and inspirational esp for women.
March 16, 2013
One of the books that left me gasping. The story and characters are charming and seamless. I read this more than 7 years back and it's still lingering inside my mind. A desperate attempt to read this book again.
January 7, 2008
One message I like from the story, it seems that it says, "you go girl! Reach your dream! Sometimes we hardly understand man... And when people found you are different, they also become person we can't recognize. But woman has a strength more than a great physic can do, like man's" nice book!
March 10, 2008
This is awesome book that describes about afghanistans people suffering...society, psicologhy...and more. I like this book because it gave us new mindset about suffering. Samira is the one who tells us carying...
December 6, 2008
Learned many things from this historical book. First, I thought buying this book will cure my personal hurt, but this book gave such a scretch in my mind thinking especially about Afghan women.I think Siba Shakib dedicated this book for every Afghanistan women specially.
April 6, 2010
A book that provides excellent insight into the brutality that surrounds women's lives in Afghanistan, and their incredible strength to endure. It also illustrates the beauty of the county and culture. Having lived in Afghanistan for six months, I found the book particularly fascinating.
May 30, 2007
amazing story about a woman realizing she is man and woman in her society
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July 10, 2007good book for all people...this book want to say.. what..who..when..why..where..and how about gender...sex...war..love..culture..God..and choice...
March 5, 2008
Entah knapa selalu tertarik dengan kisah perempuan-perempuan afghanistan and this one is a nice book...
October 13, 2007
Still...women are nothing on the otherside of world.
April 13, 2008
i like this novel so much
i really enjoy to read it
i really enjoy to read it
June 2, 2009
a very good book , one of the greatest books , I've ever read . can't believe its soooo nice!
July 16, 2009
I enjoyed it. It shows you how fortunate Western Women are.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews