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Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl
A passionate musician growing up in the war-torn streets of Kabul takes her forbidden talents abroad in this triumphant memoir from debut author Zarifa Adiba. As an Afghan girl, Zarifa Adiba has big, unfathomable dreams. Her family is poor, her country mired in conflict. Walking to school in Kabul, Zarifa has to navigate suicide bombers. But Zarifa perseveres, nurturing her passion for music despite its “sinful” nature in Afghan culture. At sixteen, she gains admission to the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and at eighteen she becomes the lead violist, conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world. Despite Zarifa’s accomplishments―which include a stunning performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland―her future in music demands a reckoning with her life back home. Many of the girls in Zohra are forced to marry, but Zarifa yearns to study, travel, and explore her independence. Her so-called bad girl identity puts her at odds with her culture and her family. Playing for Freedom is the deeply compelling story of a woman who dares to compose a masterpiece even with all odds stacked against her.
205 pages, Paperback
First published November 10, 2021
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765 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
April 30, 2024
As a young music student, Adiba's concern was not how to find time to practice or whether she could afford a better instrument—both owning her own instrument and practicing at home were unthinkable. This was Afghanistan, after all, and music was at best distrusted. People who played music were distrusted. Girls who played music were distrusted. Adiba held fast to her dreams of playing viola for Afghanistan and for the world, but every day was a challenge.
In those days, writes Adiba, I had so little money that I couldn't even afford the ten afghanis (less than four American cents) it took to take the bus to music school. Instead, I walked for two hours every morning, from home to the ANIM, pacing along the damaged sidewalks of Kabul and crisscrossing the dusty city where high concrete walls had gradually sprung up in response to various threats, and to protect against explosions. (loc. 104*)
Adiba's story takes place before the Taliban took power in Kabul. She discusses this takeover at the beginning and end of the book, but for most of the book she is in an Afghanistan with some bare bones of possibility. Make no mistake: she had just about nothing easy. Start with being a girl in Afghanistan and add in poverty, and living with relatives who didn't want her family there, and a mother pushed to the breaking point by her own hard life—and then multiply that by, say, the pressure to get married to a man, any man, and turn away from any kind of freedom in exchange for a constrained and compliant life.
Everyone around me seemed genuinely hopeful that I would go with him, settle in his village, and stay locked in his house, having children and doing chores for the rest of my life. The worst part was my mother seemed delighted at the prospect, which only reinforced my despair and sense of abandonment. (loc. 1262)
It's a journey full of impossible choices. I wouldn't have minded a more chronological structure—it's largely chronological, but with frequent zigzags—or more about Adiba's daily life in Afghanistan: what home looked like, what a school day looked like, how it felt to leave the viola at school at the end of each day and pick it up again in the morning. Most of what I've read about Afghanistan is from the perspective of outsiders, and I'd have loved to see it better through Adiba's eyes. Her experience was unusual, too, in that although her family was poor she managed some travel, in and outside of the Middle East, while still quite young; among other things, she lived at various times in Pakistan, and I'd love to know more about how she experienced the differences of living there.
In many ways what interests me most is the way Adiba talks about her mother's life—with frustration, sometimes, and with hurt, because her mother was not always able to offer the kinds of emotional support that Adiba needed. But their stories are illustrative of two different ways in which women in oppressive societies struggle—Adiba, young and fighting to be allowed to follow her dreams; her mother, long since having lost sight of her own dreams and also unable to trust in her daughter's. It's a complicated story, and I'm glad it's been translated for an English-speaking audience.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
In those days, writes Adiba, I had so little money that I couldn't even afford the ten afghanis (less than four American cents) it took to take the bus to music school. Instead, I walked for two hours every morning, from home to the ANIM, pacing along the damaged sidewalks of Kabul and crisscrossing the dusty city where high concrete walls had gradually sprung up in response to various threats, and to protect against explosions. (loc. 104*)
Adiba's story takes place before the Taliban took power in Kabul. She discusses this takeover at the beginning and end of the book, but for most of the book she is in an Afghanistan with some bare bones of possibility. Make no mistake: she had just about nothing easy. Start with being a girl in Afghanistan and add in poverty, and living with relatives who didn't want her family there, and a mother pushed to the breaking point by her own hard life—and then multiply that by, say, the pressure to get married to a man, any man, and turn away from any kind of freedom in exchange for a constrained and compliant life.
Everyone around me seemed genuinely hopeful that I would go with him, settle in his village, and stay locked in his house, having children and doing chores for the rest of my life. The worst part was my mother seemed delighted at the prospect, which only reinforced my despair and sense of abandonment. (loc. 1262)
It's a journey full of impossible choices. I wouldn't have minded a more chronological structure—it's largely chronological, but with frequent zigzags—or more about Adiba's daily life in Afghanistan: what home looked like, what a school day looked like, how it felt to leave the viola at school at the end of each day and pick it up again in the morning. Most of what I've read about Afghanistan is from the perspective of outsiders, and I'd have loved to see it better through Adiba's eyes. Her experience was unusual, too, in that although her family was poor she managed some travel, in and outside of the Middle East, while still quite young; among other things, she lived at various times in Pakistan, and I'd love to know more about how she experienced the differences of living there.
In many ways what interests me most is the way Adiba talks about her mother's life—with frustration, sometimes, and with hurt, because her mother was not always able to offer the kinds of emotional support that Adiba needed. But their stories are illustrative of two different ways in which women in oppressive societies struggle—Adiba, young and fighting to be allowed to follow her dreams; her mother, long since having lost sight of her own dreams and also unable to trust in her daughter's. It's a complicated story, and I'm glad it's been translated for an English-speaking audience.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
July 24, 2024
Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl
is Zarifa Adiba's story of the experiences she went through as a young girl growing to her teens in war-torn Afghanistan. Music saw her through all her challenges - singing, listening, teaching herself with every shred of music that came her way. By means surprising and unexpected she would find ways to learn the next new bit, and as they do, miracles beget miracles and Zarifa found herself in possession of a viola. From there came the quest to become more than just a player - she wanted to conduct and soar with her music. That is a challenge in any life - but in Afghanistan where all power is jealously held by a small minority who have no qualms about wiping out those who insist on some independence being a girl, a growing woman, wanting education, wanting a voice. . .Zarifa was pushed back at every turn.
As I read I found myself tensely perched on the edges of chairs, beds, at tables with fists clenched as I listened. Zarifa was unsupported at home - mostly - and barely supported in the community, often attacked, left standing abandoned at times amidst predatory people, my heart ached for her. In a way, though, it was a comfort having the book, as the book itself - her story on its own testified of her success and personal victories. But as she claimed that win, I heard the worries and concerns that underscored all her words: what about the rest of the girls in that land? Women are more than breeding stock, which seems to be the limited role they've been allowed. Seriously - "allowed." (!) Zarifa fights back, and continues to, but has to do it from afar. I share her hope for Afghanistan to regain its former balance, peace and the security for every member of its land, to regain a measure of freedom for all. If a girl or boy wants to play a viola, or a piano, or drum. . .to read a book, write a book. . .to have a child or not have a child. . .to be a national leader or a school teacher. . .they should have that opportunity without facing abuse and persecution.
Zarifa Adiba is a hero! Her story is inspiring and her willing, soaring heart and dedication is a blessing to all the women of the world, those living now and those who will follow in the future. All the stars for Zarifa, for Zohra and the musicians who make the songs fly!
*A sincere thank you to Zarifa Adiba, Anne Chaon, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 52:50
As I read I found myself tensely perched on the edges of chairs, beds, at tables with fists clenched as I listened. Zarifa was unsupported at home - mostly - and barely supported in the community, often attacked, left standing abandoned at times amidst predatory people, my heart ached for her. In a way, though, it was a comfort having the book, as the book itself - her story on its own testified of her success and personal victories. But as she claimed that win, I heard the worries and concerns that underscored all her words: what about the rest of the girls in that land? Women are more than breeding stock, which seems to be the limited role they've been allowed. Seriously - "allowed." (!) Zarifa fights back, and continues to, but has to do it from afar. I share her hope for Afghanistan to regain its former balance, peace and the security for every member of its land, to regain a measure of freedom for all. If a girl or boy wants to play a viola, or a piano, or drum. . .to read a book, write a book. . .to have a child or not have a child. . .to be a national leader or a school teacher. . .they should have that opportunity without facing abuse and persecution.
Zarifa Adiba is a hero! Her story is inspiring and her willing, soaring heart and dedication is a blessing to all the women of the world, those living now and those who will follow in the future. All the stars for Zarifa, for Zohra and the musicians who make the songs fly!
*A sincere thank you to Zarifa Adiba, Anne Chaon, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* 52:50
dnfed
May 17, 2024Soft DNF at 20%, can't deal with the repetition at the moment.
March 29, 2024
Zarifa is a girl how as born in Afghanistan and has so many things stacked against her - like many Afghan Women. She joins a music school and learns the viola. That school and music unlock many opportunities for her future, despite her family/men/society not approving. She made so many choices to overcome the things stacked against her. She’s an inspiration to women everywhere and especially to women who live in Afghanistan and have the same kind of daily struggles.
Zarifa, if you read this, thank you for sharing your story.
#PlayingforFreedom #NetGalley
Zarifa, if you read this, thank you for sharing your story.
#PlayingforFreedom #NetGalley
May 9, 2024
Story and Content: A
Writing: A
Narration: A
Best Aspect: Heartfelt and authentic an interesting memoir. If you enjoyed, I Am Malala, you will enjoy this as well.
Worst Aspect: Always a challenge to listen to how hard it can be for a person who did nothing wrong except be born female.
Recommend: Yes.
April 23, 2024
Zarifa lives in Afghanistan, where women are regarded as property, to be sold or married off. Girls do not have the same privileges as boys; very few go to school. Music is forbidden. A girl like Zarifa who dares to dream, to go against the grain, to pursue an education, escape her family's marriage schemes, and ultimately find her own place in the world, will be mocked or even killed.
I enjoyed learning Zarifa's story-how she enrolled in an Afghan musical school despite the risks and how she visited Yale during her orchestra's trip to the United States.
I was honestly worried she was going to turn liberal simply because of the extreme rules she lived under in Afghanistan, but this never ended up really being an issue.
She does identify herself as a Muslim, which might deter some people from reading the story.
Overall, though, I did enjoy the story.
Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book.
I enjoyed learning Zarifa's story-how she enrolled in an Afghan musical school despite the risks and how she visited Yale during her orchestra's trip to the United States.
I was honestly worried she was going to turn liberal simply because of the extreme rules she lived under in Afghanistan, but this never ended up really being an issue.
She does identify herself as a Muslim, which might deter some people from reading the story.
Overall, though, I did enjoy the story.
Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to review this book.
April 30, 2024
Written and narrated by Zarifa Adiba about her life in Afghanistan. Zarifa lived in a typical Afghani household, secretly attended the only music school in the country, conducted for the only all-female Orchestra in the country, while working to be the sole provider for her family from early teens. Their Orchestra was invited to play at the World Economic Forum in 2016, and due to speaking English, Zarifa had a chance to speak for Afghani girls and women to various media.
Fascinating read with so many details about the life of women and girls in Afghanistan amidst wars, Taliban, poverty, Islamic rules, lack of education, complicated relationships after arranged marriages (often within extended families), and very rare opportunities for a better future available to very few who overcome their fears or risk their lives to pursue their dreams.
Inspiring and heartbreaking at a same time because while it was great to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for some, it left me heartbroken for so many girls and women that do not get a way out of that awful life.
I recommend it for understanding how people live in places we hear so much about in the news but have no clue about.
Fascinating read with so many details about the life of women and girls in Afghanistan amidst wars, Taliban, poverty, Islamic rules, lack of education, complicated relationships after arranged marriages (often within extended families), and very rare opportunities for a better future available to very few who overcome their fears or risk their lives to pursue their dreams.
Inspiring and heartbreaking at a same time because while it was great to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for some, it left me heartbroken for so many girls and women that do not get a way out of that awful life.
I recommend it for understanding how people live in places we hear so much about in the news but have no clue about.
May 1, 2024
What a beautifully written Memoir. I really admire Zarifa's bravery. Thank you for sharing your story.
May 3, 2024
4.5 ⭐️ such a good memoir that offers an unique and important perspective on what it means to be a woman in Afghanistan. Highly recommend the audiobook version as the author is also the narrator!
May 22, 2024
Honest, informative, and inspiring!
Playing for Freedom is the insightful, intriguing story of Zarifa Adiba’s personal hardships, struggles, successes and accomplishments as a woman and musician born and raised in a country that is riddled with oppression, war and strict religious rule.
The writing is genuine and perceptive. And the novel is an introspective, compelling tale of one woman’s life from being a child raised in a blended family to believing in herself, taking chances, and following her dreams.
Overall, Playing for Freedom is a forthright, passionate, absorbing tale by Adiba that covers such an abundance of themes that, as a fellow woman, it was easy to root for her, appreciate, and be thoroughly captivated by her story.
Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Playing for Freedom is the insightful, intriguing story of Zarifa Adiba’s personal hardships, struggles, successes and accomplishments as a woman and musician born and raised in a country that is riddled with oppression, war and strict religious rule.
The writing is genuine and perceptive. And the novel is an introspective, compelling tale of one woman’s life from being a child raised in a blended family to believing in herself, taking chances, and following her dreams.
Overall, Playing for Freedom is a forthright, passionate, absorbing tale by Adiba that covers such an abundance of themes that, as a fellow woman, it was easy to root for her, appreciate, and be thoroughly captivated by her story.
Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2024
An inspiring, but also heartbreaking, story and insight into how women (and musicians) are treated in countries like Afghanistan. Zarifa is a very brave woman.
June 19, 2024
Fiquei fascinada com a história dessa menina. Nunca me passou pela cabeça que houvesse diferentes etnias no Afeganistão, e de como isso interfere na vida das pessoas que ali moram, tendo de enfrentar o racismo alem de todas as restrições imposta pelo Taliban. Isso me mostra o quanto ainda tenho para aprender, e o quanto nós, mulheres brasileiras, sofremos muito menos quando nos comparamos às mulheres naquele país tão sofrido, e tão invisibilizado diante do mundo, que praticamente lhe vira as costas quando o Taliban reassume o poder. Claro que a luta aqui continua, e histórias como as de Zarifa são realmente inspiradoras para que nossas meninas entendam que a educação é o único caminho possível. Muito bom.
May 8, 2024
4.5
Courage and Music in the face of terrorism and ultraconservatism in a patriarchal society (Afghanistan, also Pakistan, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, and the US; 2015—2023): It’s hard to wrap your head around the extreme differences between female activists in America and Afghanistan, where this extraordinary memoir originates.
A mind-bending story of a young girl through young adulthood viewed within the context of Zarifa Adiba’s recounting what the United Nations and other sources have said about the country she’s dedicating herself to bettering: “the worst place on earth to be born a woman.”
She’s a “bad girl,” a sinner, refusing to accept her lowly female status; also a minority Shiite persecuted by the vast majority of Sunnis, two factions of the Islamic religion, and regarded as the lowest of the five major ethnic groups – hers Hazara. The Pashtuns, the highest.
Raised in dire poverty in a country that’s nearly at the bottom of the world’s poverty list, in a country that treats girls and women as “objects” and “property.” She’s also an outcast for her passion for education and music. Both shunned by an “ultraconservative” patriarchal society, making Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl nothing short of a miracle.
You’ll come away with a profound appreciation of what it means to be a role-model, and its far-reaching impact. Zarifa Adiba’s says her story is “how I found hope in the first place” and must revisit “again and again.” A breathtaking testament to the “power of aspiration.”
It’s far more than that. At its deepest level, it’s astonishment and admiration for aspiring to be a humanitarian for her country where the lack of women’s rights has been called “gender apartheid”; and for seeing a global role to inspire other repressed girls and women.
How does someone who’s seen and endured so much inhumanity become a voice for humanity?
Hers is a story of victimization until she discovered music as salvation and a “tool for peace.” Her very existence in a society that doesn’t value women is also depicted within her own complicated family too, adhering to the culture’s dictate that married women must live with their husband’s family whether welcomed or not. Painfully, Adiba describes her mother’s abrasive and abusive relationship with her, “capable of saying horrible things to me and showering me with compliments,” which left an “emotional scar” yet she remains generous, sympathetic, and sensitive towards her.
We cannot imagine that when she gets several chances to flee, her dreams are “not of escape but of changing things for my country.” Given the opportunities she’s orchestrated through sheer willfulness, tirelessness, superhuman effort, and clearly multiple talents, Adiba’s message to the world is not to give up on us.
There’s something about her courage in the face of the brutality of war, terrorism, oppression, cruelty, and deprivation for much of her young life of basic nurturing that adds a different quality to other heroic stories of bravery. Two profound exceptions: her extended Pakistani family, when she’s shuffled back and forth to the home of her grandparents (“angels”) and elegant aunt in Quetta, close to Afghanistan’s southern border.
The other family is what this story shouts out. Her music family.
Wisely not opening with the inhumane injustices inflicted on her, Zarifa Adiba chooses to open her story at the height of victory. “Here I am: “backstage sitting on the steps, waiting for them to call me,” she says, drawing us into the fantastical global leaders’ scene she’s about to enter. On the verge of making history as the only girl (she’s eighteen) to lead and play (the viola) in the Afghan Women’s Orchestra comprised of thirty young women – the only one of its kind in Afghanistan – to perform at the Global Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2017.
“This evening, I am Afghanistan,” she declares, “experiencing a flood of emotions” conducting herself both musically and as an ambassador of human rights. An enormous risk since music is considered a “sin” in Islam, particularly for the “radical fringe” and those like her mother who acquiesce fearing repercussions for their defiance. Music is “haram,” the Arabic word for sinner, because it leads to temptation, the same reason females must cover up when they go outside. Their plight is seen as relegated inside their houses, attending to domestic chores and children while subjugating themselves to “Uncles” who rule. Marriages arranged and dictated like her mother’s three (widowed twice by age twenty) when youngsters themselves. Her mother describes her life like a prisoner “condemned to solitude.”
No surprise Adiba’s story has been featured in the media. For instance, USA Today noted, “In most of the world,” she’d be “a star student. In Afghanistan, that makes Zarifa Adiba a target,” and Forbes named her one of “30 under 30 in Asia” in 2022. In 2019, she gave a TED talk, "Spreading My Wings Through Music Conversation”: https://www.ted.com/talks/zarifa_adib...
An American first lady has been her role-model. Adiba writes about her “obsession” with Michelle Obama, her “commitment to girls’ education,” in particular. Others like Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton have also advocated for the global importance of educating girls. Both have also spoken about the author’s friend Malala Yousafzai, brutally attacked in 2012 by the Taliban and survived. You may be familiar with her story: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, the youngest person to ever win it. Excruciating details are related telling us what the terrorists are capable of, greatly affecting the author’s amazing hopefulness.
Despite witnessing and hearing extreme violence, Adiba walks to and from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music on “hellish roads, in constant fear of a suicide bomber appearing out of nowhere or a car or a truck going up in flames.” Relentlessly, she practiced to earn a spot in the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. In 2015, when she makes her way through the streets of Kabul the Taliban had resurged.
The founder of the music school, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, is another humanitarian role-model. A musician (trumpet), his father a composer, he’s a rarity educating girls and boys together.
This is also a story about the power of education, how it opens doors. The author speaks multiple languages – multilingualism a byproduct of being tossed around different educational systems in two countries. Co-authored by Anne Chaon, a journalist reporting in Kabul during crucial years the book takes place when she worked for an international news agency based in Paris. Originally published in French, the translation is the work of Susanna Lea Associates, a literary agency.
Writing about the “narrowing” effect of terrorism in her homeland, Adiba says the “population stiffens, tenses, becomes inflexible.” War, she concludes, “destroys everything.” And yet she isn’t deterred.
Courage and Music in the face of terrorism and ultraconservatism in a patriarchal society (Afghanistan, also Pakistan, Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, and the US; 2015—2023): It’s hard to wrap your head around the extreme differences between female activists in America and Afghanistan, where this extraordinary memoir originates.
A mind-bending story of a young girl through young adulthood viewed within the context of Zarifa Adiba’s recounting what the United Nations and other sources have said about the country she’s dedicating herself to bettering: “the worst place on earth to be born a woman.”
She’s a “bad girl,” a sinner, refusing to accept her lowly female status; also a minority Shiite persecuted by the vast majority of Sunnis, two factions of the Islamic religion, and regarded as the lowest of the five major ethnic groups – hers Hazara. The Pashtuns, the highest.
Raised in dire poverty in a country that’s nearly at the bottom of the world’s poverty list, in a country that treats girls and women as “objects” and “property.” She’s also an outcast for her passion for education and music. Both shunned by an “ultraconservative” patriarchal society, making Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl nothing short of a miracle.
You’ll come away with a profound appreciation of what it means to be a role-model, and its far-reaching impact. Zarifa Adiba’s says her story is “how I found hope in the first place” and must revisit “again and again.” A breathtaking testament to the “power of aspiration.”
It’s far more than that. At its deepest level, it’s astonishment and admiration for aspiring to be a humanitarian for her country where the lack of women’s rights has been called “gender apartheid”; and for seeing a global role to inspire other repressed girls and women.
How does someone who’s seen and endured so much inhumanity become a voice for humanity?
Hers is a story of victimization until she discovered music as salvation and a “tool for peace.” Her very existence in a society that doesn’t value women is also depicted within her own complicated family too, adhering to the culture’s dictate that married women must live with their husband’s family whether welcomed or not. Painfully, Adiba describes her mother’s abrasive and abusive relationship with her, “capable of saying horrible things to me and showering me with compliments,” which left an “emotional scar” yet she remains generous, sympathetic, and sensitive towards her.
We cannot imagine that when she gets several chances to flee, her dreams are “not of escape but of changing things for my country.” Given the opportunities she’s orchestrated through sheer willfulness, tirelessness, superhuman effort, and clearly multiple talents, Adiba’s message to the world is not to give up on us.
There’s something about her courage in the face of the brutality of war, terrorism, oppression, cruelty, and deprivation for much of her young life of basic nurturing that adds a different quality to other heroic stories of bravery. Two profound exceptions: her extended Pakistani family, when she’s shuffled back and forth to the home of her grandparents (“angels”) and elegant aunt in Quetta, close to Afghanistan’s southern border.
The other family is what this story shouts out. Her music family.
Wisely not opening with the inhumane injustices inflicted on her, Zarifa Adiba chooses to open her story at the height of victory. “Here I am: “backstage sitting on the steps, waiting for them to call me,” she says, drawing us into the fantastical global leaders’ scene she’s about to enter. On the verge of making history as the only girl (she’s eighteen) to lead and play (the viola) in the Afghan Women’s Orchestra comprised of thirty young women – the only one of its kind in Afghanistan – to perform at the Global Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2017.
“This evening, I am Afghanistan,” she declares, “experiencing a flood of emotions” conducting herself both musically and as an ambassador of human rights. An enormous risk since music is considered a “sin” in Islam, particularly for the “radical fringe” and those like her mother who acquiesce fearing repercussions for their defiance. Music is “haram,” the Arabic word for sinner, because it leads to temptation, the same reason females must cover up when they go outside. Their plight is seen as relegated inside their houses, attending to domestic chores and children while subjugating themselves to “Uncles” who rule. Marriages arranged and dictated like her mother’s three (widowed twice by age twenty) when youngsters themselves. Her mother describes her life like a prisoner “condemned to solitude.”
No surprise Adiba’s story has been featured in the media. For instance, USA Today noted, “In most of the world,” she’d be “a star student. In Afghanistan, that makes Zarifa Adiba a target,” and Forbes named her one of “30 under 30 in Asia” in 2022. In 2019, she gave a TED talk, "Spreading My Wings Through Music Conversation”: https://www.ted.com/talks/zarifa_adib...
An American first lady has been her role-model. Adiba writes about her “obsession” with Michelle Obama, her “commitment to girls’ education,” in particular. Others like Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton have also advocated for the global importance of educating girls. Both have also spoken about the author’s friend Malala Yousafzai, brutally attacked in 2012 by the Taliban and survived. You may be familiar with her story: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, the youngest person to ever win it. Excruciating details are related telling us what the terrorists are capable of, greatly affecting the author’s amazing hopefulness.
Despite witnessing and hearing extreme violence, Adiba walks to and from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music on “hellish roads, in constant fear of a suicide bomber appearing out of nowhere or a car or a truck going up in flames.” Relentlessly, she practiced to earn a spot in the Afghanistan National Institute of Music. In 2015, when she makes her way through the streets of Kabul the Taliban had resurged.
The founder of the music school, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, is another humanitarian role-model. A musician (trumpet), his father a composer, he’s a rarity educating girls and boys together.
This is also a story about the power of education, how it opens doors. The author speaks multiple languages – multilingualism a byproduct of being tossed around different educational systems in two countries. Co-authored by Anne Chaon, a journalist reporting in Kabul during crucial years the book takes place when she worked for an international news agency based in Paris. Originally published in French, the translation is the work of Susanna Lea Associates, a literary agency.
Writing about the “narrowing” effect of terrorism in her homeland, Adiba says the “population stiffens, tenses, becomes inflexible.” War, she concludes, “destroys everything.” And yet she isn’t deterred.
April 15, 2024
This is a passionate memoir written by Zarifa Adiba describing her upbringing in Afghanistan in the period before the Taliban returned to power in 2021. As a child her life was difficult, her father dead and her mother remarried to his nephew with four younger half siblings, all living in poverty under the control of her father’s family. Zarifa’s passion to music led her led her to study at the co-educational Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) in Kabul, founded in 2010 after 30 years of war, by a wonderful musician, Dr Ahmad Sarmast, on his return from asylum in Australia. As Zarifa’s father’s family considered both co-education and the playing of non-religious music to be against Islamic law, she had to keep this a secret from them.
Section hidden for those who don’t want any spoilers about Zarifa’s achievements.
Zarifa’s remarkable memoir paints a vivid picture of life in Afghanistan before the Taliban returned to power. Even then life was difficult for women who didn’t conform to strict Islamic laws. They were subject to hatred, verbal and often physical abuse by men. Zarifa’s life was especially difficult, especially after her step-father Basir travelled to Indonesia to wait unsuccessfully for years for a visa to Australia. As well as attending school she had to work to provide for her mother and younger half siblings, but instead of being appreciated, she was labelled 'a bad girl', reviled and cruelly treated by her mother as the cause of her problems and often sent away for long periods, disrupting her education.
A remarkably brave and resilient young woman, faced with all these difficulties, she persevered with her dreams to forge a path she hoped other young women could follow, not knowing that these hopes and dreams for her country were about to be set back centuries by the return of the Taliban. Her story is passionately told and her voice resonates strongly through the narrative. Originally published in 2021 in French, the English translation is being published, along with an afterword by Zarifa, now living in America and pursuing her dreams.
With thanks to Amazon Crossing via Netgalley for a copy to read.
.....................................................................................................
Some links to Zarifa's story:
Afghanistan National Institute of Music. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghani...
Dr Ahmad Sarmast. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_N...
Zohra Concert in Davos 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9-jq...
Zarifa Adiba TEDX talk 2019. https://www.ted.com/talks/zarifa_adib...
Section hidden for those who don’t want any spoilers about Zarifa’s achievements.
Zarifa’s remarkable memoir paints a vivid picture of life in Afghanistan before the Taliban returned to power. Even then life was difficult for women who didn’t conform to strict Islamic laws. They were subject to hatred, verbal and often physical abuse by men. Zarifa’s life was especially difficult, especially after her step-father Basir travelled to Indonesia to wait unsuccessfully for years for a visa to Australia. As well as attending school she had to work to provide for her mother and younger half siblings, but instead of being appreciated, she was labelled 'a bad girl', reviled and cruelly treated by her mother as the cause of her problems and often sent away for long periods, disrupting her education.
A remarkably brave and resilient young woman, faced with all these difficulties, she persevered with her dreams to forge a path she hoped other young women could follow, not knowing that these hopes and dreams for her country were about to be set back centuries by the return of the Taliban. Her story is passionately told and her voice resonates strongly through the narrative. Originally published in 2021 in French, the English translation is being published, along with an afterword by Zarifa, now living in America and pursuing her dreams.
With thanks to Amazon Crossing via Netgalley for a copy to read.
.....................................................................................................
Some links to Zarifa's story:
Afghanistan National Institute of Music. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghani...
Dr Ahmad Sarmast. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_N...
Zohra Concert in Davos 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9-jq...
Zarifa Adiba TEDX talk 2019. https://www.ted.com/talks/zarifa_adib...
April 30, 2024
Prior to reading Playing for Freedom, I had only read one book set in or about Afghanistan: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. However, this is my first nonfiction and memoir, and I was intrigued to learn about Afghanistan today from the perspective of a young woman.
The memoir begins with a triumph in Zarifa Adiba’s young life: her opportunity to serve as orchestra conductor for the all-girls Afghan orchestra on a trip to Davos, Switzerland. Not only was the performance a success, the interviews Zarifa gave were eye-opening to non-Afghans around the world. But upon returning to Kabul, Afghanistan, Zarifa still had a long road ahead of her on her journey to achieving her many goals.
From here, Playing for Freedom dives into different aspects of Afghanistan’s culture and politics, as well as Zarifa’s own family circumstances. She talks about the extremist conservative society, which puts so many limits on women and considers music a sin. She also describes her complicated, often toxic family, from her fraught relationship with her mother to her frequently being passed around from one household to another. It’s often heartbreaking to learn how isolating and unsupportive her family could be, largely due to the societal views on women. Zarifa would sometimes stay with family in Pakistan, but her home was ultimately still in Kabul.
I love how Zarifa is such a strong-willed and confident young woman. She is still Muslim, like most in Afghanistan, but she takes on a more liberal and modern approach to her faith. She doesn’t see music as a sin, nor does she think women’s hair being visible should be considered scandalous. By her society’s standards, Zarifa is a “bad girl” and proud of it. She is also an unapologetic feminist who believes in the power of education and emancipating women and girls throughout her country. I enjoyed hearing about her admiration for Michelle Obama and how the former First Lady was a role model for Zarifa. Seeing other trailblazers can be so inspiring in forging your own path!
There were major hurdles to overcome during Zarifa’s childhood and early adulthood, from family issues to the devastating effects of violence in Afghanistan, but I love how she overwhelming takes an optimistic and hopeful view, both about the future of Afghanistan and of her own goals.
Playing for Freedom is an inspiring and eye-opening account of one brave young woman. Zarifa Adiba believes in Afghan women becoming true equals in society, being allowed to get an education, and being allowed to play music and sports without derision. I appreciated learning more about Afghanistan from a young person’s perspective, and I admire the author’s vision and leadership.
Special thanks to Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
The memoir begins with a triumph in Zarifa Adiba’s young life: her opportunity to serve as orchestra conductor for the all-girls Afghan orchestra on a trip to Davos, Switzerland. Not only was the performance a success, the interviews Zarifa gave were eye-opening to non-Afghans around the world. But upon returning to Kabul, Afghanistan, Zarifa still had a long road ahead of her on her journey to achieving her many goals.
From here, Playing for Freedom dives into different aspects of Afghanistan’s culture and politics, as well as Zarifa’s own family circumstances. She talks about the extremist conservative society, which puts so many limits on women and considers music a sin. She also describes her complicated, often toxic family, from her fraught relationship with her mother to her frequently being passed around from one household to another. It’s often heartbreaking to learn how isolating and unsupportive her family could be, largely due to the societal views on women. Zarifa would sometimes stay with family in Pakistan, but her home was ultimately still in Kabul.
I love how Zarifa is such a strong-willed and confident young woman. She is still Muslim, like most in Afghanistan, but she takes on a more liberal and modern approach to her faith. She doesn’t see music as a sin, nor does she think women’s hair being visible should be considered scandalous. By her society’s standards, Zarifa is a “bad girl” and proud of it. She is also an unapologetic feminist who believes in the power of education and emancipating women and girls throughout her country. I enjoyed hearing about her admiration for Michelle Obama and how the former First Lady was a role model for Zarifa. Seeing other trailblazers can be so inspiring in forging your own path!
There were major hurdles to overcome during Zarifa’s childhood and early adulthood, from family issues to the devastating effects of violence in Afghanistan, but I love how she overwhelming takes an optimistic and hopeful view, both about the future of Afghanistan and of her own goals.
Playing for Freedom is an inspiring and eye-opening account of one brave young woman. Zarifa Adiba believes in Afghan women becoming true equals in society, being allowed to get an education, and being allowed to play music and sports without derision. I appreciated learning more about Afghanistan from a young person’s perspective, and I admire the author’s vision and leadership.
Special thanks to Amazon Crossing and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!
* Please read my full review on my blog, Amanda's Book Corner! *
June 11, 2024
My daughter is a violinist. She has a music station set up in her room and can practice whenever she chooses, she has an exceptional female violin teacher who challenges and encourages her to work hard (with music and with academics), and her father and I have enjoyed listening as her technique has improved over the years. What a contrast to the experiences of Afghani viola player, Zarifa Adiba, who had to keep her instrument at school, lest her uncles find out she was playing music (they considered this a sin). She had to walk long distances to reach her music school, and of course she had to lie about her attendance there so she wouldn't be accused of bringing shame on the family. On top of this, as she reached her mid-teens (my daughter's age), she had the constant fear that her family would marry her off to a man she had no say in choosing.
Zarifa writes about the struggles of being female in Afghanistan (prior to the arrival of the Taliban, after which it has become far worse), and how difficult it is for girls to find opportunities to learn, earn money, postpone marriage, etc.. I like the way she emphasizes the difference between religion and culture, where people enforce cultural traditions in the name of the religion, even though they are incorrect in doing so - an example of this is when men in her country ridiculed her for showing her hair, or even her forearm, telling her to cover up because she was "tempting them to sin." Here in the United States, I have heard people incorrectly attribute the regressive, sometimes horrific treatment of women in predominantly Muslim countries to the religion rather than the culture, and I think the distinction is very important.
For me, the most surprising part of Zarifa's story is her explanation that her father was out of the country and not sending money home, so she financially supported her mother and siblings, first with the stipend she received as a music student (which incentivized her mother to allow her to participate), and later through her own employment; her uncle provided only minimal support. I wonder how the men in her family feel about her announcing this to the world in this memoir.
This young woman has dreams of attending law school in the United States and becoming a lawyer. After I finished reading her story, I looked her up online. Her social media accounts are set to private, which I understand, but there are YouTube videos of various interviews she has participated in, including those she references in the book. I wish her the best and I'm proud of her for speaking out on her own behalf and for women in her country who have even less of a voice today than they did when she was growing up there.
Zarifa writes about the struggles of being female in Afghanistan (prior to the arrival of the Taliban, after which it has become far worse), and how difficult it is for girls to find opportunities to learn, earn money, postpone marriage, etc.. I like the way she emphasizes the difference between religion and culture, where people enforce cultural traditions in the name of the religion, even though they are incorrect in doing so - an example of this is when men in her country ridiculed her for showing her hair, or even her forearm, telling her to cover up because she was "tempting them to sin." Here in the United States, I have heard people incorrectly attribute the regressive, sometimes horrific treatment of women in predominantly Muslim countries to the religion rather than the culture, and I think the distinction is very important.
For me, the most surprising part of Zarifa's story is her explanation that her father was out of the country and not sending money home, so she financially supported her mother and siblings, first with the stipend she received as a music student (which incentivized her mother to allow her to participate), and later through her own employment; her uncle provided only minimal support. I wonder how the men in her family feel about her announcing this to the world in this memoir.
This young woman has dreams of attending law school in the United States and becoming a lawyer. After I finished reading her story, I looked her up online. Her social media accounts are set to private, which I understand, but there are YouTube videos of various interviews she has participated in, including those she references in the book. I wish her the best and I'm proud of her for speaking out on her own behalf and for women in her country who have even less of a voice today than they did when she was growing up there.
August 9, 2025
Well, I started this book with not so good perception. Because when I first got the book, I skimmed over the book expecting it to be normal fiction until I read for about 1-2 chapters that I realised this is a complete non fiction and biography. Totally my fault for not researching properly but in my defense, the cover looks like any normal fiction and I once read a fictional novel about Afghanistan and I really like it hence why I never do the double check. So I took longer to finish it because non fiction is not my cup of tea. Unless I am interested in the person first. However, I tried to push myself into reading it until the end, then it got me cheering, sorrowing, and helpless for you.
Looking back, I read halfway through the book with mixed feelings. I was really mad for the women getting oppressed but at the same time I kinda wish for you to not approach liberalism too much like westerners is not everything! But who am I to judge what’s wrong or right for you? All I can say is I wish the best for you and the Afghan future. One thing I mad about the whole current Afghanistan situation is that, how dare they put religion to oppress all of you people? And this is not a religious issue, it’s a rotten mindset and culture. You know back in history, all women got oppressed the same way no matter what religion they are. And women today can stand up for themselves because changes were made. Sexism is still there but not so much as the one in the past. How are these Taliban and oppressive people oppressing their own people in the name of Islam? Thinking they know better when they’re barely studied their own religion? I know for sure our prophet never taught them to do this. Now I know why people shout at hijabis calling them oppressing themselves when it's their own choices. Because somewhere in this world this thing happened and it's happening in Afghan. Everytime these people mentioned, my anger couldn't take it. Is this how they want to preach Islam? With violence, bombs and threats? That won't be successful. I know for sure our prophet taught us to preach with kind words and mindfulness.
And the final chapters got me really happy for you and stressing out for Afghanistan. How come people were not aware of the dire condition in the country? And that includes me as well how I never educate myself about the country. It makes me feel like wanting to shove this book in front of people so they can be aware about this.
All in all, I wish you the best to bring Afghanistan free of oppression and hope there’s a lot of people standing by your side in this journey. And like you said when things get hard you always find yourself in the comfort of your family so never leave them away from your heart.
Looking back, I read halfway through the book with mixed feelings. I was really mad for the women getting oppressed but at the same time I kinda wish for you to not approach liberalism too much like westerners is not everything! But who am I to judge what’s wrong or right for you? All I can say is I wish the best for you and the Afghan future. One thing I mad about the whole current Afghanistan situation is that, how dare they put religion to oppress all of you people? And this is not a religious issue, it’s a rotten mindset and culture. You know back in history, all women got oppressed the same way no matter what religion they are. And women today can stand up for themselves because changes were made. Sexism is still there but not so much as the one in the past. How are these Taliban and oppressive people oppressing their own people in the name of Islam? Thinking they know better when they’re barely studied their own religion? I know for sure our prophet never taught them to do this. Now I know why people shout at hijabis calling them oppressing themselves when it's their own choices. Because somewhere in this world this thing happened and it's happening in Afghan. Everytime these people mentioned, my anger couldn't take it. Is this how they want to preach Islam? With violence, bombs and threats? That won't be successful. I know for sure our prophet taught us to preach with kind words and mindfulness.
And the final chapters got me really happy for you and stressing out for Afghanistan. How come people were not aware of the dire condition in the country? And that includes me as well how I never educate myself about the country. It makes me feel like wanting to shove this book in front of people so they can be aware about this.
All in all, I wish you the best to bring Afghanistan free of oppression and hope there’s a lot of people standing by your side in this journey. And like you said when things get hard you always find yourself in the comfort of your family so never leave them away from your heart.
June 18, 2024
Growing up in Afghanistan Zarifa Adiba has a dream to travel to America to study law and a dream to play music. Under the Taliban both these things were impossible with education being denied to girls and music being labelled haram. Even though the Taliban are no longer in power their hate is still alive and well with many people still against music and education. Zarifa explores the history of Taliban in Afghanistan, the fear it instills in citizens based on the values it stands for and what this means in particular for the Afghan women and girls. Despite the resistance from her family Zarifa travels, plays music, works in multiple places including a radio station, and is committed to making her own way in the world. Zafira travels to Davos with Afghanistan's only all female orchestra - whose existence causes both the orchestra and the head of the music school to become the target of suicide bomber. Despite being labelled a "bad girl" Zarifa is one of the lucky ones. Her family don't like what she does and they try to marry her off, but they also reluctantly allow her to study and work and travel. Many of her friends are married off, killed, or simply disappear.
Although I knew about the restrictive culture in Afghanistan it was truly infuriating to read. Women and girls are so oppressed under the lie of protection yet they are not protected or cared for, they are often not even provided for. Zafira's step father leaves her mother with 6 children to travel to Indonesia in the hopes of obtaining an Australian visa. A pipe dream from the begining, he leaves her penniless, at the mercy of inlaws who hate her, unprotected, uncared for, he has children he has never met, his step daughter is forced to work to provide for the family, yet he still thinks he is superior and the man of the house, he still think he gets to dictate what happens to a family he doesn't know or care for. Zafira does such a good job of showing how these men pervert her religion for their own gain and how women bow under the pressure, perpetuating the cycle. The only escape from this violence and oppression is through education, so it is little wonder the Taliban do not want girls educated. The book was originally completed before the Taliban returned to power and the afterwards speaks of sadness, loss, and frustration that the politicians who were supposed to protect Afghans rolled over so easily. Despite the infuriating topic I was warmed by the hope Zarifa has for the future and it reminded me how important education and knowledge is.
Although I knew about the restrictive culture in Afghanistan it was truly infuriating to read. Women and girls are so oppressed under the lie of protection yet they are not protected or cared for, they are often not even provided for. Zafira's step father leaves her mother with 6 children to travel to Indonesia in the hopes of obtaining an Australian visa. A pipe dream from the begining, he leaves her penniless, at the mercy of inlaws who hate her, unprotected, uncared for, he has children he has never met, his step daughter is forced to work to provide for the family, yet he still thinks he is superior and the man of the house, he still think he gets to dictate what happens to a family he doesn't know or care for. Zafira does such a good job of showing how these men pervert her religion for their own gain and how women bow under the pressure, perpetuating the cycle. The only escape from this violence and oppression is through education, so it is little wonder the Taliban do not want girls educated. The book was originally completed before the Taliban returned to power and the afterwards speaks of sadness, loss, and frustration that the politicians who were supposed to protect Afghans rolled over so easily. Despite the infuriating topic I was warmed by the hope Zarifa has for the future and it reminded me how important education and knowledge is.
December 27, 2024
#ReadAroundTheWorld #Afghanistan
This is the memoir of Zarifa Adiba, a young Afghani girl who becomes the lead violist, conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world, set in the turbulent years before the Taliban returned to power in 2021. It is co-authored by Anne Chaon, a journalist who worked in Kabul for a French news agency, and was originally published in French.
Zarifa leads a difficult life: raised as a girl in what is known as “the worst place on earth to be born a woman,” in a poor family, a minority Shiite, persecuted by the majority Sunni religious group, and a Hazara, considered to be the lowest of the five major ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Zarifa is forced to pursue her passion to play music secretly as music is considered “haram” or forbidden and sinful in her country. She studies at the coeducational Afghanistan National Institute of Music, founded in 2010 by Dr Ahmad Sarmast, on his return from asylum in Australia. To do so she must walk every day on “hellish roads, in constant fear of a suicide bomber appearing out of nowhere or a car or a truck going up in flames,” unable to afford the bus fare.
There is also conflict within her family, with Zarifa’s decision to play music never being accepted or supported. She often feels betrayed and misunderstood by her mother and feels she is simply being packaged up to be married off like property. She does not find out until later in her childhood that her step-father is not her biological father, creating more tension. When he goes to Indonesia to await a visa for Australia the responsibility of providing for the family financially falls on Zarifa. When she finally achieves great success, including a performance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and becomes the spokesperson for her orchestra, she is slammed and shunned in her own country as a “bad girl”.
This is a story of great courage and resilience, despite opposition from all quarters, and I applaud Zarifa in her decision to speak up for the plight of women in her country. I found the writing however less than dynamic. Sometimes the timeshifts were vaguely disconcerting, and although some attempt was made to convey this, I found I was not able to fully picture Zarifa’s daily life or her emotions.
This is the memoir of Zarifa Adiba, a young Afghani girl who becomes the lead violist, conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world, set in the turbulent years before the Taliban returned to power in 2021. It is co-authored by Anne Chaon, a journalist who worked in Kabul for a French news agency, and was originally published in French.
Zarifa leads a difficult life: raised as a girl in what is known as “the worst place on earth to be born a woman,” in a poor family, a minority Shiite, persecuted by the majority Sunni religious group, and a Hazara, considered to be the lowest of the five major ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Zarifa is forced to pursue her passion to play music secretly as music is considered “haram” or forbidden and sinful in her country. She studies at the coeducational Afghanistan National Institute of Music, founded in 2010 by Dr Ahmad Sarmast, on his return from asylum in Australia. To do so she must walk every day on “hellish roads, in constant fear of a suicide bomber appearing out of nowhere or a car or a truck going up in flames,” unable to afford the bus fare.
There is also conflict within her family, with Zarifa’s decision to play music never being accepted or supported. She often feels betrayed and misunderstood by her mother and feels she is simply being packaged up to be married off like property. She does not find out until later in her childhood that her step-father is not her biological father, creating more tension. When he goes to Indonesia to await a visa for Australia the responsibility of providing for the family financially falls on Zarifa. When she finally achieves great success, including a performance at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and becomes the spokesperson for her orchestra, she is slammed and shunned in her own country as a “bad girl”.
This is a story of great courage and resilience, despite opposition from all quarters, and I applaud Zarifa in her decision to speak up for the plight of women in her country. I found the writing however less than dynamic. Sometimes the timeshifts were vaguely disconcerting, and although some attempt was made to convey this, I found I was not able to fully picture Zarifa’s daily life or her emotions.
May 28, 2024
"Playing for Freedom The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl", by Zarifa Adiba and Anne Chaon, is the story of Zarifa Adiba, the lead violist and co-conductor of Afghanistan’s all-female orchestra, "Zohra". Zarifa is an ambitious and inspiring young woman who fought against all odds to fulfill her dreams of playing music and studying, resisting family and societal pressure.
The book was truly unputdownable. Zarifa is a young girl with typical youthful passions, like listening to and playing music and hanging out with her friends. However, she lives in a country where those passions are not only considered sinful but can endanger her life. She takes pride in not conforming but lives in fear of the consequences that could bring for her and her family. I found the storytelling in the book to be very captivating. It is a good balance of personal narrative and historical/political context that had my attention through the whole book. After finishing the book, I watched several clips and interviews with Zarifa, including her TedEX talk and the "bad girl" video referenced in the book, as well as clips of Zohra performing at Davos. They were all uplifting and inspirational.
The only other books I read about Afghanistan are the works of Khaled Hosseini, which I've really enjoyed. It was refreshing ,though, to hear the voice of a strong-willed woman, fighting for her own life and paving the way for other women.
Reading this in 2024, however, almost 3 years after Kabul fell to the Taliban, I felt very uneasy. Throughout the whole book, Zarifa is a fighter and never gives in to hopelessness. Yet, the present situation of women and girls in Afghanistan feels hopeless. This is addressed in the "Afterword", that the author hoped never to have to include. She is poised to keep fighting, even more than before, and urges everyone to stand for the women and girls of Afghanistan 🇦🇫.
Thank you so much to @otrpr for inviting me on this blog tour and gifting me a beautiful, finished copy of Zarifa’s story. I was deeply moved and inspired by Zarifa's life and felt like I learned a lot. I hope she continues her journey to give voice to and uplift girls and women.
The book was truly unputdownable. Zarifa is a young girl with typical youthful passions, like listening to and playing music and hanging out with her friends. However, she lives in a country where those passions are not only considered sinful but can endanger her life. She takes pride in not conforming but lives in fear of the consequences that could bring for her and her family. I found the storytelling in the book to be very captivating. It is a good balance of personal narrative and historical/political context that had my attention through the whole book. After finishing the book, I watched several clips and interviews with Zarifa, including her TedEX talk and the "bad girl" video referenced in the book, as well as clips of Zohra performing at Davos. They were all uplifting and inspirational.
The only other books I read about Afghanistan are the works of Khaled Hosseini, which I've really enjoyed. It was refreshing ,though, to hear the voice of a strong-willed woman, fighting for her own life and paving the way for other women.
Reading this in 2024, however, almost 3 years after Kabul fell to the Taliban, I felt very uneasy. Throughout the whole book, Zarifa is a fighter and never gives in to hopelessness. Yet, the present situation of women and girls in Afghanistan feels hopeless. This is addressed in the "Afterword", that the author hoped never to have to include. She is poised to keep fighting, even more than before, and urges everyone to stand for the women and girls of Afghanistan 🇦🇫.
Thank you so much to @otrpr for inviting me on this blog tour and gifting me a beautiful, finished copy of Zarifa’s story. I was deeply moved and inspired by Zarifa's life and felt like I learned a lot. I hope she continues her journey to give voice to and uplift girls and women.
May 7, 2024
I love extraordinary tales of triumph!
This thought-provoking memoir from a debut author is one you’ll want on your reading list ASAP.
Zarifa Adiba had a dream so big, it was scary - she wanted to be a concert musician.
That doesn’t sound too much of a stretch for some of us who are musically inclined, does it?! (tongue in cheek) But to a child born in Kabul, Afghanistan, a FEMALE born in one of the worst places to be a female, it was an uphill battle. Firstly, she was female. Secondly, she was Hazara, an oppressed Shiite minority. Her family was poor and uneducated. Thirdly, music was considered sinful under Islamic law. Fourthly, she had no prior background in music; never played and never read music.
None of these stopped her from dreaming.
She prepared tirelessly.
She overcame challenges, defied societal norms and stereotypes in her deeply conservative and patriarchal society, and went on to accumulate many, many ‘firsts.’ Her courage and passion for music in the face of significant obstacles will astound you. In our part of the world, her achievements make her a star, but in her home country, it made her a target and she had to flee for her life.
Music offered Zarifa a chance to blossom, to escape, to have a future, and to show herself, her family, her country and the rest of the world what Afghan women are capable of doing. It saddens me to (1) think that despite all her achievements, her new identity now “puts her at odds with her culture and her family” and (2) that she couldn’t receive the support she needed from her parents because the regime had beaten their dreams out of them. I have so very much to be thankful for and I take it for granted.
I appreciated a look at her home life, her school experience, and her achievements. This book left me wanting more and I’ve queued up some TedTalks and articles to help flesh out my experience and answer some questions.
I was gifted this copy by Amazon Crossing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
This thought-provoking memoir from a debut author is one you’ll want on your reading list ASAP.
Zarifa Adiba had a dream so big, it was scary - she wanted to be a concert musician.
That doesn’t sound too much of a stretch for some of us who are musically inclined, does it?! (tongue in cheek) But to a child born in Kabul, Afghanistan, a FEMALE born in one of the worst places to be a female, it was an uphill battle. Firstly, she was female. Secondly, she was Hazara, an oppressed Shiite minority. Her family was poor and uneducated. Thirdly, music was considered sinful under Islamic law. Fourthly, she had no prior background in music; never played and never read music.
None of these stopped her from dreaming.
She prepared tirelessly.
She overcame challenges, defied societal norms and stereotypes in her deeply conservative and patriarchal society, and went on to accumulate many, many ‘firsts.’ Her courage and passion for music in the face of significant obstacles will astound you. In our part of the world, her achievements make her a star, but in her home country, it made her a target and she had to flee for her life.
Music offered Zarifa a chance to blossom, to escape, to have a future, and to show herself, her family, her country and the rest of the world what Afghan women are capable of doing. It saddens me to (1) think that despite all her achievements, her new identity now “puts her at odds with her culture and her family” and (2) that she couldn’t receive the support she needed from her parents because the regime had beaten their dreams out of them. I have so very much to be thankful for and I take it for granted.
I appreciated a look at her home life, her school experience, and her achievements. This book left me wanting more and I’ve queued up some TedTalks and articles to help flesh out my experience and answer some questions.
I was gifted this copy by Amazon Crossing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
April 14, 2024
Usually, I don't really read much Nonfiction books, but I do read memoirs, and if it sounds interesting or written by someone famous, then I would read. Initially, I thought this was a fiction until I actually did a search on this book, when I realized that this was actually a memoir about a young Afghan girl, who would work tirelessly and endlessly, clashing with the Afghan culture to fulfill her dreams of becoming a musician and going to the university.
If you have read I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, then I highly recommend that you should read this book.
Zarifa is an ambitious Afghan woman who comes from a poor Hazara family. At sixteen, Zarifa joins Afghanistan National Institute of Music. By eighteen, she is the lead violinist, conductor of the all women orchestra named Zohra and one of their performances including performing in the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. But despite Zohra's hard success and achievement, most of the girls that Zarifa knows are forced into arranged marriages. Zarifa also faced many obstacles from her family, who shunned her for her keen interest in music and the fact that she was defiant and refused to cover her hair and marry someone like her cousins. Playing for Freedom talks about how Zarifa yearned for independence and study at the university and how she overcame many obstacles to succeed as a person she is today.
I am not going to put too much details but this is a beautifully written memoir and I was glad to get a privilege to read this memoir. The way women were treated in Afghanistan in a men dominated world, the Taliban rule...sometimes, it's hard to imagine that cruelty can exist. I enjoyed reading this book and was glad that now Zarifa and her family are now living in New York away from now Taliban rule Afghanistan.
Overall I rate this book five stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
If you have read I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, then I highly recommend that you should read this book.
Zarifa is an ambitious Afghan woman who comes from a poor Hazara family. At sixteen, Zarifa joins Afghanistan National Institute of Music. By eighteen, she is the lead violinist, conductor of the all women orchestra named Zohra and one of their performances including performing in the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. But despite Zohra's hard success and achievement, most of the girls that Zarifa knows are forced into arranged marriages. Zarifa also faced many obstacles from her family, who shunned her for her keen interest in music and the fact that she was defiant and refused to cover her hair and marry someone like her cousins. Playing for Freedom talks about how Zarifa yearned for independence and study at the university and how she overcame many obstacles to succeed as a person she is today.
I am not going to put too much details but this is a beautifully written memoir and I was glad to get a privilege to read this memoir. The way women were treated in Afghanistan in a men dominated world, the Taliban rule...sometimes, it's hard to imagine that cruelty can exist. I enjoyed reading this book and was glad that now Zarifa and her family are now living in New York away from now Taliban rule Afghanistan.
Overall I rate this book five stars.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.
May 27, 2024
As an Afghan girl, Zarifa Adiba has big, unfathomable dreams. Her family is struggling, her country mired in conflict. Walking to school in Kabul, Zarifa has to navigate suicide bombers. But Zarifa perseveres, nurturing her passion for music despite its “sinful” nature under Taliban law. At sixteen she gains admission to the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and at eighteen she becomes the lead violist, co-conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world.
Despite Zarifa’s accomplishments―which include a stunning performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland―her future in music demands a reckoning with her life back home. Some of her friends from Zohra are forced to marry, a few either disappear or are killed in bomb blasts, but Zarifa continues to study so she can live her dream and the dreams of her friends who are taken so soon. Her so-called “bad girl” identity puts her at odds with her culture and her family.
PLAYING FOR FREEDOM is the deeply compelling story of a young woman who dares to compose a masterpiece even with all odds stacked against her.
My thoughts 💭: I tore through this memoir in one sitting. Compelling and brimming with hope and grief, Zarifa’s story is a poignant reminder of the power of music, education, opportunity, and the oppressive reality that many women across the world face daily. Her narrative moved me in so many ways, but I was especially inspired by the resiliency and grit of the leaders and musicians of this orchestra.
Despite Zarifa’s accomplishments―which include a stunning performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland―her future in music demands a reckoning with her life back home. Some of her friends from Zohra are forced to marry, a few either disappear or are killed in bomb blasts, but Zarifa continues to study so she can live her dream and the dreams of her friends who are taken so soon. Her so-called “bad girl” identity puts her at odds with her culture and her family.
PLAYING FOR FREEDOM is the deeply compelling story of a young woman who dares to compose a masterpiece even with all odds stacked against her.
My thoughts 💭: I tore through this memoir in one sitting. Compelling and brimming with hope and grief, Zarifa’s story is a poignant reminder of the power of music, education, opportunity, and the oppressive reality that many women across the world face daily. Her narrative moved me in so many ways, but I was especially inspired by the resiliency and grit of the leaders and musicians of this orchestra.
May 1, 2024
This was a very powerful listen, especially with the author narrating the audiobook herself. As a musician myself, the tie-in of music and the important role it has played in Zarifa's life thus far was one of my main pulls towards this ARC. In addition to seeing the impact that music can have on a person and community, I learned so much about the ongoing experience of young girls and women in Afghanistan.
Zarifa does not hold back in describing her life experiences. Some stories from her childhood and how she was treated by family was very hard to hear. But still, I could hear that she brings joy to those around her and she has filled herself with light despite these stories. There even comes a point where she's able to empathetically set some boundaries, which actually IMPROVES her relationship with her mother!
There were a few moments were I got confused on the timeline while listening. At first I thought the book was going to be all chronological but then then it seemed to jump a bit. Nothing to cry home about, but worth noting. Every Sister of TBS and anyone else who cares about women in music and uplifting diverse stories should consider reading this.
I'm exceptionally grateful to NetGalley, Zarifa Adiba, and Brilliance Audio for this ALC audiobook of Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl. The audiobook releases 7 May 2024!
Zarifa does not hold back in describing her life experiences. Some stories from her childhood and how she was treated by family was very hard to hear. But still, I could hear that she brings joy to those around her and she has filled herself with light despite these stories. There even comes a point where she's able to empathetically set some boundaries, which actually IMPROVES her relationship with her mother!
There were a few moments were I got confused on the timeline while listening. At first I thought the book was going to be all chronological but then then it seemed to jump a bit. Nothing to cry home about, but worth noting. Every Sister of TBS and anyone else who cares about women in music and uplifting diverse stories should consider reading this.
I'm exceptionally grateful to NetGalley, Zarifa Adiba, and Brilliance Audio for this ALC audiobook of Playing for Freedom: The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl. The audiobook releases 7 May 2024!
May 29, 2024
Zarifa's Story is heartbreaking, triumphant, and inspiring. I felt that I was right there with her as she navigated her life in a world that was full of violence, limitations, and hate for a girl like her. Zarifa came from a poor family. Traditionally a girl's role was to serve the family. Her dreams of becoming a musician labeled her as an evil and "bad" girl.
Zarifa was the lead violinist and conductor for the ANIM (Afghanistan National Institute of Music) the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world. She had the opportunity to travel and perform in Switzerland, which was unheard of for a woman. She described Music as," ... a bridge between people, a universal language as well as a tool for peace"
Her story was also a history lesson for me, about the war in Afghanistan, their culture, and traditions. I could not imagine living with the daily threat and fear of the violence at the hands of the Taliban.
I loved that one of her biggest motivators to accomplish her goal of attending school and university was Michelle Obama, her speeches and passion for education. I enjoyed her writing but did find some jumps in timeline and location a bit confusing.
I received a free copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
Zarifa was the lead violinist and conductor for the ANIM (Afghanistan National Institute of Music) the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world. She had the opportunity to travel and perform in Switzerland, which was unheard of for a woman. She described Music as," ... a bridge between people, a universal language as well as a tool for peace"
Her story was also a history lesson for me, about the war in Afghanistan, their culture, and traditions. I could not imagine living with the daily threat and fear of the violence at the hands of the Taliban.
I loved that one of her biggest motivators to accomplish her goal of attending school and university was Michelle Obama, her speeches and passion for education. I enjoyed her writing but did find some jumps in timeline and location a bit confusing.
I received a free copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
June 18, 2024
The tagline manages to encompass exactly what this book is about. Zarifa is a musician foremost and it's not something that is easy to be in Afghanistan, even before the current rulers took over.
I wanted to read this book because it provides a window into an almost ordinary(but not quite) girl who fights for what she wants. Things don't always go her way, but she manages to make her mark.
The book begins with our author already in the orchestra that defines her future in several ways. Then we are provided a look at the state of things within the country and within her family. Her family are not entirely supportive of her and this causes her distress at several levels.
Unlike other books, here we even get to see the simple things that people have to do to gain scholarships and the options open for studies based on their situations. Zarifa has some good people in her life who helped her advance on her dreams.
The book ends with links as to where we can see or read any of the things mentioned in the text. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Afghanistan and memoirs of young contemporary people.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
I wanted to read this book because it provides a window into an almost ordinary(but not quite) girl who fights for what she wants. Things don't always go her way, but she manages to make her mark.
The book begins with our author already in the orchestra that defines her future in several ways. Then we are provided a look at the state of things within the country and within her family. Her family are not entirely supportive of her and this causes her distress at several levels.
Unlike other books, here we even get to see the simple things that people have to do to gain scholarships and the options open for studies based on their situations. Zarifa has some good people in her life who helped her advance on her dreams.
The book ends with links as to where we can see or read any of the things mentioned in the text. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Afghanistan and memoirs of young contemporary people.
I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.
March 7, 2023
Bir kadın olarak doğmak için Birleşmiş Milletler tarafından dünyadaki en kötü yer ilan edilen Afganistan’da doğan Zarifa Adiba ile tanışmanız gerekli. Amcaları, kuzenleri, yengeleri tarafından yönlendirilen hayatın yanlışlığını fark edip, buna karşı çıkan, özgürlüğü, hayalleri ve ülkesindeki tüm kadınlar için, eğitime ve müziğe dört elle sarılan bir savaşçı o.
Kitap kurgu değil, Zarifa’nın kendi anıları, yaşadıkları… Sadece kendi hikayesinin değil, onun gibi zorluklar, baskılar altındaki birçok kadının da sesi oluyor.
Ocak 2017'de, henüz 18 yaşındayken Afganistan'dan tamamı kadınlardan oluşan orkestranın Dünya Ekonomik Forumu'nda sergilediği performansta orkestrayı yöneten, hak ettiğine inandığı hayatını yaşamak için mücadele eden Zarifa’yı okurken onun adına gurur duydum ve eminim onun hikayesini okuyan, okuyacak tüm kadın ve erkekler de onunla gurur duyacak.
Yaşanmışlık, mücadele, kararlılık ve umut kokan bu yolculuğun her satırından çok etkilendim ben ve herkesin Zarifa Adiba ile tanışmasını, onun mücadelesine şahit olmasını çok isterim.
Kitap kurgu değil, Zarifa’nın kendi anıları, yaşadıkları… Sadece kendi hikayesinin değil, onun gibi zorluklar, baskılar altındaki birçok kadının da sesi oluyor.
Ocak 2017'de, henüz 18 yaşındayken Afganistan'dan tamamı kadınlardan oluşan orkestranın Dünya Ekonomik Forumu'nda sergilediği performansta orkestrayı yöneten, hak ettiğine inandığı hayatını yaşamak için mücadele eden Zarifa’yı okurken onun adına gurur duydum ve eminim onun hikayesini okuyan, okuyacak tüm kadın ve erkekler de onunla gurur duyacak.
Yaşanmışlık, mücadele, kararlılık ve umut kokan bu yolculuğun her satırından çok etkilendim ben ve herkesin Zarifa Adiba ile tanışmasını, onun mücadelesine şahit olmasını çok isterim.
November 15, 2023
Based on Goodreads, it looks like the US is late to this translation. Published in French Nov 2021, Italian Nov 2022, Turkish Jan 2022, The English version has a publication date of May 2024.
Playing for Freedom is Zarifa Adiba's first book. NetGally has this book listed as General Fiction (Adult). If I hadn't just double checked, i would have sworn that it was a memoir.
It is really interesting having the opportunity to have a glimpse into Zarifa's life. This book takes us from middle school into college. It is pretty cool that Michelle Obama has inspired this young woman from the other side of the globe and that Michelle's speechs were used by Zarifa to help her better understand English.
For being so poor in Afghanistan, I was always amazed as to how Zarifa was able to travel so much.
There was definitely some conflict between mother and daughter.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for the opportunity to review Playing For Freedom in exchange for an honest review.
Playing for Freedom is Zarifa Adiba's first book. NetGally has this book listed as General Fiction (Adult). If I hadn't just double checked, i would have sworn that it was a memoir.
It is really interesting having the opportunity to have a glimpse into Zarifa's life. This book takes us from middle school into college. It is pretty cool that Michelle Obama has inspired this young woman from the other side of the globe and that Michelle's speechs were used by Zarifa to help her better understand English.
For being so poor in Afghanistan, I was always amazed as to how Zarifa was able to travel so much.
There was definitely some conflict between mother and daughter.
Many, many thanks to NetGalley and AmazonCrossing for the opportunity to review Playing For Freedom in exchange for an honest review.
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April 12, 2024This was a very inspiring memoir to read. This book follows Zarifa as she tries to pursue her dreams of being a musician while getting major backlash from her family and society in Afghanistan. Throughout the book, Zarifa discusses the Taliban, sexism, violence against women and Muslims, family pressure and disappointment, and how she withstood all of that to follow her dreams. This was a very powerful story, and I think this book is so important for everyone to read to understand what things are like in a community that faces ongoing brutality and political issues. This book will inform you of a community that might be different than your own, and it also is very inspirational for women who have dreams and aspirations that their family and/or society might not fully support. I appreciate how Zarifa shows resistance and strength throughout this book and still makes her dreams come true. I also appreciate that she spreads awareness across many platforms for what people go through in her home country.
April 30, 2024
Young Afghan musician Zarifa Adiba shares her story of growing up in a war-torn country, torn between trying to please her family and longing to pursue her passions. Her story is sometimes difficult to hear, as she describes being abused and abandoned by family members and harassed by those who disapprove of her appearance and lifestyle. I was surprised at how much affection she expresses for her mother and her country when they have both treated her so poorly, but by the end of her story, I had a better understanding.
The audiobook production was good, and I enjoyed the author’s narration. I found her voice and accent very pleasant to listen to and generally easy to understand. She tells her story with great spirit.
I found Zarifa’s story interesting, although I wish she had shared more details about some aspects of her story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs and is curious about life in modern Afghanistan.
I received a free advanced listener copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.
The audiobook production was good, and I enjoyed the author’s narration. I found her voice and accent very pleasant to listen to and generally easy to understand. She tells her story with great spirit.
I found Zarifa’s story interesting, although I wish she had shared more details about some aspects of her story. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs and is curious about life in modern Afghanistan.
I received a free advanced listener copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.
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