විකුණන ලදි

by Zana Muhsen, Andrew Crofts, Chithra I. Perera (Translator)

Zana Muhsen, born and bred in Birmingham, is of Yemeni origin. When her father told her she was to spend a holiday with relatives in North Yemen, she jumped at the chance. Aged 15 and 13 respectively, Zana and her sister discovered that they had been literally sold into marriage, and that on their arrival they were virtually prisoners. They had to adapt to a completely alien way of life, with no running water, dung-plastered walls, frequent beatings, and the ordeal of childbirth on bare floors with only old women in attendance. After eight years of misery and humiliation Zana succeeded in escaping, but her sister is still there, and it seems likely that she will now never leave the country where she has spent more than half her life. This is an updated edition of Zana's account of her experiences.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Middle East, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Feminism

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Zana Muhsen is a British author who has written about the experiences that she and her sister, Nadia (born 1966), went through when they were sent from their birthplace in Birmingham, England to Yemen in 1980 on a purported holiday to meet the paternal side of their family, but sold unaware into marriage in by their father, Muthanna Muhsen, a Yemeni émigré.



Newspaper :
https://news.google.com/newspapers?id...


http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/smgpubs/d...


http://web.archive.org/web/2008010914...

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id...

https://news.google.com/newspapers?id...

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/...

Reviews

[platkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shit.

Seriously, I have little to no words to describe this book. It's not the most well-written piece in the world, but I'll cut her some slack for being ripped from her native country of England at the young age of 16 and forced to speak another language for 8 years while she was beaten, raped, enslaved, and lied to, and as an added bonus, she got to watch her younger sister go through the same shit in the next town over.

See that run-on sentence? We can't all write beautifully when we're frazzled out of our minds. As of the writing of this book, Zana's sister Nadia was still in Yemen. Part of Zana's motivation for writing the book was to let people know what had happened to her and to raise enough awareness to get her sister out of there. Nadia has since returned to England with her children.

I don't know what became of their father, the man responsible for selling them to two Yemeni families for 1300 pounds each. Toward the end of the book, when Zana is about to get a divorce from the man she was forced to marry, her father called, begging her not to leave Yemen. "I'll be so ashamed, I'll kill myself!" he said. The way their story was blowing up all over the world, I'm sure quite a few people would line up to help him out with that.

On a personal note, I read this a few months after a rather disconcerting conversation with my own father in which he repeatedly suggested that I require a husband and children to be happy. Although he claimed his children are his greatest accomplishments, it was difficult for me to tell, since this was the first conversation we'd had since my grandmother (his mom) died. It sucks that he feels qualified to tell me what I should do when he has such an inactive role in my life. I'm happy already, and thankful every day for my comfortable home, stable job, unique side business, and fun activities. Yes, I'm sad my father can't see that, but he never tricked me into going to Yemen so I could be abused by a miserable, impoverished family and forced into an arranged marriage.

So I got that goin' for me... which is nice.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brutal narrative by an English-born young Yemeni woman and her sister who were sold into slavery by their father is absolutely horrific. The girls were sent to Yemen on the pretext of a vacation to visit family then sold and married off in a vicious male-dominated society. One of the girls manages to escape, leaving behind her young child and her sister who could not bear to abandon her own child. It is a heartless and brutal land to be born a female in and all I could think of was 'WHAT A BASTARD' her father was. What a foul, despicable hideous person. One whom I personally would love to see drawn and quartered in a public square, just like they do to evil-doers in his neck of the woods! There is absolutely nothing nice to be said about such a man!


Memoir of two young English-Yemeni sisters who are 'sold' into marriage, literally, by their father. Raised in England, they have reached teenage-hood with all its challenges and rebellious behaviors. Dad, Dear Dad, convinces the girls to 'go on vacation to visit family in Yemen', where, upon their arrival at the relatives village, he sells them outright and returns to the UK or wherever. They are cast into the tiny rural mountainous village where they are ruled by their husbands and male relatives and live as virtual slaves (but then mere survival in mountainous outposts of the world is slave-like in nature anyway!). But the key is of course, that they can go nowhere, have no rights, are barely recognized as human beings and are indeed merely chattel. This is the story as told by one sister who managed to escape, leaving the other behind because the she could not/would not leave her children... no matter how awful her plight. It is a grim tale of male rule in the Middle East and in the Islamic culture as we know of it. There is a sequel apparently, that furthers the story of the young women. I have yet to read it but I must.

[Leeanne 🥀 The Book Whor3 🥀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was read a long time ago, and was one of the most shocking true stories I’d ever read.

Two sisters, born in Britain, to Middle Eastern parents, are sent to Yemen for a holiday to see family, arranged by their father....only it’s not for a holiday, they’ve been married off!!

This is shocking, emotional, and unbelievable, though true!! Written by one of the sisters who eventually escaped!!

[Patve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiere leer sobre conductas machistas extremas ??? lea esto y siéntase impotente y miserable de no poder ayudar a estas pobres mujeres ...
Siéntase feliz de vivir en occidente y entienda el feminismo cómo igualdad de derechos. (No como una moda que promueve odiosidades)
que pena...que rabia...que crudeza...
este libro me sacó ronchas

[JackieB · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an extremely traumatic story, but due to the writing style, I felt somewhat distant from it. I am relieved that the UK has completely overhauled it's attitude to forced marriages and Zana's mother would get help and support to get her children out of this situation if it happened now.
I don't want to sound unsympathetic about the people in this book, but I was surprised by how much Zana's mother trusted their father. He had already taken two of her children out of the country and failed to bring them back (they were brought up by relatives in the Yemen), so why did she let him arrange a "holiday" in the Yemen for these two children? However, everyone has 20-20 hindsight and if we are honest, we can all look back on things and wonder why we did them, but they made sense at the time.

[leti lo yeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un racconto duro, sconvolgente. Questa testimonianza è un vero pugno allo stomaco, difficilissima da leggere. Muhsen è una donna incredibilmente forte per essere riuscita a sopportare tutto quello che le è successo. L'odio per la sua situazione è evidente, traspare in ogni rigo, ed è come se si potesse toccare con i polpastrelli a ogni pagina che si gira. È proprio grazie a questo odio che Muhsen è riuscita a sopravvivere allo Yemen: si è trasformato nella forza che la ha sostenuta nella lotta per sé stessa, lotta che, nel 1990, quando il racconto viene pubblicato, sta tra l'altro ancora combattendo per poter liberare la sorella, senza diritti in Yemen.

Mi sono ritrovata molto nell'autrice: lungi da me affermare che avrei la determinazione che lei ha mostrato se mi trovassi nella stessa situazione (potrei solo sperarlo), ma mi sono identificata nel suo fuoco, quello con cui ha combattuto l'ingiustizia di cui lei e la sua famiglia sono state vittime.

Lo stile di questa testimonianza è piuttosto semplice e poco "letterario", ma penso che dia carattere al racconto, per quanto ho trovato personalmente che rallentasse un po' la lettura.

È un libro difficile, ma che tutti dovrebbero leggere per rendersi conto di quale sia condizione della donna in certi Paesi nel mondo.

[Elisabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story, but poorly written. This is the barebones story of two young teenagers who are sold into marriage by their Yemeni father. The author finally makes it home to England, but has to leave her younger sister, son, niece, and nephew behind. This all happened over thirty years ago, but I don't think much has changed in Yemen for women. The father was truly wretched, but I thought the mother was a bit of a dope. She had lost two other children in a similar manner previous to these two girls, yet she goes on to have FIVE more children with him.

[Fatma · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's bad written story...the story is interesting but it's written in boring way....I didn't like the cover of the book it gives you the idea (oh,Muslim women being treated like slave) but the story is about a bully father and from pg 15 you understand that her mom and dad are not married and her father goes to the pub with his friends( so he is not practicing Muslim)...so all the story is about bully father with loads of culture problems treating his daughters ( and even you could say sons because he send one to Yamen before even this story started) very bad... I respect that the lady went through hell and i am not trying to comment on her life but on this book .
.........................................................................
after days I re-read it again , it's write that the story is written in bad way but the book is very sad ,About how cruel life could be. The lady
is very brave and I hope she get's some kind of closure because life wasn't easy for her (This book open my eyes to these kind of books, to give them a chance and not dismiss them from the title).

[Rana Abid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Done ♥♥♥
Amazing true story.... I can't stop reading it... 8 years of fear and sadness...hope and disappointing. .. of slavery under the name of marriage :(

For fifteen year old zana and her sister nadia born and raised in Birmingham, a trip to visit relatives in Yemen sounded like a dream come true.
But the holiday soon turned into a terrifying nightmare when they discovered that their father had sold then into arranged marriages . For eight brutal years they lived as helpless prisoners forced to adapt to a harsh and unfamiliar way of life. Frequently beaten and raped, and entirely cut off from the UK, they had only each other for comfort.
When the international spotlight focused on the sister's plight, it seemed that they might at last escape. But only Zana was given permission to leave. Her choice to stay in a life of slavery or to leave her young son and sister and finally go home is a heartbreaking moment in this shocking story of courage and sisterhood in the face of unimaginable cruelty.

[Rubí Santander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro fue mi primer choque cultural literario, lo que vivió la protagonista es algo que no puedes entender sobre todo cuando no tienes conocimiento alguno de su cultura. Claro que el leerlo a los 16 años es muy diferente a cuando eres mayor ya con más conocimiento sobre diferentes culturas del mundo y aún así no dejas de sentir incomodidad y malestar al pensar que eso es real y que sigue pasando. Es un libro que me hace agradecer las libertades con las que nací.

"A menudo en el silencio de mis noches solitarias, oigo aullar mi corazón como aúllan las lobas de ahí, en las montañas, buscando a sus crías, aullaré hasta que me oiga"

[Ora Hudes · Rating 5 out of 5]

men of Yemen
treat your women better
you owe it to God
to do so!

[Maria Ferreira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nádia e Zana partiram no início da década de 1980 para umas férias de sonho, de quatro semanas num país exótico. País onde nascera o seu querido pai.

Ao chegarem ao Iémen, Zana e Nádia com 15 e 13 anos respetivamente foram apresentadas aos seus maridos, Abdulah e Zamir. O querido pai as vendera por 1300 libras cada uma.

Ficção? Ou Realidade?

Poderíamos estar perante uma história de terror, um conto, um romance, certamente interessante para uns outros, menos interessante para outros, mas não, trata-se da história de vida de duas jovens Britânicas, nascidas e criadas num país de primeiro mundo, ocidentalizado, um país que se diz “avançado” tecnologicamente e socialmente.

Miriam Ali desconhecia o paradeiro das filhas, perguntava-se porque não voltavam das férias quando se deparou com a triste realidade, o companheiro, pai das meninas, vendera-as e elas nunca mais irão regressar a Inglaterra.

Miriam, a partir de Inglaterra travou várias guerras:

Contra o companheiro, pai dos seus sete filhos, implorou-lhe que fizesse as meninas voltarem a Inglaterra, mas sem êxito. Separou-se dele, este seu companheiro e pai asqueroso já lhe tinha levado dois filhos anos antes, e nunca os fizera voltar, dizendo que os filhos estavam bem e que eles próprios é que preferiam o Iemén à Inglaterra, mentira.

Teve como adversário de luta o governo de Inglaterra, que se recusava a qualquer tentativa de fazer regressar ao país, as suas cidadãs, Nádia e Zana, dizendo que as jovens estão casadas e não podem sair do país sem o consentimento dos maridos, são as leis do Iemén, ignorando, ou fazendo por ignorar totalmente as leis de Inglaterra, onde os casamentos das jovens fora anulado porque as certidões de casamento eram falsas. O pai falsificou os documentos, porque, não sendo casado com Miriam, Muthasa não tem poder paternal exclusivo sobre os seus filhos, as menores nunca poderiam casar sem o consentimento da mãe, as crianças também são propriedade da mãe enquanto menores de idade. Inglaterra ignorou e nada fez por esta mãe e por estas duas crianças.

Lutou contra o governo de Iemén que não colaborou na liberdade das jovens, sabendo que tinham sido, enganadas, violadas, forçadas a ter filhos e desejavam regressar ao seu país, criaram obstáculos burocráticos e não permitiam a sua libertação. Zana conseguiu muito a custo a sua libertação, devido ao seu temperamento difícil, que enfrentava todos os homens de cabeça erguida, apesar de levar tareia.

Foi a opinião pública, foram os média, foram as pessoas que se mobilizaram em torno deste problema, pressionando os governos a encontrarem uma solução. Uma guerra travada ao longo de 7 anos na justiça, nos tribunais, na polícia, em burocracias, e dois países totalmente diferentes entre si. Foi a opinião pública que conduziu ao Iemén centenas de jornalistas, de vários canais de televisão, juristas, advogados, diplomatas e uma mãe obstinada em fazer voltar ao seu lar, as suas duas filhas que lhe haviam sido roubadas. Apesar de todos os esforços apenas Zana regressou.

Zana nunca se deixou subjugar, soube que fora vendida pelo pai à família do marido, mas nunca aceitou essa decisão, o ódio apoderou-se do seu corpo e da sua mente, lutou com todas as suas forças contra o seu doente e enfezado marido de 14 anos, contra o seu sogro que lhe batia constantemente e a forçava a deitar-se com o filho, contra a sua sogra que a odiava, mas compreendia porque é que o seu marido tinha comprado a inglesa, pois era a única forma de casar o filho, nenhuma família Iemenita casaria a sua filha com um rapaz débil, sem saúde para trabalhar e a necessitar de tantos cuidados médicos.

Zana debatia-se contra tudo e todos, tentou o suicídio e a fuga, sem êxito, porque todos os olhos da casa permaneciam em cima dela. Não se conseguia adaptar a vida dura que as mulheres levavam. Sem eletricidade, sem água corrente, a viver numa casa feita de pedra e excremento animal, a viver paredes meias com as vacas, as galinhas e as ovelhas, a dormir em cima da pedra olhando as lagartixas e os mosquitos a passearem diante dos seus olhos. O dia passava a subir e a descer uma colina íngreme a transportar água e lenha para casa, a cozinhar, a lavar a roupa, a tratar da casa, dos animais e do campo.

A pouco e pouco a doença e o desgaste psicológico foram toldando a sua personalidade, das violações que sofrera pariu um filho, no chão da casa de pedra em condições indignas para um ser humano, acompanhada pela sua malvada sogra e uma idosa que nada podia fazer por ela. Aceitou a condição de ser uma mulher iemenita, 4 anos após pisar aquele solo.

Nádia, irmã de Zana, com 14 anos, uma criança que jogava à bola na rua com todas as crianças do seu bairro, uma menina pueril que ficou aterrorizada quando se viu sozinha com uma família que não comunicava com ela, porque não falavam a mesma língua, um sogro que traduzia e lhe ameaçava bater ao mínimo despeito, um marido que não saia de cima dela e não lhe dava descanso, forçava-a a ser mãe, para a agarrar. Calou-se para sempre, obedecia a tudo o que lhe pediam, sempre calada e triste, sete anos passados e já contava com quatro filhos e grávida do quinto, o homem não parava de lhe fazer filhos.

Miriam consegue chegar às filhas 4 anos depois, consegue visitá-las no Iemém, nas suas aldeias perdidas que nem existem no mapa do país. Encontra-as e a partir daí a esperança renasce para todas, a mãe traz na mala uma cassete com a voz da filha Zana a pedir ao mundo a libertação dela e da sua irmã, porque não aguentam mais viver assim, nessa altura Nádia estava grávida do segundo filho e Zana prestes a parir.
Miriam regressa a Inglaterra com o coração partido e a transpirar ódio por todos os poros da sua pele.

Zana parte para Inglaterra, 8 anos após ter saído e Nádia não foi capaz de lhe seguir, por não querer abandonar os filhos no Iemém, ela sonhava e desejava a sua libertação, tanto quanto a sua irmã, mas os filhos teriam que ficar com o pai, são as lei do Iemém, os filhos pertencem ao pai, apesar de eles nada lhe ligarem e terem tão pouco amor por eles.

Nádia ficou no Iemén, a mãe e os irmãos tentam por todos os meios que o marido de Nádia aceite vir morar em Inglaterra com os filhos e pede ao governo Inglês que o deixe viver em Inglaterra.
Zamir não quer morar em Inglaterra e não deixa que os filhos viajem para Inglaterra. Nádia é livre de ir embora, mas os filhos não, Nádia sabe que nunca mais vê os filhos se se for embora do Iemém.

Qual é mãe que aceita viver longe das suas crias? Compreendo-a.

[sam sam blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoir of two young English-Yemeni sisters who are 'sold' into marriage. Literally, by their father!! Raised in England, they have reached teenage-hood with all its challenges and rebellious behaviors. Their Dad, convinces the girls to "go on vacation to visit family in Yemen", where, upon their arrival at the relatives village, he sells them into marriage and returns to the UK.. They are cast into the tiny rural mountainous village where they are ruled by their husbands and male relatives and live as slaves. There they work from dawn to sunset, fetching water, cooking. They also have no electricity or running water. They can go nowhere, have no rights, are barely recognized as human beings and are indeed merely chattel. This is the story as told by one sister who managed to escape, leaving the other behind because she could not/would not leave her children... no matter how awful her plight. It is a grim tale of male rule in the Middle East and in the Islamic culture as we know of it. Please read the sequel to this book "Promise to Nadia".

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually find autobiographies or books that are telling a real life event kind of boring, and I normally find myself skipping some pages. At the beginning of my journey through this book, this was what I expected. However, Zana's thrilling and devastating experience had my eyes wide opened and I kept a firm grip with this group. "Sold" tells a shocking story about two Yemeni sisters that were literally sold (for 1,300 pounds each) into marriage with Yemen man by their own father . This happened when Zana was only 15 and her sister was one year younger. The story shows how some people can be extremely close-minded, always following and obeying traditions from centuries ago. The story only comes to prove that still nowadays, there are many problems in third world countries, that seem to be from years ago.

[Belinda Vlasbaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 stars - English Ebook

Shocking! Shocking! Shocking!!!

Terrible story about to children into slavery! Modern day slavery!

[Surymae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ci sono dei libri che raccontano storie tragiche, strazianti, disturbanti, spesso autobiografiche. Libri utilizzati per far luce su problemi fin troppo trascurati, e anche per un grido d'aiuto da parte delle povere vittime. Questo libro fa parte di questa categoria, e mi é difficile darne un giudizio. Massima solidarietà a Zana Muhsen, ma purtroppo un libro non si può valutare soltanto in base alla tristezza della storia raccontata o alle ingiustizie subite dalla protagonista. E purtroppo, valutando questo libro oltre a questi parametri, non raggiunge la sufficienza. Ripeto: massima solidarietà a Zana Muhsen; capisco il suo punto di vista, e lo rispetto. Tuttavia, questo non giustifica il piglio polemico della narrazione, e sopratutto i giudizi gratuiti e sgradevoli che l'autrice non si sforza nemmeno di nascondere. Quando una persona le sta antipatica, lo mette in evidenza con tutta la forza di cui é capace; un comportamento molto onesto, ma che mi ha messo in difficoltà durante la lettura. Se mi viene ripetuto fino allo sfinimento che tale persona é antipatica, cattiva, detestabile dalla autrice stessa, come faccio io lettrice a farmene un'idea mia, personale? Non ci riesco. Così la triste vicenda di Zana Muhsen rimane incompleta. Come se non bastasse, poi, detta vicenda é narrata, da un punto di vista meramente letterario, molto male: non apprezzo lo stile di scrittura dell'autrice, e trovo che gestisca male il ritmo della storia. Almeno cinquanta pagine senza avvenimenti degni di nota, e pochissime per descrivere le vicissitudini legali delle protagoniste? No, così non va. A queste parti si aggiungono poi i pensieri della protagonista: ripetitivi e, passatemi il termine, ossessivi. Non c'è bisogno di ripetere così tante volte l'odio per Abdul Khada, non c'è bisogno di ripetere così tante volte la fragilità di Nadia, non c'è bisogno di ripetere così tante volte le speranze riposte nella madre della Muhsen. E questi sono solo alcuni esempi: ma potrei farne tanti altri, tutti ugualmente ripetitivi e ossessivi.
Quindi, per tutti questi motivi, il libro non riesce a raggiungere la sufficienza. Così come va scritto obiettivamente (si spererebbe, Zana Muhsen), così va giudicato, indipendentemente dalla trama e dalle sensazioni che essa ci convoglia, sia che ci piaccia che non ci piaccia. Mi dispiace, ma non posso fare altrimenti.

[Camila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realmente este es uno de mis libros favoritos que leí en mi corta vida.
Mis papás me lo prestaron cuando tenía doce años,explicándome que era una historia real y que era bastante fuerte,si quería dejarlo en algún momento que lo hiciera sin dudarlo.
Empecé leyendo con incertidumbre,no sabia lo que me esperaba, pero a medida que me adentraba en la historia estaba casi tan pérdida como la protagonista sin poder entender que es lo que estaba pasando y enterándome de las cosas al mismo tiempo que ella.
Es un libro que hace reflexionar acerca de la sociedad en que vivimos,en los distintos tipos de culturas que posee el mundo,y el hecho de que algo que nos parezca tan aberrante para nosotros sea tan común para otros.
La veracidad de esta historia siempre me recuerda que,a veces, nuestros familiares no son héroes y son los antagonistas, pero que siempre alguien de nuestro circulo cercano va a estar ahí para tendernos la mano.
La enseñanza que yo misma declaré al finalizar el libro con mis doce años es que la vida no es perfecta para cada una de las personas que habitan en la tierra.
Si pudiera,recomendaría este libro a todas las personas para que puedan abrir un poco su mente ya que este libro es muy honesto.
Sin embargo nunca pude conseguir el último libro para saber que es lo que pasa para estas hermanas,que lucharon ante todo pero sobre todo juntas.

[Vedat Hayri Adivar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bu öykü, çağdaş dünyamızda hala hüküm süren en ilkel bazı unsurlarla dünyadaki en nitelikli bazı insanlar arasındaki çatışmayı anlatır...
O gece, bizi üzerimizden kilitlemeye ihtiyaç duymadılar. Kaçabiliceğim hiçbir yer yoktu. Abdullah içeri girip babasının söylediklerini yaptı. Hareketsiz yattım; ona karşı koymadım...
Ölümü düşününce mutlu olmuştum, çünkü bu benim Yemen'den kurtulmam için bir neden olabilirdi...
Mokbana bölgesinde yaşayan kızları izleyen bir Tanrı'nın varlığına inanmak çok zordu...

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book. Living in the contemporary Middle East, it was hard to imagine that this happens but in small towns and underdeveloped countries, undoubtedly it does. My heart went out to the author as she retold her situation and her fathers unwillingness to accept his upbringing of daughters in a western world.

[Δημήτρης Κώτσος · Rating 5 out of 5]

Η αληθινή ιστορία της Ζάνας και της Νάντιας που πουλήθηκαν από τον πατέρα τους και σε τρυφερή ηλικία αναγκάστηκαν να ζήσουν άσχημα χρόνια στην Υεμένη. Ένα χρονικό δύο βασανισμένων νεαρών κοριτσιών που υπέθεταν ότι θα πήγαιναν διακοπές και βρέθηκαν παντρεμένες. Οι συνθήκες διαβίωσης ήταν άθλιες και απάνθρωπες όπως επίσης και ο τρόπος που τους φέρονταν.

Σε μία κοινωνία που ο άντρας έχει το πάνω χέρι και η γνώμη του μόνο περνάει είναι δυστυχώς αναμενόμενο να υπάρχουν αυτές οι κακές πρακτικές. Η Ζάνα είναι πιο θαρραλέα και δυναμική και παίρνει την κατάσταση στα χέρια της. Από τις δύο αδερφές είναι η μόνη που καταφέρνει να ξεφύγει από τον στενό κλοιό και αγωνίζεται να καταφέρει το ίδιο και για την Νάντια.

Ένα βιβλίο- καταπέλτης για την καταπάτηση των ανθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων και τα ήθη και τα έθιμα οπισθοδρομικών λαών. Πριν ξεκινήσω την ανάγνωση μου κέντρισε το ενδιαφέρον το εξώφυλλο που βλέπει κάποιος δύο μελαγχολικά μάτια που έχουν ζήσει την βία και τον εξευτελισμό. Με συγκίνησε και με προβλημάτισε.

Αναζητήστε το και καλή ανάγνωση.

[Sara Isabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho. Aunque hace muchos años que pasó y quiero creer que estas cosas ya no pasan. Nunca está mal concienciarse un poco de qué hay personas que han sufrido estas injusticias tan grandes... Víctimas de una visión del mundo retrógrada... Que esperemos que ya no exista.

[Lucy Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most harrowing and compelling reads! This autobiography told by Zana, one of two young teenage sisters from Birmingham, whose father told them he was taking them abroad for a holiday, but instead sold them into marriage and slavery to boys they had never met and who lived in the Yemeni mountains.

In the Yemen were forced to live in poverty stricken villages and were cruelly treated. Every day they walked over rocky terrain to draw water from a well; they were battered and raped and gave birth virtually on their own.

Their mother fought tirelessly for many years to get them back. Zana managed to leave with the help of the UK press, but had to leave her son behind. Nadia stayed behind to be with her children.

Both sisters eventually came home (Zana before she wrote this book; Nadia only after 23 years).

The style of writing does not make it great literature, but I imagine the ghost writer kept to the style in which Zana told her incredible story. I would however thoroughly recommend this book, as it is a shocking story about modern day slavery that shockingly still exists in this day and age.

[Nurkhon · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, I don’t know how to describe what I felt reading this book. It was not my first book about slavery and sexual violence in Middle East and I grew up in a place where many women live with similar stories in silence. As a Muslim, I strongly believe that one of the reasons why Allah SWT send the religion of Islam was to put an end to misogyny. It was Islam that prohibited women from being sold, raped and treated like something men can own. It is shocking to learn that the same men who were granted this religion used/have been using it to support misogyny more and satisfy their animal disgusting desires further. With all the pity and sympathy I feel towards Zana and Nadia Muhsen, I worry more about women in Yemen who are still victims of sexual abuse, domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies, child marriages, hunger, and violations of human rights. While almost all countries have a little share of these problems, Yemen seems to be the worst. I am so glad that Zana had strength to share this heartbreaking story of her life and I keep praying that there will be a time where this kind of stories feel like a long forgotten history.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I brought this along with the follow up 'A promise to Nadia' I can't recall the press coverage in the 80's but this is still going on. Young girls are 'sold' by their family and taken out of the country my first question was 'whats going on with the school system why didn't anyone ask where the girls where?
You will feel angry at Zana's father and the men that brought her, sad for the girls who had lost their family and friends, frustration as their Mum battled to get them back and outrage that women can still be treated like chattel. The excuse 'this is the way its always been' is an insult to all the young girls who have and are still been subjected to rape, beatings and being treated as slaves.

[Caroline Morphett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although it's not the most well-written book, i couldn't put it down after the first page. The story of the excruciatingly painful life changes these girls went through, all because of their own belligerent father, is one we should all know. Although it is grim at times, reading about Zana's story and her courageous fight gives you perspective of what life for other women who have no power over their lives, and where they lead.
Reading this not only raises awareness of what goes on miles away in countries like the Yemen, but insight into how privileged we are, and should appreciate the things we take for granted, and all fight for equality in every aspect of life, for people all around the world, particularly women to be freed of captivity by marriage and misogyny.

[Maria Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es impresionante como este tipo de cosas e historias siguen pasando aun hoy en día. Hace pocas semanas oí en las noticias que una niña yemení de 8 años había muerto por las lesiones provocadas por su esposo de 40 años en la noche de bodas, por eso, cuando este libro llego a mis manos por casualidad, no dude en leer este relato de dos niñas obligadas a transformarse en mujeres mucho antes de tiempo, a vivir como esclavas, a no tener voz, a ser meras mercancías. Porque esto no es religión, ni es una tradición, es una barbaridad...
Ojala llegue el día en que podemos afirmar que no existen más Zanas o Nadias en el mundo, donde ninguna mujer pueda ser vendida.

[Ermocolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho letto questo libro tanti anni fa ma lo ricordo ancora come se lo avessi appena concluso.

È una testimonianza terribile e brutale di come la condizione femminile abbia attraversato e tutt'ora attraversi una spietata e lunghissima traversia.

E, dal momento che questo riguarda sia la storia passata che l'attualità più prossima, ben vengano le testimonianze dirette in attesa e con la speranza che si giunga prima o poi a una risoluzione democratica di questa piaga.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finito di leggere. E'un libro duro, che fa riflettere sulla triste condizione femminile nei paesi arabi, non credo sia una storia isolata ma che siano situazioni che si verificano più spesso di quanto pensiamo.

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the 2nd time. Super biography

[Leonardo Molina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desgarrador. Lo llena a uno de impotencia. Sueño con la muerte del patriarcado asqueroso que somete a las mujeres desde tiempos inmemoriales.