Silk Tether: A Novel

by Minal Khan

This is the real world of modern Karachi as seen through the eyes of a young woman in an elite family. Here are the hidden dramatic realities of the upper class, the undertow of religion, revealing the truth sometimes spoken in hushed whispers, more often swept away by the flourish of silk saris at extravagant dinner parties...or perhaps never mentioned at all.

Often tragic, always youthful, yet never what those in the West expect, here in fully realized first-person prose are the lives of Ayla, the protagonist, and her boundaries and customs, as well as those of her Alia, oppressed by her wealthy, overly conservative parents, and Tanzeela, a teenager trapped in an abusive arranged marriage. From silk saris to bombings; from fundamentalism to American sympathy; from Dior makeup to desperate poverty; from sexual abuse to religious taboos, the world of Ayla, in her late teens, struggling in the real world of modern-day Pakistan, is anything but simple.

Silk Tether is a revealing, truthful, poignant novel destined to become a must-listen by westerners seeking to understand the complex world of Islamic fundamentalist countries.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers and listeners interested in fiction - novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times best seller or a national best seller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Genres: Fiction, Audiobook, Pakistan, Coming Of Age, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction

Audible Audio

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Emily Coffee and Commentary · Rating 3 out of 5]

An endearing coming of age, focused on breaking social expectations and pursuing dreams in contemporary Karachi. The positive effects and tense moments of female friendship was both relatable and gratifying, and the conversational prose helps to immerse us in the story, and feel attached to our characters. A short read filled with great descriptions. Worth a read for any fans of relationship-driven plot lines.

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A coming of age story set in Karachi in 2007/8. The narrator is from a well-to-do family, she lives a privileged life. She tells of the restrictions in women's lives, arranged marriages, the behaviour of mothers and the risks of having a non-approved boyfriend. While some of this story is interesting it was a bit uneven in its logic - the narrator was not aware of her surrounds or the struggles of her friend but she was very sensitive to the problems of a just married woman. So it was OK but not memorable.

[Sanaa Raj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out rich people have problems too. Who knew?

Culturally interesting, I liked the first-person perspective the story was written from. It's interesting to even read about how the elite in South Asia live, especially having only known and experienced how the working class lives. I think it could've been longer; the end kind of just happened. Aside from that, it was an enjoyable, quick read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written and interesting book. The main characters I warmed to and empathised with their struggle to be teens in modern Karachi as so many restrictions are put on young girls especially.

I felt in some ways this was written aimed at teens rather than adults and certainly would be readable by teens who might be a bit more appreciative of the freedom they have in our society as opposed to teens in some Muslim countries.

I liked the fact it was told in the first person by Ayla, who in fact had considerable freedom compared to others in the story . Each character added a different element to add to the story so giving a bit of a wider set of problems and challenges to be faced .

I quite enjoyed the book and would read more by the author in future if I come across any.

[Mallee Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayla and Alia have been best friends since grade school in Karachi. Both have ambitions of going to university in U.S. A. But when Ayla meets Shahaan, their lives take a drastic turn. Alia's conservative mother is shocked that her daughter's been seen with a boy. Ayla cannot contact her. Will the two be able to be friends again and succeed in their ambition?
This is an interesting window into the lives of rich Pakistanis and the restrictions and expectations forced on to women.

[Alexis Rocha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting. lots of Melodramam. the protagonists is incredibly self centered and rarely addresses it. The "plot twists" are too much and predictable. The serious abuse that happens is written horribly. I wanted to like it, but couldn't.

[Clare K H · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars I really wanted to enjoy this book. but it was a bit of a let down. The point of view is of a of a rich, priviledged teen - lacking in awareness, constrained by expectations as she completes her last year of school. She feels she is pragmatic, but lives life like it is a melodramatic Dickensian novel.

I feel this would have worked better as a series of short stories. Some sections worked better than others. I read the entire book to see how the opening chapter tied in, but even that was a bit of a let down.

Also, this really was a YA novel.

[Lorena Panetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

I listened to the audiobook. The plot-line didn’t really drive me. It developed some emotional depth towards the middle when friendship dynamics grow and “secrets” are uncovered. Though otherwise, I don’t feel like the story carries much weight to be compelling. It glosses over the painful dynamics of arranged marriages from a financially privileged point of view. The ending felt abrupt, almost like the author was over writing it.

Overall, this book became a background accompaniment to occupy my time with some tasks at home.

[Mich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every bit of the story reminds me of my past: family privilege, overly conservative parents, dealing with unspoken truths, paralyzed by the culture where females are often oppressed, and the thought of the West is always better than the East; aside from being a Pakistani. The last few chapters gave me goose bumps. It's a well-written book for the Westerners, that clearly defined Muslim cultural world and a glimpse into understanding tragedies that happened in Pakistan.

[Meena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, easy, quick read! The theme is one that has been covered many times but still very relevant. The story is based on the lives of a teenage girl Ayla and her teenage friends Alya and Tanzeela. Ayla is a US citizen who lives in modern day Karachi with her affluent parents. Her friend Alya is forced into a marriage against her wishes and Tanzeela is abused by her wicked mother in law . How Ayla helps Tanzeela and Alya escape their fates in a society still held by religious norms is what forms the rest of the story!
Not a bad read.

[Mike Heenan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story from start to finish. Very well written and I am so sad that I don't see any other titles by her. She has a great talent and I can only hope that one day she finds the inspiration to write again.

[Marilyn Friesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of growing up

This story revolves around 2 friends, growing up together and supporting each other in hard times, in a culture where females are often oppressed and denied opportunities for education and careers.

[Shabrei · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story starts in a way that makes you think it’s going somewhere. But then it goes backwards and it just kind of stays there. There were a lot of unspoken things here and it kind of left the reader, guessing in ways that weren’t necessary.

[Uzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few surprises towards the end of the story otherwise it's ok - kinda flat

[Kara Demetropoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Coming-of-age story told from the point of view of a 17-year old girl in Karachi, Pakistan. Quaint, and culturally interesting. Not altogether remarkable, I breezed through it.

[Libraryscat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. Good story and good narrator.

[Morgan]

eye-opening, honest, and relatable

[John Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minal Khan’s “Silk Tether” has all the excitement of suddenly entering another world, the reader immersed in it just like a native. At the same time the narrator sees events with the objectivity of cultural knowledge and her own close experience. Minal Khan does this by what might be called a magic trick: she effortlessly enters the minds and skins of people very different from each other. In her novel “Silk Tether” she deftly selects characters, most all of them Karachi-Pakistani, who are of different ages and at different stages in their lives.
The book begins dramatically with a young woman stepping forward to the passport control of New York’s international airport. She is only nineteen years old, struggling with enormous anxiety. Thoughts fly through her head, she imagines all the bad things that might happen to her: she has a Pakistani passport, a real US visa, and a letter of acceptance to Cornell University. She is called aside to a special interrogation room. Does she know a certain Mohammed Khalid Shiek? It is the name of her uncle. However it is very close to the name of a planner of the 9/11 attack. But it is a common name in Pakistan. The interrogation takes hours, the official is strict but turns out to be friendly. “I looked at him blankly. He looked back, apologetic. ‘How about some Starbucks?’” Before too long she is on her way.
After the introduction the narration backtracks several years to a point when the girl, Ayla, is two years younger. She is spirited and lively, completely inexperienced, and attends her first wedding. “So today I had agreed to come to my mother’s cousin’s step-daughter’s son’s wedding.” It is lavish. The sumptuous wedding is beautifully described with displays of great wealth. The family friends pull out all the stops to show their expensive clothes and food. At this stage in her life the young Ayla is a silent observer who overhears the conversations of her mother, friends and others about the huge importance of marriage, weddings, and the good fortune to produce infants as quickly as possible after the wedding. An adult woman observes, “My mother always said weddings were no laughing matter... A wedding is the meeting of two souls; two families, two dynasties amalgamated into one.” Another friend of her mother says “Now all I hope for is a grandson to complete our family. With the grace of God—Insha’llah—our wish will also come true.”
Through overheard conversations the reader learns that this is the reception of an “arranged” marriage. Finally, in the swarm of extravagantly dressed guests, the eye of the young Ayla picks out the “bride.” Her face is expressionless, her eyes empty. She is moving like a robot.
The novel includes a variety of other persons, and as the narration fans outward it questions, in a variety of settings, the Moslem institution of marriage. These include adults as well as young people. Ayla’s own parents have a concept of marriage she would not choose for herself. Once she overhears a desperate, angry quarrel between her father and mother: the father threatens to completely withdraw economic support for the mother, forcing her to beg alone on the streets. The reader encounters many mothers, and mothers-in-law, who want ultimate control. Attitudes of the mothers toward education are often negative or hostile because it would hinder the control they want. They are frequently despotic toward their children, intent on destroying independence and happiness, contriving to place them in loveless unions based on their own wishes or whims.
Much later Ayla meets the unfortunate bride of the “arranged” marriage described earlier in the novel. She manages—against great odds-- to befriend her. She has bad bruises on her neck and face, Ayla suspects they have been caused by beatings from the husband. But it turns out she is wrong. The husband is not violent at all, they were made by the husband’s controlling mother.
Other relationships are just as extreme. The ending of the book is a cri de coeur that describes the act requiring great courage from a young woman to declare her own individual independence. Ayla and her best friend must act against difficult odds to grasp their independence and liberty. For an English-speaking reader this will recall the desire for personal freedom expressed at the end of James Joyce’s “Portrait of the Artist”: the need to escape the entangling, binding “nets” of a country’s religion, nationality, and customs. In Silk Tether the young women must shake free from the strong bonds that surround them, the fears, superstitions, and powerful cultural precepts.

[Nisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ayla is 17 years old, living in an upper class Karachi neighborhood.  She and her best friend are applying to colleges and enjoying life.This book took me longer than I expected, I found it a bit anticlimactic.  Everytime I thought it was going to get interesting + unravel character stories, it let me down.  It is well written, Ayla is a bit self-absorbed but who isn't at that age, she is confident and willing to step up for those around her.  However, I felt that there were multiple themes such as sexual and physical abuse, that weren't addressed well.  They were mentioned and resolved in a snap with little consequence and discussion of feelings, repercussions and outcomes.  There was a huge opportunity to expand the rhetoric and storyline about abuse, especially in South Asian culture.  Lastly the end of the book, was disappointing, we are led to believe things worked out well for Ayla and her best friend...but we have no idea how and that was one of the climactic points of the story!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ayla's story is pleasantly and surprisingly personal, approachable. Minal Kahn parallels Ayla's blossoming sense of self-identify and the pressures to choose from the limited palate of women's roles available during her adolescence in Karachi, with the evolving role of women in Pakistan, and worldwide.

The women in the story, naturally, all have individual takes on their role in the family and society, and although they are mostly the upper crust of Pakistani society, they are portrayed through the eyes of Ayla so that they could be our Aunties, sisters, friends, women and girls we know in our own towns.

Initially, I was struck how the depiction of the airport entry felt like a scene from the Jim Crow era. It made my heart ache to think that we have not transcended that prejudice and bigotry, only further institutionalized it, focused on another set of fellow humans, and encouraged other countries to do the same.

One scene that stuck with me was the on beach when first Shahaan took Ayla's painting spot, placed her in a socially precarious position by talking to her alone, and then asked her to move so that he could get a better photo, all the while admitting that he's just dabbling in photography. I as particularly galled when we later learn that he was an artist -- sidelining her and lying to her in one act. Remind me again, how is this guy attractive? I get it that sometimes young women don't realize when they are being marginalized, and this is a perfect scenario to demonstrate that. I hope everyone reading this scene resolves to help their daughters and sisters not to pliantly move their proverbial paints, and encourage them to stand their ground.

I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways, and so was encouraged to review it, however this did not influence what I wrote in my review.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tether is a rope or chain tied around an animal to restrict movement. A silk one then apparently can be slightly stretched but may be cut. Ayla and her best school girl friend Alia push against the ties that parents of Muslim faith in Karachi, Pakistan try to keep them safe through rules. The girls however cheat on their parents by going out with hidden excuses for what they will be doing. This ends up in meeting boys, discovering cafes, learning what a young 19 year old's family friends wedding is like and encountering bombings. As the two strain against the tether with plans for escape to America for college, truthfulness also escapes from Ayla to her Mother and some understanding results. Recommend for Young Adults.

[Ritu · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is about young women's lives in Pakistan and explores many topics like women's lack of rights, early marriage, abuse by mother-in-law, sexual abuse, poverty, immigration to US. Written
from three young friends' point of view - Ayla, Alia and Tanzeela. This book is more for young adults. There is not much depth when dealing with the topics.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an on and off again read for me. Took me into some of the ongoing modern struggles of young women in the Eastern parts of our world-Pakistan. It was a fairly interesting tangle of plot and character, but the ending was simply a trite wrap up that didn't bring any decent insight and conclusion. Perhaps the author is planning a sequel...

[Jeanette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, just wished it didn't end the way it did. I hope there will be a follow-on book, to let us know how their lives in NY went; and how the families accepted things. Interesting what can be learned about a sect of people just by reading a fiction book!

[Ghazal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending: Horrible.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully descriptive - it was interesting to read about the culture and setting of this book. The plot felt a little disjointed, and I think it would have more appeal to a YA audience.

[Robyn Newstadt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.