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Stained
Selina, a beautiful, British-born Pakistani young woman recently lost her father, and finds herself struggling to cope with life, in particular with some aspects of her studies. Matters go from bad to worse, when a trusted family friend from the mosque offers to tutor her, and rapes her instead. With the threat of dishonour to her family at her back, Selina goes to extreme lengths to avoid scandal, and prevent shame being brought to her widowed mother’s door. It will take all the strength and courage Selina can muster when her life travels down a dangerous path, from which there may be no return…
- GenresContemporaryFiction
200 pages, paperback
First published October 3, 2016
3 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Abda Khan
5 books33 followersAbda Khan is a lawyer turned writer. She is the author of the novels ‘Stained’ and ‘Razia’ and her poetry collection ‘Losing Battles Winning Wars’. Her third novel, ‘That Which May Destroy You’, (publication date 8 March 2025), is a gripping courtroom thriller exploring the issue of ‘gaslighting’. She writes commissioned pieces for various publications, organisations and projects. She teaches creative writing, and produces and directs her own creative community projects.. She is a Desi Blitz Arts Ambassador, a Lloyds Bank Women of the Future Ambassador, and she won British Muslim Woman of the Year in 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
August 15, 2016
For the in-depth review, visit my blog Read Diverse Books
Stained by Abda Khan is a novel that examines the stifling presence of rape culture and the psychological trauma victims of sexual violence must face. The title immediately evokes negative connotations. My initial, personal, reaction to it wasn’t very positive either, as I saw it as reductive term for survivors of sexual assault. But after I saw how the novel explores cultural taboos and rape culture, the term makes sense, even as one that is self-imposed.
There’s much to like about Stained. The writing is efficient and places us in Selina’s mind and helps us understand her actions and motivations. The depiction of how a conservative community, emotional blackmail, and rape culture all lead to an intelligent young woman to not report her sexual assault is realistic and therefore upsetting. But what I enjoyed most about this novel was how ultimately, the story was about Selina’s strength and growth as a survivor. The title and book cover may not indicate this, but Selina emerges a stronger person out of this ordeal. In the end, she refuses to allow her life to be defined by the men around her, whether they are positive or negative influences in it. She wants to carve out a life of her own and define its parameters herself. This feminist message strengthens the story and provides an important perspective.
Stained by Abda Khan is a novel that examines the stifling presence of rape culture and the psychological trauma victims of sexual violence must face. The title immediately evokes negative connotations. My initial, personal, reaction to it wasn’t very positive either, as I saw it as reductive term for survivors of sexual assault. But after I saw how the novel explores cultural taboos and rape culture, the term makes sense, even as one that is self-imposed.
There’s much to like about Stained. The writing is efficient and places us in Selina’s mind and helps us understand her actions and motivations. The depiction of how a conservative community, emotional blackmail, and rape culture all lead to an intelligent young woman to not report her sexual assault is realistic and therefore upsetting. But what I enjoyed most about this novel was how ultimately, the story was about Selina’s strength and growth as a survivor. The title and book cover may not indicate this, but Selina emerges a stronger person out of this ordeal. In the end, she refuses to allow her life to be defined by the men around her, whether they are positive or negative influences in it. She wants to carve out a life of her own and define its parameters herself. This feminist message strengthens the story and provides an important perspective.
March 22, 2019
Selina is in her final year in high school. Her final exams are soon approaching. She is hoping to go to college soon. Her dad passed the previous year and things have been rocky at home since them. Her mother is grieving and Selina misses her dad very much. Her grades at school have also dipped since then. One of their family friends, who teaches at the university, offers to help Selina by giving her lessons in Economics, a subject which she finds the most challenging. The initial lessons go well, but one particular day when his wife is away, the family friend rapes her. He then threatens her, saying that if she tells anyone, he will ruin her life. Selina goes home and keeps quiet and doesn't tell her mother or anyone else what happened. Meanwhile, for sometime, her mother has been trying to get Selina married. Her mother feels that an unmarried daughter at home is a burden. Selina refuses to agree to that till now, because she wants to go to university and study law and become a human rights lawyer. After this horrible thing happens to her, Selina tries locking away the memories of the incident in the deepest part of her heart and she hopes it stays there. But, unfortunately, it rears its head, surprisingly, a few weeks later, when Selina discovers that she is pregnant. She doesn't know what to do, because she hasn't told anyone what happened. She is afraid what would happen if her mother or other people discover that she is pregnant. To tide over this crisis, she tells her mother that she is ready to get married. Does Selina get married? Does her new husband discover her secret? Does she meet again the man who perpetrated this violence on her? Does she get justice? Is Selina able to survive all this and live a happy life? The answers to these questions form the rest of the book.
'Stained' is a gripping book. It grabs the reader's attention from the first page and refuses to let go till the last page. The story takes the reader on a roller coaster ride as we don't know what is going to happen next, and we hope and pray that Selina survives the ordeal. Abda Khan's prose is spare and it makes the story flow smoothly like a river. Abda Khan is a human rights lawyer herself and her writings and talks are focused on themes related to her work, especially the rights that women have and how they can take the help of the legal system to protect their rights. The parts of the story which talk about that are beautifully written. There are also beautiful descriptions of Pakistani culture in the book - the description of a Pakistani wedding is beautiful and is a pleasure to read, and it is almost like watching the Bollywood movie 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun'; the description of food makes us almost smell the fragrant aroma wafting from the kitchen and makes us yearn for those delicious dishes. The book is very Pakistani / South Asian in some ways. For example, a Western reader might wonder why Selina didn't go to the police and file a complaint, when she was raped. A South Asian reader will understand why she didn't - going to the police would mean revealing something very private to the world and people will avoid doing it at all costs. A Western reader will believe that the police is out there to help the common person. A South Asian reader will regard the police with suspicion - in some places, entering a police station itself would be regarded as something which results in the loss of dignity for the family and the individual concerned. Hopefully readers who read the story with a Western sensibility will be able to get the subtleties of culture depicted in it.
I loved 'Stained'. I have wanted to read it for a while, and I am glad I finally read it. It is a very moving, thought-provoking story of the struggles faced by a young woman who suffers violence at the hands of a perpetrator and what she does to survive the ordeal. It is also a story about family, friendship and love. Abda Khan's new novel 'Razia' is coming out in July and I can't wait to read it.
I will leave you with two of my favourite passages from the book.
"I breathed the scent of home deep into my lungs. I smelt a homey fragrance that exudes an underlying security you find nowhere else. I breathed in a calm serenity that only your home can give you. I inhaled the delicate scent of inner peace; if you search for it, you will surely find it here, I concluded. Home was not the place. I knew that now. Home was the people. My people. My family. I had missed them all so much."
"I missed my mum’s home cooking. No amount of fine dining could ever compare to her dishes, which tasted of that unique combination of years of heritage and experience infused with the love that only a mother can impart into the food she prepares for her children."
Have you read Abda Khan's 'Stained'? What do you think about it?
'Stained' is a gripping book. It grabs the reader's attention from the first page and refuses to let go till the last page. The story takes the reader on a roller coaster ride as we don't know what is going to happen next, and we hope and pray that Selina survives the ordeal. Abda Khan's prose is spare and it makes the story flow smoothly like a river. Abda Khan is a human rights lawyer herself and her writings and talks are focused on themes related to her work, especially the rights that women have and how they can take the help of the legal system to protect their rights. The parts of the story which talk about that are beautifully written. There are also beautiful descriptions of Pakistani culture in the book - the description of a Pakistani wedding is beautiful and is a pleasure to read, and it is almost like watching the Bollywood movie 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun'; the description of food makes us almost smell the fragrant aroma wafting from the kitchen and makes us yearn for those delicious dishes. The book is very Pakistani / South Asian in some ways. For example, a Western reader might wonder why Selina didn't go to the police and file a complaint, when she was raped. A South Asian reader will understand why she didn't - going to the police would mean revealing something very private to the world and people will avoid doing it at all costs. A Western reader will believe that the police is out there to help the common person. A South Asian reader will regard the police with suspicion - in some places, entering a police station itself would be regarded as something which results in the loss of dignity for the family and the individual concerned. Hopefully readers who read the story with a Western sensibility will be able to get the subtleties of culture depicted in it.
I loved 'Stained'. I have wanted to read it for a while, and I am glad I finally read it. It is a very moving, thought-provoking story of the struggles faced by a young woman who suffers violence at the hands of a perpetrator and what she does to survive the ordeal. It is also a story about family, friendship and love. Abda Khan's new novel 'Razia' is coming out in July and I can't wait to read it.
I will leave you with two of my favourite passages from the book.
"I breathed the scent of home deep into my lungs. I smelt a homey fragrance that exudes an underlying security you find nowhere else. I breathed in a calm serenity that only your home can give you. I inhaled the delicate scent of inner peace; if you search for it, you will surely find it here, I concluded. Home was not the place. I knew that now. Home was the people. My people. My family. I had missed them all so much."
"I missed my mum’s home cooking. No amount of fine dining could ever compare to her dishes, which tasted of that unique combination of years of heritage and experience infused with the love that only a mother can impart into the food she prepares for her children."
Have you read Abda Khan's 'Stained'? What do you think about it?
August 19, 2016
Selina, a beautiful, British-born Pakistani young woman recently lost her father, and finds herself struggling to cope with life, in particular with some aspects of her studies. Matters go from bad to worse, when a trusted family friend from the mosque offers to tutor her, and rapes her instead. With the threat of dishonour to her family at her back, Selina goes to extreme lengths to avoid scandal, and prevent shame being brought to her widowed mother’s door. It will take all the strength and courage Selina can muster when her life travels down a dangerous path, from which there may be no return…
Rating: 4/5 Penguins
Quick Reasons: the prose is a bit stiff and awkward in places, but PENGUINS, this book is so important; diverse read; hard-hitting, emotionally-charged subject matter; super short, but SO SO heavy; Selina's story is one of strength and poise in the face of adversity, of finding yourself despite the darkness threatening to swallow you; this book touched me deeply
Such a HUGE thank you goes to Abda Khan and Harvard Square Editions publishing for sending me a copy of this title in exchange for an honest review! This in no way altered my read of or opinions on this book.
From the way they described the dress, it's going to be so shiny and sparkly, I would probably get mistaken for a Christmas tree.
Okay, let's get this out of the way first: this book is SUPER short. Perhaps, in light of everything that happens within these pages, a bit too short to really do the emotions justice. The prose was a bit stiff and awkward throughout, though not enough to slow down my reading or confuse me. In spite of these things...this book is SO, SO super important.
BUT. The subject matter is very heavy. Relevant as it is--especially for other women who have, or are, or will in the future experienced such trauma--it is not a read I would recommend to just anyone. There are triggering topics brought up: rape, miscarriage, emotional abuse, self-defense, and murder are just a few of the bigger ones. If you are a sensitive reader, or are easily triggered by such heavy topics, I recommend seriously thinking on picking this book up. It's important...but so is your safety as a reader.
I looked up at the sky; there were a few bands of dusky blue hues peeping through, but mostly it was beginning to cloud over and was predominantly greyish. It was grey, and it was beautiful.
That being said, I fully appreciated--and was deeply touched by--Selina's story. Throughout this read, she remained strong and poised in the face of adversity and trauma. She picked herself up; she tried her best to move on. Even when the world was at its darkest, she brushed the dust off and kept moving forward. There's a lot to be said for a character who can stand so tall despite the things life throws at her; there's a lot to be learned from such characters as Selina. More, though--her story was of finding herself DESPITE the path life set her on.
The prose throughout was melodic and, though dark at points, maintained a poetic beauty I admire. Though this is first person narrative from Selina's perspective, I feel Abda Khan painted the rest of the characters in ways that made them live and breathe from the pages. The "uncle"--the villain--in particular both chilled and absolutely disgusted me, the testament of a well-written and effectively portrayed character. These characters are SO real...and it only helped to drive home the fact that there are, in the world today, people just like this walking around. That we, on a daily basis sometimes, come into contact with them without ever realizing.
I inhaled the delicate scent of inner peace; it you search for it you will surely find it here, I concluded. Home was not the place. I knew that now. Home was the people.
This is an important, emotionally-heavy read, and I am so honored to have been given the chance to pick it up. It is obvious Abda Khan knows and studies people--her characters were realistically portrayed and effectively written. Human nature, and the ways we deal with trauma and adversity, are two of the largest resounding topics, though I say again: this read is NOT for everyone, given the sensitive subject matter. I recommend this to readers of hard-hitting, intense, emotionally-charged stories. This book is short...but it says so, so much.
November 25, 2016
I really enjoyed reading Stained by Abda Khan. I always appreciate stories about women who come from different cultural backgrounds than I do and have a perspective on life that I'll never be able to view as a white woman. While difficult to read because of the subject matter, I also think it's an important book. While women in every culture are usually made to feel like they're to blame for their own rape and often suffer more consequences than the rapist, Selina carries the even greater burden of ruining her family's reputation if news of her rape were to get out. Abda Khan puts you completely into Selina's world and shows you how rape can change every part of your life, from your relationships with friends and family to career/educational prospects. What Selina endures seems unfathomable, but in reality over 680,000 American women are raped each year (that's more than 1 woman a minute on average). There stories could be very similar to Selina's and they need to be heard. Hopefully, if more authors write about rape survivors, we'll feel more comfortable as a society addressing rape culture and working to erase it.
May 2, 2017
This story is not one I am likely to forget for a very long time. Selina is a Pakistani 18-year-old who recently lost her father and both she and her family are struggling to cope. She has aspirations to attend university and become a lawyer but is struggling with her Economics class in high school. A long-time trusted family friend offers to tutor her and so begins a very difficult journey. There are secrets, lies, obligations to family and culture, worry about dishonor, cultural taboos and so much more.
I quite literally could not put this book down - it captivated me from page one to the end. I was constantly saying "Oh no! Now what?" as I was reading. A very intense read by a very gifted, talented author.
Thank you to Abda Khan for personally sending me a copy of this book and for the wonderful Goodreads program.
I quite literally could not put this book down - it captivated me from page one to the end. I was constantly saying "Oh no! Now what?" as I was reading. A very intense read by a very gifted, talented author.
Thank you to Abda Khan for personally sending me a copy of this book and for the wonderful Goodreads program.
dnf
December 30, 2018DNF'd at 51%. I just can't take this juvenile, simplistic and over-wrought story any more. Enough.
April 8, 2018
* I received an ARC of this book from the author. This in no way affected my opinion of the book. Also, TW: Mentions of rape and abuse.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Stained is an upcoming debut novel by Abda Khan that follows Selina, a British-born Pakistani young woman who is raped by her close, well-respected family friend. Selina is eager to do well in school so she can get into University, but her grades in Economics are the only thing that's stopping her from achieving her future.It is then when a trusted family friend offers to tutor her but he preys upon Selina's trusting nature and sexually assault her. Not wanting to bring dishonour on her family and deceased father's name, we follow Selina go to extreme length to avoid the imminent scandal.
I really appreciated this story. I loved the character of Selina and her story. Despite facing such awful adversity and horrible trauma, she remained strong. She did her best to keep moving forward and learning to find herself despite all she's faced. And how everything leads to her not reporting the assault is all too realistic and extremely upsetting. There's so much to like about this book. Khan's writing style allows us to fully understand Selina's action and her situation. I had some issues with the speech sometimes since it felt quite stiff and didn't read well but that issue is quite minor compared to how much I enjoyed the rest of the novel. The ending is a happy one, well as happy as it could be, considering what happened. It showed great growth in Selina and how she survived everything ordeal. She was given the opportunity to love again, while she doesn't outright decline it, she simply takes a step back to focus on herself rather than what everyone else thinks. And I enjoyed that.
As relevant this book is, I would be very specific in who I recommend it to. There are so many triggering topics that are brought up: rape, miscarriage, murder etc. It's important to the mentality of the reader that you're aware. Stained is short but in that time Khan has created a novel that is so important and addressed such an important issue. I am so grateful that I have been given a chance to read this.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Stained is an upcoming debut novel by Abda Khan that follows Selina, a British-born Pakistani young woman who is raped by her close, well-respected family friend. Selina is eager to do well in school so she can get into University, but her grades in Economics are the only thing that's stopping her from achieving her future.It is then when a trusted family friend offers to tutor her but he preys upon Selina's trusting nature and sexually assault her. Not wanting to bring dishonour on her family and deceased father's name, we follow Selina go to extreme length to avoid the imminent scandal.
I really appreciated this story. I loved the character of Selina and her story. Despite facing such awful adversity and horrible trauma, she remained strong. She did her best to keep moving forward and learning to find herself despite all she's faced. And how everything leads to her not reporting the assault is all too realistic and extremely upsetting. There's so much to like about this book. Khan's writing style allows us to fully understand Selina's action and her situation. I had some issues with the speech sometimes since it felt quite stiff and didn't read well but that issue is quite minor compared to how much I enjoyed the rest of the novel. The ending is a happy one, well as happy as it could be, considering what happened. It showed great growth in Selina and how she survived everything ordeal. She was given the opportunity to love again, while she doesn't outright decline it, she simply takes a step back to focus on herself rather than what everyone else thinks. And I enjoyed that.
As relevant this book is, I would be very specific in who I recommend it to. There are so many triggering topics that are brought up: rape, miscarriage, murder etc. It's important to the mentality of the reader that you're aware. Stained is short but in that time Khan has created a novel that is so important and addressed such an important issue. I am so grateful that I have been given a chance to read this.
October 28, 2016
Stained by Abda Khan is about Selina, a young British Pakistani woman, nearing her exams. She is going through a bad patch in life, as her father died recently. She is struggling with her schoolwork, and takes up an offer of help from a trusted family friend. Imagine how she feels when that same trusted uncle-like figure rapes her.
Selina is left to struggle with the aftermath of the horrendous attack, and from that day on, she does everything in her power to prevent what she sees as shame being brought to her mother’s door, and stop the possibility of any ...see review
Selina is left to struggle with the aftermath of the horrendous attack, and from that day on, she does everything in her power to prevent what she sees as shame being brought to her mother’s door, and stop the possibility of any ...see review
October 27, 2016
Full review on 11/11 at CandidCeillie!
November 3, 2016
Detailed review to be posted on Muslimah Media Watch.
January 8, 2017
Selina is a Pakistani high school student planning on going to college. She gets mostly good grades, except for Economics, with which she struggles. A close family friend offers to tutor her in this subject and she eagerly accepts. It is going well until one day when she arrives finding herself alone with "Uncle Zubair" and he uses the opportunity to rape her. About this same time, Selina's mother has been trying to get Selina to an arranged marriage. Things just continue to get worse for her. Will Selina ever have a chance to get back to a normal life? I enjoyed this book very much and thought the story flowed very well. A lot happens in the shorter span of this book. I found this hard to put down and stayed up late reading.
November 21, 2016
Reading a book that involves maneuvers through the nuances of the psychological and psychical effects of rape, rape culture, is extremely tough to read. At moments it was uncomfortable, but while reading I had to remind myself that one: this story is important, and two: my discomfort comes from a place of privilege. The titled Stained instantly made me think of The Scarlet Letter.
You can read the rest of my review
Right here"
You can read the rest of my review
Right here"
April 3, 2025
Abda Khan's fantastic storytelling meant I finished reading STAINED super-quick.
The story pulls you into an often undiscussed/hidden part of South Asian culture, where preserving a woman's honour can come at a high price.
Thoroughly recommend it!
The story pulls you into an often undiscussed/hidden part of South Asian culture, where preserving a woman's honour can come at a high price.
Thoroughly recommend it!
October 18, 2017
I don't know. I get the point of the story, but the narration wasn't good enough for me to really recommend it.
October 4, 2020
one of the most interesting, heartbreaking books I have ever read.
Given the choice to be Selina, I don't think I could stand and walk again with all that hurt and pain of rape and injustice...
Given the choice to be Selina, I don't think I could stand and walk again with all that hurt and pain of rape and injustice...
August 30, 2021
This book had a lot of momentum that pulled me through it really quick but the writing was clunky and poorly edited.
April 27, 2023
Being Pakistani
Understanding the cultural context this was wrote in made it such a good read .Feisty lead character who after much suffering found her way
Understanding the cultural context this was wrote in made it such a good read .Feisty lead character who after much suffering found her way
February 11, 2017
read if your pakistani
February 7, 2017
An absolutely amazing and brilliant read. A story of courage and bravery, against all odds. Of overcoming pain, and learning to move forward. Selina (the main character) is a very brave young woman, for enduring and overcoming her ordeal. She is an inspiration for many women, who are in a similar situation. For the many suffering in silence, unable to speak out for what ever reason, she gives hope. This is a must read!
November 15, 2016
This poor girl went from one bad situation to another. I sure hope this came from the author's imagination and was not based on a real person. If you enjoy sad stories you will like this book.
December 26, 2016
3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews