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No Honour
A young woman defies convention in a small Pakistani village, with devastating results for her and her family. A stunning, immense beautiful novel about courage, family and the meaning of love, when everything seems lost…
In sixteen-year-old Abida’s small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family’s honour to protect. And, yet, her spirit is defiant and she yearns to make a home with the man she loves.
When the unthinkable happens, Abida faces the same fate as other young girls who have chosen unacceptable alliances – certain, public death. Fired by a fierce determination to resist everything she knows to be wrong about the society into which she was born, and aided by her devoted father, Jamil, who puts his own life on the line to help her, she escapes to Lahore and then disappears.
Jamal goes to Lahore in search of Abida – a city where the prejudices that dominate their village take on a new and horrifying form – and father and daughter are caught in a world from which they may never escape.
Moving from the depths of rural Pakistan, riddled with poverty and religious fervour, to the dangerous streets of over-populated Lahore, No Honour is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love in its many forms … a story of courage and resilience, when all seems lost, and the inextinguishable fire that lights one young woman’s battle for change.
In sixteen-year-old Abida’s small Pakistani village, there are age-old rules to live by, and her family’s honour to protect. And, yet, her spirit is defiant and she yearns to make a home with the man she loves.
When the unthinkable happens, Abida faces the same fate as other young girls who have chosen unacceptable alliances – certain, public death. Fired by a fierce determination to resist everything she knows to be wrong about the society into which she was born, and aided by her devoted father, Jamil, who puts his own life on the line to help her, she escapes to Lahore and then disappears.
Jamal goes to Lahore in search of Abida – a city where the prejudices that dominate their village take on a new and horrifying form – and father and daughter are caught in a world from which they may never escape.
Moving from the depths of rural Pakistan, riddled with poverty and religious fervour, to the dangerous streets of over-populated Lahore, No Honour is a story of family, of the indomitable spirit of love in its many forms … a story of courage and resilience, when all seems lost, and the inextinguishable fire that lights one young woman’s battle for change.
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2021
78 people are currently reading
993 people want to read
About the author
Awais Khan
7 books230 followersAwais Khan is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario and Durham University. He has studied Creative Writing at Faber Academy in London.
He is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (published by Simon & Schuster, Isis Audio and Hera Books) and NO HONOUR (published by Orenda Books).
He has appeared on BBC World Service, Dubai Eye, Voice of America, Cambridge Radio, City42, PTV Home, Samaa TV, Indua TV etc. His work has appeared in The Aleph Review, Missing Slate, The Hindu, Daily Times and other publications.
He is the Founding Director of The Writing Institute and has delivered talks on Creative Writing at Oxford University, Durham University, American University of Dubai, Canadian University of Dubai, Kinnaird College etc.
He is on the judging panel of Gwyl Crime Cymru Novel Prize and Cheshire Novel Prize. He was longlisted for the Short Story Dagger in 2022.
He is represented by Annette Crossland at A for Authors Agency Ltd, London.
He is the award-winning author of the critically acclaimed IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS (published by Simon & Schuster, Isis Audio and Hera Books) and NO HONOUR (published by Orenda Books).
He has appeared on BBC World Service, Dubai Eye, Voice of America, Cambridge Radio, City42, PTV Home, Samaa TV, Indua TV etc. His work has appeared in The Aleph Review, Missing Slate, The Hindu, Daily Times and other publications.
He is the Founding Director of The Writing Institute and has delivered talks on Creative Writing at Oxford University, Durham University, American University of Dubai, Canadian University of Dubai, Kinnaird College etc.
He is on the judging panel of Gwyl Crime Cymru Novel Prize and Cheshire Novel Prize. He was longlisted for the Short Story Dagger in 2022.
He is represented by Annette Crossland at A for Authors Agency Ltd, London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 206 reviews
July 21, 2021
Pakistan has the highest number of honour killings per capita of any country in the world – about one fifth of those committed world-wide. It is a practice that has dominated Pakistani culture for thousands of years and, despite an attempt at reform, remains commonplace. This is the background for author, Awais Khan’s second novel, "No Honour". Sixteen-year-old Abida lives in a small, rural village and, as many teenagers are wont to do, forms an intimate relationship with another youth, Kalim. When she becomes pregnant, there is no doubt what will happen to her – just recently another girl in the same predicament was murdered for her family’s honour. But Abida’s father, Jamil will not allow dishonour to overshadow the love he has for his daughter and he helps her to escape to Lahore. There she marries Kalim and they live together in a run-down apartment. When things don’t turn out as expected, Abida’s dream of a new life in the city far from the arcane prejudices of her village, becomes a nightmare. She enters into a downward spiral from which recovery seems impossible. When Jamil heads to Lahore to look for her they both become trapped up in a dark world where drug use, prostitution, police corruption and violence is so common it is routine. "No Honour" is a story of remarkable courage, of one young girl’s struggle against impossible odds to overcome a system that has no place in the twenty-first century.
This powerful, tour de force of a novel deals with a most difficult subject with empathy and perspicacity. As with his striking debut novel, "In The Company Of Strangers", Awais Khan knows his stuff. His narrative is written in clear, concise language, his descriptions of each scene, whether in Abida’s primitive village or the teeming streets of Lahore, are so vividly real as to transport the reader to a ringside seat. Despite characters’ names that might be unfamiliar to readers in the West, a few pages in and each one and their role in the story is readily identifiable. For once we have a thriller-writer who does not need to base his story in New York or Los Angeles, and doesn’t need the lead character to possess almost super-human traits. What Abida does have is insight that defies her sixteen years, and incredible moral strength, despite what got her into trouble in the first place and where that led her. Some will be put off by the opening scene -- it is uncomfortable but it is a necessary introduction into Abida’s world and where her own indiscretion is likely to lead her. Numerous authors are capable of a best-selling debut novel but in "No Honour" Awais Khan proves he is no one-trick pony.
This powerful, tour de force of a novel deals with a most difficult subject with empathy and perspicacity. As with his striking debut novel, "In The Company Of Strangers", Awais Khan knows his stuff. His narrative is written in clear, concise language, his descriptions of each scene, whether in Abida’s primitive village or the teeming streets of Lahore, are so vividly real as to transport the reader to a ringside seat. Despite characters’ names that might be unfamiliar to readers in the West, a few pages in and each one and their role in the story is readily identifiable. For once we have a thriller-writer who does not need to base his story in New York or Los Angeles, and doesn’t need the lead character to possess almost super-human traits. What Abida does have is insight that defies her sixteen years, and incredible moral strength, despite what got her into trouble in the first place and where that led her. Some will be put off by the opening scene -- it is uncomfortable but it is a necessary introduction into Abida’s world and where her own indiscretion is likely to lead her. Numerous authors are capable of a best-selling debut novel but in "No Honour" Awais Khan proves he is no one-trick pony.
September 8, 2021
Throughout my life, my choice to pick up books has been one that I think will lead to enjoyment. When the books meet that expectation, I don't feel any extra need to add to the {positive} noise that is already out there. Also, I think that an individual's response to a certain book is meant to be highly personal and there are only a certain people who can relate to that vibe.
This review, therefore, is an exception to my pattern of reactions. I am reviewing this book to express exactly why I didn't like it. Think of it as a good review of a bad book. I, at any point, do not want to come across as nasty and bash this book without any justification.
To begin with, this was my first read by Mr. Khan. I had no clue of his previous works and the praise that ‘No Honour’ garnered around the publishing week in various social media got me curious. Started it right after receipt of the signed copy and strived hard not to DNF it until I couldn’t any more. Put simply, I am unable to come up with any consideration of this accomplishment.
Honour killing is a social evil which does not find any legitimacy in any of the world’s widely practiced religions, judicial interpretations, international conventions, and the present law in Pakistan where the story is set. The pretexts around honour killing are very grave and there is massive reluctance to report the cases. The formal judicial system is largely sidestepped on the rationale that the tribal system, the repeatedly mentioned -Jirga- in the book can provide a faster, cheaper, and a comparatively more “lasting” solution. The sensitivity of this crime was not dealt with adequately in the novel which is a disservice to any activism in this regard. Struggles against honour killing demand care and consciousness so that social, political, and legal measures can be developed and imposed. The book failed to hyper-sensitize me, in spite of the fact that it had a narrative showing signs of amplifying up into what could have been a proper story targeting the problem.
Even if I overlook the predictable narrative structure, I had to flog myself through it. The writing is weak, characters awkward and confused, and the story’s pulse astonishingly clueless.
• There is a strong need to rethink the editorial approach about italicizing (foreign) words. Words like, dupatta , charpai , and Jirga were italicized and I couldn’t find any valid reasons to keep this convention into play. A properly curated glossary could have done some damage control but guess it was deliberately avoided. This is usually done to add false emphasis. Is the author part of a passionate community? Or is he pushing back against the pre-established treatment of these words amongst his audience? Why ‘other’ these words? And also, shouldn’t the readers be expected to look up words they don’t know the meanings to?
• I could not comprehend the protagonist’s mental state at any point of the book. Sure, she went through EVERY worse thing that is possible in this world but there were multiple unnecessary cues that made me rethink her stance. During her imposed stay in a brothel which is strictly against her desire, there’s this instance and the entry of novel’s hero, Shahid which just sent me off the course,
This implied that even in a state of forced prostitution, the protagonist has a preference for good looks over bad looks. What on God’s green earth??
• The description of Lahore as an urban setting was really out of place.
This was beside-the-point usage of environmental degradation/urban problems or whatever it is that the author wanted to indicate. Simply did not fit in the context of fiction.
• I was also set off by the sexual behavior of Jamil, Abida’s father throughout the novel. Either it was a sex-frenzied character or was just imagined by a literature bot. It just didn’t seem possible that a human person wrote this character or was inspired by someone like this. In the village, Jamil is out of bounds with her wife. There is celebratory sex, sex is indulged in to get distracted, he also gets roused by the sight of his wife sweating, there are just no limits. Fast forward to the city, he is sexually active with another female servant in the drug lord’s house in an apparent attempt to extract secrets out of her. He also justifies the latter but there is no retribution or any attempt to restore this lost HONOUR. ???
It seemed as if Jamil just can’t choose between dressing himself as the latent savior of her daughter who is righteous enough to break societal norms, fight with tradition and a sex-addict who can be willing to play dirty in an attempt to get ahead. This troubled me the MOST. Jamil is a big fan of opportunism, nothing ever morally burdens him. His interest in saving Abida came to me as banal and horrifying.
I mean… God, I wish I hadn’t picked up this book.
Here’s the rationale:
Some cringe-worthy exhibits of Jamil’s nonsensical and unpleasant character:
What did I just read????????
• Some paragraphs pertained to de facto information about bad practices in villages and communities such as Shah Doli Rat practice, Jirga System, modes of public deaths. These cases appeared as super-imposed and came across as oozing attention for certain audiences. This information is mundane, unsubstantiated, or already reported on. I would like to believe that the inherent purpose of this book was to sensitize the masses about ‘honour killing’ but this was a huge disservice.
This is a story which could have been written by a bot whose only exposure to the topic is through third rate journalism or fudged up details of incidents. By no means, I am denying the importance of this issue and the activism around it, but this novel is just like a rough, first draft of a crime thriller that has no idea how people actually talk or even react or even think!
The author is not good at developing any believable human interaction and the characterization joined the ranks. There was no single character that springs to life and can be reminisced about in the long run. The style is neither empathic nor insightful and the sentences are so flabby that there is too little to feel or to contemplate.
I appreciate the author’s level of ambition but the story was formulaic, lazy, and stereotypical. There is a severe lack of psychological depth so that the necessary scenes could be made… moving or impactful. Anyone who survived this novel and is rating it high is either too shallow or is just scoring brownie points.
Wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
This review, therefore, is an exception to my pattern of reactions. I am reviewing this book to express exactly why I didn't like it. Think of it as a good review of a bad book. I, at any point, do not want to come across as nasty and bash this book without any justification.
To begin with, this was my first read by Mr. Khan. I had no clue of his previous works and the praise that ‘No Honour’ garnered around the publishing week in various social media got me curious. Started it right after receipt of the signed copy and strived hard not to DNF it until I couldn’t any more. Put simply, I am unable to come up with any consideration of this accomplishment.
Honour killing is a social evil which does not find any legitimacy in any of the world’s widely practiced religions, judicial interpretations, international conventions, and the present law in Pakistan where the story is set. The pretexts around honour killing are very grave and there is massive reluctance to report the cases. The formal judicial system is largely sidestepped on the rationale that the tribal system, the repeatedly mentioned -Jirga- in the book can provide a faster, cheaper, and a comparatively more “lasting” solution. The sensitivity of this crime was not dealt with adequately in the novel which is a disservice to any activism in this regard. Struggles against honour killing demand care and consciousness so that social, political, and legal measures can be developed and imposed. The book failed to hyper-sensitize me, in spite of the fact that it had a narrative showing signs of amplifying up into what could have been a proper story targeting the problem.
Even if I overlook the predictable narrative structure, I had to flog myself through it. The writing is weak, characters awkward and confused, and the story’s pulse astonishingly clueless.
• There is a strong need to rethink the editorial approach about italicizing (foreign) words. Words like, dupatta , charpai , and Jirga were italicized and I couldn’t find any valid reasons to keep this convention into play. A properly curated glossary could have done some damage control but guess it was deliberately avoided. This is usually done to add false emphasis. Is the author part of a passionate community? Or is he pushing back against the pre-established treatment of these words amongst his audience? Why ‘other’ these words? And also, shouldn’t the readers be expected to look up words they don’t know the meanings to?
• I could not comprehend the protagonist’s mental state at any point of the book. Sure, she went through EVERY worse thing that is possible in this world but there were multiple unnecessary cues that made me rethink her stance. During her imposed stay in a brothel which is strictly against her desire, there’s this instance and the entry of novel’s hero, Shahid which just sent me off the course,
‘My name is Shahid. I am Majeed’s son.’
The voice was soft, respectful, very unlike the rudeness with which his father spoke. It couldn’t be too bad, could it? ‘Come inside,’ she said, HOPING HE’D INERITED HIS FATHER’S GOOD LOOKS. NO MATTER HOW VIOLENT HIS BEHAVIOR WAS WITH HER, SHE COULDN’T DENY THAT MAJEED WAS A HANDSOME MAN.
This implied that even in a state of forced prostitution, the protagonist has a preference for good looks over bad looks. What on God’s green earth??
• The description of Lahore as an urban setting was really out of place.
“There were too many people and the mountains of garbage were unlike she had ever seen. Back in the village, most of their garbage was food waste which in turn helped the crops thrive, but here, there was plastic everywhere. Plastic bags flew in the air, some snagging into the barbed wire lining the walls.”
... “Colorless houses, a mess of electric cables, and cars zigzagging along unmarked roads.”
This was beside-the-point usage of environmental degradation/urban problems or whatever it is that the author wanted to indicate. Simply did not fit in the context of fiction.
• I was also set off by the sexual behavior of Jamil, Abida’s father throughout the novel. Either it was a sex-frenzied character or was just imagined by a literature bot. It just didn’t seem possible that a human person wrote this character or was inspired by someone like this. In the village, Jamil is out of bounds with her wife. There is celebratory sex, sex is indulged in to get distracted, he also gets roused by the sight of his wife sweating, there are just no limits. Fast forward to the city, he is sexually active with another female servant in the drug lord’s house in an apparent attempt to extract secrets out of her. He also justifies the latter but there is no retribution or any attempt to restore this lost HONOUR. ???
It seemed as if Jamil just can’t choose between dressing himself as the latent savior of her daughter who is righteous enough to break societal norms, fight with tradition and a sex-addict who can be willing to play dirty in an attempt to get ahead. This troubled me the MOST. Jamil is a big fan of opportunism, nothing ever morally burdens him. His interest in saving Abida came to me as banal and horrifying.
I mean… God, I wish I hadn’t picked up this book.
Here’s the rationale:
“Jamil had objected initially {of being closer to Salma}, and they had argued about morals and self-respect, but he realized that a 23-year-old had more practical sense than him.”
“Salma, like always, had promptly fallen asleep on the bedding they had unrolled. After they’d had sex, of course. It had become a sort of daily ritual for them, …… Unfortunately for him, she wanted it again in the evening when they had more time on their hands. It seemed worse to him as it lasted longer, and he couldn’t bear the thought that he was cheating on poor Farida.
She will understand, he told himself. Besides what she didn’t know couldn’t hurt her, could it?
Some cringe-worthy exhibits of Jamil’s nonsensical and unpleasant character:
“In bed, Salma was off-guard, and Jamil enjoyed controlling her. She was at least 55- much older than his 42 years- yet she trembled like a girl as he touched her. He knew what to do. He had been doing it long enough with his wife.” (AGEISM)
“Their sweat had long since dried. He would have to liked to wash himself, but there was no time to be made, not when there were a hundred chores to be done…….”
“The passion he saw in Salma’s eyes was something that had always been absent from Farida’s. He shook his head. What was the matter with him? The police would be coming to rescue his daughter and here he was thinking about sex.”
What did I just read????????
• Some paragraphs pertained to de facto information about bad practices in villages and communities such as Shah Doli Rat practice, Jirga System, modes of public deaths. These cases appeared as super-imposed and came across as oozing attention for certain audiences. This information is mundane, unsubstantiated, or already reported on. I would like to believe that the inherent purpose of this book was to sensitize the masses about ‘honour killing’ but this was a huge disservice.
This is a story which could have been written by a bot whose only exposure to the topic is through third rate journalism or fudged up details of incidents. By no means, I am denying the importance of this issue and the activism around it, but this novel is just like a rough, first draft of a crime thriller that has no idea how people actually talk or even react or even think!
The author is not good at developing any believable human interaction and the characterization joined the ranks. There was no single character that springs to life and can be reminisced about in the long run. The style is neither empathic nor insightful and the sentences are so flabby that there is too little to feel or to contemplate.
I appreciate the author’s level of ambition but the story was formulaic, lazy, and stereotypical. There is a severe lack of psychological depth so that the necessary scenes could be made… moving or impactful. Anyone who survived this novel and is rating it high is either too shallow or is just scoring brownie points.
Wouldn’t recommend this to anyone.
April 19, 2021
Awais Khan has dealt with a sensitive subject and he has done complete justice to it. This is a searing account of a too familiar story in Pakistan. Abida is courageous and hopeful and I love that she remains so throughout the novel. In fact, considering that the novel deals with such a horrid and oft-repeated crime in Pakistan especially, this is a very hopeful novel.
Village life is described with detail and knoweldge. As is life in the city, especially of those people who struggle to survive below the poverty line. This is a powerful brave novel and a window into a story too often hushed or sensationalised. Awais Khan throws light on the whole story: human, tender and devastating. I enjoyed it immensely.
Village life is described with detail and knoweldge. As is life in the city, especially of those people who struggle to survive below the poverty line. This is a powerful brave novel and a window into a story too often hushed or sensationalised. Awais Khan throws light on the whole story: human, tender and devastating. I enjoyed it immensely.
April 19, 2021
I inhaled this book in a day and cannot recommend it highly enough. Awais Khan's "No Honour" is simply stunning. There aren't enough superlatives in the world for me to describe it, nor stars to rate it.
The opening will stay with me forever. It's truly shocking and so well written. I was really upset by it. This is an insight into a world which I knew nothing about. A world which is abhorrent in its small-mindedness and judgment. A world where women and girls are murdered in the name of honour. How can this be happening, still? How can it ever have started? As the book illustrates, legislative change isn't enough. A major cultural shift is required.
Khan shows us up close what drives fathers to kill their own daughters, as we see Jamil having to choose between love and honour - considering the impact it will have on their other children if Abida lives. It's not comfortable, reading about deep-rooted misogyny and the ensuing physical and sexual violence. "No Honour" is a dark, deeply affecting book but we are merely readers - there are women for whom this is their lived reality.
As in his debut "In The Company Of Strangers" (another excellent read!), Awais Khan shines a light on the chasm between rich and poor in Pakistan. I don't wish to give spoilers but other issues touched upon include police corruption, entitlement, the ill-treatment of household service staff, drug abuse and Shah Doli's Rats, who will rip your heart in two.
Towards the end of the book, the tension is nerve-wracking, culminating in some serious nail-biting scenes. "No Honour" shows us a country of two halves - the haves and have nots. It's a book about brutal reality, the complexity of love and redemption. It's brilliant. Incredible. Outstanding.
Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, I'm completely blown away by Awais Khan's talent and could not love "No Honour" more.
The opening will stay with me forever. It's truly shocking and so well written. I was really upset by it. This is an insight into a world which I knew nothing about. A world which is abhorrent in its small-mindedness and judgment. A world where women and girls are murdered in the name of honour. How can this be happening, still? How can it ever have started? As the book illustrates, legislative change isn't enough. A major cultural shift is required.
Khan shows us up close what drives fathers to kill their own daughters, as we see Jamil having to choose between love and honour - considering the impact it will have on their other children if Abida lives. It's not comfortable, reading about deep-rooted misogyny and the ensuing physical and sexual violence. "No Honour" is a dark, deeply affecting book but we are merely readers - there are women for whom this is their lived reality.
As in his debut "In The Company Of Strangers" (another excellent read!), Awais Khan shines a light on the chasm between rich and poor in Pakistan. I don't wish to give spoilers but other issues touched upon include police corruption, entitlement, the ill-treatment of household service staff, drug abuse and Shah Doli's Rats, who will rip your heart in two.
Towards the end of the book, the tension is nerve-wracking, culminating in some serious nail-biting scenes. "No Honour" shows us a country of two halves - the haves and have nots. It's a book about brutal reality, the complexity of love and redemption. It's brilliant. Incredible. Outstanding.
Heart-wrenching yet hopeful, I'm completely blown away by Awais Khan's talent and could not love "No Honour" more.
January 21, 2023
Awais Khan has written an extraordinary novel with courage and heart. The story had me engrossed from the very first page to the very last. Heartbreaking to read at times but a harsh reality of life in Pakistan. A must read!
.
The story is about sixteen-year-old Abida who lives in a small Pakistani village which has age-old rules to live by and if broken the women could face death. Abida escapes to Lahore and then her father Jamil goes in search of her.
An easy 5/5 for me.
.
The story is about sixteen-year-old Abida who lives in a small Pakistani village which has age-old rules to live by and if broken the women could face death. Abida escapes to Lahore and then her father Jamil goes in search of her.
An easy 5/5 for me.
April 20, 2021
It's only 48 hours since I received a proof copy of @awaiskhan's #NoHonour: I couldn't put it down. This is a powerful and shocking story that exposes horrific acts of violence perpetrated on young women and babies by their own families, and the hypocrisy and injustice still rife in some communities in their treatment of women. The author confronts these challenging issues through sensitive characterisation and a gripping plot that, despite the brutality he unveils, ultimately provides hope for change.
Khan transports you to the villages of rural Pakistan and to the city of Lahore through the eyes of 16-year-old Abida, who wants to make a home with the man she loves. Her defiance and determination, together with her father's enduring love, must combat the age-old prejudices and traditions into which they have been born, where honour is valued more highly than life.
A compelling, brave and uplifting read for our time.
Khan transports you to the villages of rural Pakistan and to the city of Lahore through the eyes of 16-year-old Abida, who wants to make a home with the man she loves. Her defiance and determination, together with her father's enduring love, must combat the age-old prejudices and traditions into which they have been born, where honour is valued more highly than life.
A compelling, brave and uplifting read for our time.
April 20, 2021
When unmarried teenager Abida falls pregnant in her village in rural Pakistan, the jirga in charge is outraged. Some of the blame falls on her father Jamil, who has been relatively liberal in raising her, but it’s Abida who must be killed to restore the family’s “honour”.
NO HONOUR is a powerful, beautifully written novel. With surgical precision, Awais Khan exposes a culture poisoned by misogyny. I breathlessly followed daughter and father as they struggled against poverty and societal constraints at every juncture. The book transported me from Abida’s village to the centre of Lahore, each vividly evoked by Khan’s writing.
A brilliant, unforgettable book that starts with perhaps the most shocking opening scene I’ve ever read in a literary novel. It’s rare that a book is “needed”, but perhaps this one is, as I'm not aware of any other novel that explores honour killings to such devastating effect. A masterpiece and strong contender for the best novel of 2021. Don’t miss it.
NO HONOUR is a powerful, beautifully written novel. With surgical precision, Awais Khan exposes a culture poisoned by misogyny. I breathlessly followed daughter and father as they struggled against poverty and societal constraints at every juncture. The book transported me from Abida’s village to the centre of Lahore, each vividly evoked by Khan’s writing.
A brilliant, unforgettable book that starts with perhaps the most shocking opening scene I’ve ever read in a literary novel. It’s rare that a book is “needed”, but perhaps this one is, as I'm not aware of any other novel that explores honour killings to such devastating effect. A masterpiece and strong contender for the best novel of 2021. Don’t miss it.
June 12, 2021
Wow - such a brilliant book ! Beautifully written and immersive, No Honour starts with a powerful opening that propels you into the shocking themes of the novel (I learnt so much about the background of honour killings and how it affects families and the women who suffer this fate) and leaves you rooting for Abida. Moving from a rural village in Pakistan to the busy streets of Lahore, Abida has to draw on all of her strength and spirit to survive. A must-read.
July 1, 2021
This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, especially the opening chapter. Awais Khan transports us to village life in Pakistan where women have very little rights, especially those that have a baby out of marriage.
Life for women is tough there and often controlled by men, but this book is about a Father stepping out of his conditioning and doing whatever he can to protect his daughter.
I was horrified by what I was reading but literally couldn't put this book down. 5 stars from me!
Life for women is tough there and often controlled by men, but this book is about a Father stepping out of his conditioning and doing whatever he can to protect his daughter.
I was horrified by what I was reading but literally couldn't put this book down. 5 stars from me!
Read
June 14, 2021
Visit the locations in the novel
An important read about so-called honour killings. Where girls and women are forced to marry against their will. IF they refuse , or dare to fall in love with someone who doesn't belong to their community or meet their family's standards in some other way then their family sees it as their duty to murder that woman as a matter of honour. An eye-opening read. A real insight.
July 14, 2021
No Honour is a beautiful, striking, eye-opening book. It explores the terrible practice of honour killing in Pakistan, especially women who have 'sinned'. Kahn describes the horrors but it is never salacious, only heartbreaking. This is a story of the bravery of a young woman fighting against oppression, of a father determined to support her, and how they make changes with their valour. The novel is shocking, sensitive, powerful, and very important. Highly recommended
April 28, 2022
Awais is a Brilliant storyteller. This is not the type of book I normally read, but the high reviews made me buy it.
Abida is a strong, inspiring character so beautifully written, you are constantly rooting for her.
The laws against Honor Killings are starting to change. Although when I researched the topic, it is still being practiced all over the world.
This book gives you hope and it's one I'll never forget.
Highly Recommend! 5-stars!
Abida is a strong, inspiring character so beautifully written, you are constantly rooting for her.
The laws against Honor Killings are starting to change. Although when I researched the topic, it is still being practiced all over the world.
This book gives you hope and it's one I'll never forget.
Highly Recommend! 5-stars!
August 16, 2022
The theme of this novel was clearly more important to be conveyed than the story itself. Not that the story was bad—it progressed well and kept me interested in what came next—but the characters did not engage me as much as I hoped they would.
May 19, 2021
This book had me hooked from page one. The subject is horrifying, frightening and unbearably sad. To think that honour killings still happen is almost unbelievable. Yet Awais manages to combine a love story within the horror of all this. Really strong characters combine to make a great story.
February 16, 2024
3.5 rounded up to 4
This is a story about the way of life in Pakistan… honour killings in particular.
It is the story of 16 year old pregnant Abida escaping the sentence of death in her village where honour killings are common. Her father cannot permit this to happen to his first born child and denies the orders given to him long enough to permit her to escape with the young father of her child.
They head to the big city and marry and shorty thereafter along comes their baby girl. The lures of big city life is too much for the young father to tolerate and soon he becomes taken by the many vices he encounters.
This is a fast paced story and without giving away what happens suffice it to say many challenges are presented to this young couple.
The story is really about the complexity of love and what it means in a society that doesn’t value the female gender. Abida’s family is different, particularly her father. He sees the bigger picture and he wants more for his daughters (he has five of them) than what his village elders have in mind.
The story follows Abida through her most unfortunate encounters in the city and her father’s attempts to maintain ties with her.
Filled with corruption, crime, sex, betrayal, love, forgiveness, and change this is an interesting narrative of life in Pakistan.
The main characters are evolved and developed throughout the book and the strong female characters are at the center of much of the activity.
Descriptions are vivid and events are meaningful to the message. As difficult as many of the situations present, this poignant story is well written .
This is a story about the way of life in Pakistan… honour killings in particular.
It is the story of 16 year old pregnant Abida escaping the sentence of death in her village where honour killings are common. Her father cannot permit this to happen to his first born child and denies the orders given to him long enough to permit her to escape with the young father of her child.
They head to the big city and marry and shorty thereafter along comes their baby girl. The lures of big city life is too much for the young father to tolerate and soon he becomes taken by the many vices he encounters.
This is a fast paced story and without giving away what happens suffice it to say many challenges are presented to this young couple.
The story is really about the complexity of love and what it means in a society that doesn’t value the female gender. Abida’s family is different, particularly her father. He sees the bigger picture and he wants more for his daughters (he has five of them) than what his village elders have in mind.
The story follows Abida through her most unfortunate encounters in the city and her father’s attempts to maintain ties with her.
Filled with corruption, crime, sex, betrayal, love, forgiveness, and change this is an interesting narrative of life in Pakistan.
The main characters are evolved and developed throughout the book and the strong female characters are at the center of much of the activity.
Descriptions are vivid and events are meaningful to the message. As difficult as many of the situations present, this poignant story is well written .
February 6, 2024
Am crezut că iubirea mă va salva de o căsătorie nedorită, de o viață trăită în frică și tăcere, de supunerea oarbă față de un bărbat respingător, căruia trebuie să-i suport atingerile dezgustătoare și să-i nasc doar fii sănătoși, care să-i moștenească averea și numele, însă am fost naivă. Iubirea m-a condamnat la moarte. Am făcut o greșeală cumplită, ce a adus dezonoare familiei mele, iar acum trebuie să plătesc cu viața pentru ceea ce am crezut că mă va salva. Simt cum mâinile tatălui meu mi se strâng în jurul gâtului, cum apa rece îmi pătrunde în nări și-n gură, învăluindu-mă în întuneric încetul cu-ncetul. Tot ce mai aud sunt bătăile năvalnice și neregulate ale inimii mele și ecoul straniu al celor trei cuvinte din cauza cărora au murit zeci de alte fete și femei: „iubire sau onoare?”, „Iubire sau Onoare?”, „IUBIRE SAU ONOARE?” Sunt gata să mor, dar nu sunt pregătită să-i las să ucidă micuța ființă ce crește în pântecul meu. Vreau să lupt, dar mâinile vânjoase mă scufundă tot mai adânc, până ce aerul nu-mi mai intră deloc în plămâni, iar apoi revine, mai dulce și mai curat ca niciodată. În loc să părăsesc această lume, mă trezesc față-n față cu întreaga comunitate, care mă privește cu scârbă. Am încălcat regulile noastre sacre, iar în ochii lor sunt un nimic, o târfă ce merită să fie arsă de vie, însă tatăl meu a ales să mă salveze, și povestea mea abia acum începe...
Violență, suferință și disperare, cred că sunt cele mai potrivite cuvinte care descriu romanul lui Awais Khan. Povestea Abidei este plină de cruzime, fiecare pagină tăind și mai adânc în carne vie. La doar șaisprezece ani, Abida rămâne însărcinată cu băiatul pe care îl iubește, dar care nu i-a fost hărăzit de soț. Cu toate că se străduiește să ascundă cât mai mult timp sarcina, adevărul iese la lumină, distrugând planurile de căsătorie pe care tatăl ei le făcuse cu fiul pirului din Khan Wala. Comunitatea cere să se facă dreptate, cere moartea păcătoasei și transformarea ei într-un exemplu, însă tatăl ei se împotrivește mulțimii și conducătorului satului. Abida se căsătorește cu Kalim și se mută în Lahore, unde are și mai multe de înfruntat. Cu un soț dependent de droguri, violent, care nu se mai îngrijește de bunăstarea soției și a copilului nenăscut, Abida ajunge să fie vândută unui bordel, un spațiu ce îi va destrăma încrederea în oameni și îi va distruge sufletul, dar care, în mod paradoxal, o va face mai puternică și o va pregăti să devină un sprijin pentru alte femei aflate la un pas de moarte.
Deși e o ficțiune, „DezOnoare” are la bază cazuri reale, petrecute în micile comunități rurale pakistaneze, în care fete de nici șaisprezece ani au fost ucise cu pietre, arse de vii sau înecate pentru că au rămas însărcinate înainte de căsătorie sau pentru că, pur și simplu, au refuzat să se mărite cu bărbatul ales de către familie. Iubirea nu-și are locul în aceste comunități, onoarea fiind cea care dictează legea, iar din acest motiv, crimele sunt permise, mai ales dacă sunt săvârșite pentru spălarea reputației, caz în care nici măcar poliția nu se implică. Lumea musulmană se ghidează după alte reguli, pe care noi, europenii, care vedem (de bine, de rău) în femeie un egal, nu le înțelegem pe deplin și care ni se par primitive și barbare, ba chiar demne de condamnat, însă trebuie să luăm în considerare faptul că sistemul lor de gândire și de a acționa este complet diferit de al nostru. Femeia musulmană trăiește pentru un singur scop, și anume să-și mulțumească bărbatul. Și cum poate face acest lucru? Supunându-se fără să crâcnească și născând cât mai mulți băieți. Prin urmare, femeia nu are un statut mai important decât un obiect... Nu are voie să vorbească neîntrebată, nu are voie să iubească, și cel mai rău, nu are voie să gândească. Este redusă la un trup, de care bărbatul se folosește, fără sentimente și păreri; un robot care trebuie să se îngrijească de gospodărie și să tacă atunci când este bătută din cele mai nesemnificative motive, fiind conștientă că orice împotrivire îi poate aduce moartea.
Dar chiar și în cele mai tradiționale comunități poate apărea o rază de speranță, o mică schimbare care să îmbunătățească traiul femeilor, iar în cazul de față schimbarea o reprezintă Jamil, tatăl Abidei. Jamil refuză să-și ucidă fiica, și astfel se împotrivește legilor străvechi, devenind un paria al societății. Ba mai mult, o ajută pe Abida să fugă din sat și să se refugieze cu iubitul ei în Lahore, un oraș mare, aglomerat, unde onoarea și tradiția au fost înlocuite cu tentațiile paradisurilor artificiale și desfrâu. Așa cum e și firesc, între viața la sat și cea de la oraș se cască o prăpastie adâncă, cele două spații fiind antitetice, dar având ceva în comun. Nici în Khan Wala, nici în Lahore, Abida nu este în siguranță. Greșeala ce-i poate aduce moartea în Khan Wala poate fi trecută cu vederea într-un oraș mare, în care nu o cunoaște nimeni, însă și spațiul acesta vast îi este fatal. Dar protagonista noastră e o supraviețuitoare și va deveni o eroină, muncind împreună cu întreaga sa familie la reabilitarea tinerelor care au avut de suferit din cauza legilor stricte, ce apără castitatea și puritatea viitoarelor soții ca pe singurul dar pe care i-l poate oferi femeia soțului ei.
Trebuie să fiu sinceră și să vă mărturisesc că nu este cea mai bună carte de acest gen pe care am citit-o... Nu am fost nici șocată, nici surprinsă în vreun fel de acțiune. iar finalul este complet previzibil, însă are ceva special. Stilul deosebit al scrierii, perspectiva plină de speranță într-un viitor diferit, departe de violență și frică, vârtejul de emoții ce răzbat din greutățile prin care trece Abida, dar cel mai important, întrezărirea unei schimbări ce nu poate fi dezrădăcinată, fac din „DezOnoare” o lectură ce merită adăugată în bibliotecă și, neapărat, pe lista de Want to Read.
Violență, suferință și disperare, cred că sunt cele mai potrivite cuvinte care descriu romanul lui Awais Khan. Povestea Abidei este plină de cruzime, fiecare pagină tăind și mai adânc în carne vie. La doar șaisprezece ani, Abida rămâne însărcinată cu băiatul pe care îl iubește, dar care nu i-a fost hărăzit de soț. Cu toate că se străduiește să ascundă cât mai mult timp sarcina, adevărul iese la lumină, distrugând planurile de căsătorie pe care tatăl ei le făcuse cu fiul pirului din Khan Wala. Comunitatea cere să se facă dreptate, cere moartea păcătoasei și transformarea ei într-un exemplu, însă tatăl ei se împotrivește mulțimii și conducătorului satului. Abida se căsătorește cu Kalim și se mută în Lahore, unde are și mai multe de înfruntat. Cu un soț dependent de droguri, violent, care nu se mai îngrijește de bunăstarea soției și a copilului nenăscut, Abida ajunge să fie vândută unui bordel, un spațiu ce îi va destrăma încrederea în oameni și îi va distruge sufletul, dar care, în mod paradoxal, o va face mai puternică și o va pregăti să devină un sprijin pentru alte femei aflate la un pas de moarte.
Deși e o ficțiune, „DezOnoare” are la bază cazuri reale, petrecute în micile comunități rurale pakistaneze, în care fete de nici șaisprezece ani au fost ucise cu pietre, arse de vii sau înecate pentru că au rămas însărcinate înainte de căsătorie sau pentru că, pur și simplu, au refuzat să se mărite cu bărbatul ales de către familie. Iubirea nu-și are locul în aceste comunități, onoarea fiind cea care dictează legea, iar din acest motiv, crimele sunt permise, mai ales dacă sunt săvârșite pentru spălarea reputației, caz în care nici măcar poliția nu se implică. Lumea musulmană se ghidează după alte reguli, pe care noi, europenii, care vedem (de bine, de rău) în femeie un egal, nu le înțelegem pe deplin și care ni se par primitive și barbare, ba chiar demne de condamnat, însă trebuie să luăm în considerare faptul că sistemul lor de gândire și de a acționa este complet diferit de al nostru. Femeia musulmană trăiește pentru un singur scop, și anume să-și mulțumească bărbatul. Și cum poate face acest lucru? Supunându-se fără să crâcnească și născând cât mai mulți băieți. Prin urmare, femeia nu are un statut mai important decât un obiect... Nu are voie să vorbească neîntrebată, nu are voie să iubească, și cel mai rău, nu are voie să gândească. Este redusă la un trup, de care bărbatul se folosește, fără sentimente și păreri; un robot care trebuie să se îngrijească de gospodărie și să tacă atunci când este bătută din cele mai nesemnificative motive, fiind conștientă că orice împotrivire îi poate aduce moartea.
Dar chiar și în cele mai tradiționale comunități poate apărea o rază de speranță, o mică schimbare care să îmbunătățească traiul femeilor, iar în cazul de față schimbarea o reprezintă Jamil, tatăl Abidei. Jamil refuză să-și ucidă fiica, și astfel se împotrivește legilor străvechi, devenind un paria al societății. Ba mai mult, o ajută pe Abida să fugă din sat și să se refugieze cu iubitul ei în Lahore, un oraș mare, aglomerat, unde onoarea și tradiția au fost înlocuite cu tentațiile paradisurilor artificiale și desfrâu. Așa cum e și firesc, între viața la sat și cea de la oraș se cască o prăpastie adâncă, cele două spații fiind antitetice, dar având ceva în comun. Nici în Khan Wala, nici în Lahore, Abida nu este în siguranță. Greșeala ce-i poate aduce moartea în Khan Wala poate fi trecută cu vederea într-un oraș mare, în care nu o cunoaște nimeni, însă și spațiul acesta vast îi este fatal. Dar protagonista noastră e o supraviețuitoare și va deveni o eroină, muncind împreună cu întreaga sa familie la reabilitarea tinerelor care au avut de suferit din cauza legilor stricte, ce apără castitatea și puritatea viitoarelor soții ca pe singurul dar pe care i-l poate oferi femeia soțului ei.
Trebuie să fiu sinceră și să vă mărturisesc că nu este cea mai bună carte de acest gen pe care am citit-o... Nu am fost nici șocată, nici surprinsă în vreun fel de acțiune. iar finalul este complet previzibil, însă are ceva special. Stilul deosebit al scrierii, perspectiva plină de speranță într-un viitor diferit, departe de violență și frică, vârtejul de emoții ce răzbat din greutățile prin care trece Abida, dar cel mai important, întrezărirea unei schimbări ce nu poate fi dezrădăcinată, fac din „DezOnoare” o lectură ce merită adăugată în bibliotecă și, neapărat, pe lista de Want to Read.
February 9, 2024
O poveste memorabilă.
Îi avem în prim-plan pe Jamil și fiica lui, Abida. Aceste 2 perspective ne arată lumea crudă si nemiloasă a obiceiurilor vechi care condamnă femeile la moarte prea ușor și fără remușcări. Totul pentru onoare. Mi s-a rupt sufletul de nenumărate ori citind cartea, am suferit alături de Jamil si Abida. Un tată inițial neputincios care reușește să înfrunte gândirea învechită și o fiică nespus de curajoasă, o adevărată luptătoare.
Mi-a plăcut firul narativ, am avut parte de multe surprize, chiar nu știam ce se mai poate întâmpla, câtă suferință va mai fi până la final. Foarte fain gândită, dar extrem extrem de tristă. O realitate la care rareori ne gândim.
" - Barbaţii au voie să fie orice-şi doresc. Așa au stat lucrurile și așa vor sta mereu.
- Și acest drept nu e valabil și pentru femei?
Cuvintele îi ieşiră pe gură înainte să apuce să le oprească.
Spre surprinderea sa, Naeem râse, ochii încrețindu-i-se la colțuri în sute de riduri.
- Jamil bhai, ce glumă bună! Închipuie-ţi cum ar fi ca femeile din acest sat să fie libere să aleagă! Lucrurile nu sunt destul de rele în orașe, de vrei să fie întinate și satele noastre odată cu ele? Ar fi haos, Jamil bhai, haos!"
Îi avem în prim-plan pe Jamil și fiica lui, Abida. Aceste 2 perspective ne arată lumea crudă si nemiloasă a obiceiurilor vechi care condamnă femeile la moarte prea ușor și fără remușcări. Totul pentru onoare. Mi s-a rupt sufletul de nenumărate ori citind cartea, am suferit alături de Jamil si Abida. Un tată inițial neputincios care reușește să înfrunte gândirea învechită și o fiică nespus de curajoasă, o adevărată luptătoare.
Mi-a plăcut firul narativ, am avut parte de multe surprize, chiar nu știam ce se mai poate întâmpla, câtă suferință va mai fi până la final. Foarte fain gândită, dar extrem extrem de tristă. O realitate la care rareori ne gândim.
" - Barbaţii au voie să fie orice-şi doresc. Așa au stat lucrurile și așa vor sta mereu.
- Și acest drept nu e valabil și pentru femei?
Cuvintele îi ieşiră pe gură înainte să apuce să le oprească.
Spre surprinderea sa, Naeem râse, ochii încrețindu-i-se la colțuri în sute de riduri.
- Jamil bhai, ce glumă bună! Închipuie-ţi cum ar fi ca femeile din acest sat să fie libere să aleagă! Lucrurile nu sunt destul de rele în orașe, de vrei să fie întinate și satele noastre odată cu ele? Ar fi haos, Jamil bhai, haos!"
June 20, 2022
This is one of those books that will make me think for a long time. It started with a horrifying and powerful first chapter and maintained that theme for almost its entire length.
No Honour shows the reader how women are treated in certain parts of the world. How it feels to be stripped of all the basic human rights in a poisonous misogynistic environment. For the entire length of the book, I had to remind myself that this is happening in real life, and it's not just entirely fiction.
It is an important book that touches political, social and cultural aspects and should be read.
No Honour shows the reader how women are treated in certain parts of the world. How it feels to be stripped of all the basic human rights in a poisonous misogynistic environment. For the entire length of the book, I had to remind myself that this is happening in real life, and it's not just entirely fiction.
It is an important book that touches political, social and cultural aspects and should be read.
Want to read
April 20, 2021This seems like a captivating story! Looking forward to it!
February 3, 2022
Well!
Not my usual fare although it once would've been! As I finished the book I felt guilty for enjoying it so much; well it is well-crafted and so easy to read!
I have to thank Grace and her sister Mary for pointing me in the direction of No Honour (& Awais Khan). No spoilers though.
I have often asked how in modern times is 'honour' killing still happening? But then there is still slavery in the world, female genital mutilation, rape and other violence against women is not only common place and, in some quarters, celebrated or at least ingrained in all cultures and societies.
As I write an unrepentant rapist has been given a relatively lucrative contract for his footballing skills rather than rejected because of his crime against women. So perhaps I am naive and deluded that there are still many that believe women are merely chattels of men, procreators and bearers of children, worthless beyond what they can do for men.
I take my hat off to Khan this is not only a disturbing subject to write about but to do so at all and with such a natural storyteller's gift takes some cojones, frankly.
But I thank him for tackling the subject.
You can read elsewhere, in other reviews, of Abida and, her father, Jamil's struggles and, if you are of a quest disposition, you may not want to read this excellent book. The story doesn't change but your reaction to it will and beyond any (well-placed gentile) disgust about what happens to daughters as young as 10 simply because they are not sons/men will hopefully change or reinforce how vile, abhorrent, anachronistic and just plain wrong so-called "honour" killings are.
Sorry, bit of a soap box moment there!
I look forward to reading more of Khan's work.
Not my usual fare although it once would've been! As I finished the book I felt guilty for enjoying it so much; well it is well-crafted and so easy to read!
I have to thank Grace and her sister Mary for pointing me in the direction of No Honour (& Awais Khan). No spoilers though.
I have often asked how in modern times is 'honour' killing still happening? But then there is still slavery in the world, female genital mutilation, rape and other violence against women is not only common place and, in some quarters, celebrated or at least ingrained in all cultures and societies.
As I write an unrepentant rapist has been given a relatively lucrative contract for his footballing skills rather than rejected because of his crime against women. So perhaps I am naive and deluded that there are still many that believe women are merely chattels of men, procreators and bearers of children, worthless beyond what they can do for men.
I take my hat off to Khan this is not only a disturbing subject to write about but to do so at all and with such a natural storyteller's gift takes some cojones, frankly.
But I thank him for tackling the subject.
You can read elsewhere, in other reviews, of Abida and, her father, Jamil's struggles and, if you are of a quest disposition, you may not want to read this excellent book. The story doesn't change but your reaction to it will and beyond any (well-placed gentile) disgust about what happens to daughters as young as 10 simply because they are not sons/men will hopefully change or reinforce how vile, abhorrent, anachronistic and just plain wrong so-called "honour" killings are.
Sorry, bit of a soap box moment there!
I look forward to reading more of Khan's work.
August 26, 2021
No Honour is an incredibly powerful and unflinching depiction of a society where honour matters more than anything, even life.
When sixteen year old Abida falls pregnant to her boyfriend Kalim, she is terrified of the consequences - and rightly so. In her small Pakistani village she knows exactly what her fate will be. Just recently a young girl was drowned for being in a similar position, a ‘karo kari’, an honour killing. But Abida’s devoted father, Jamil, will do everything in his power to save her life.
I don’t want to say any more about the plot as you need to find out for yourself and I’ll spoil it if I give more away. What I will say is that this is an action packed, heart stopping, heart breaking rollercoaster of a story. Be warned, it pulls no punches - there are parts that are distressing and the prejudice and misogyny pour from these pages - it’s terrifying to think that these kind of atrocities STILL happen, in the 21st Century. As I was reading this I thought about Pakistan’s neighbour, Afghanistan, and the dreadful situation unfolding there and how the world seems to be worsening, not improving.
Awais Khan has created an incredibly powerful story about the disparity between rich and poor, privilege and poverty and where love can conquer mountains. This is a book you’ll be thinking about for a long time after you’ve finished it.
When sixteen year old Abida falls pregnant to her boyfriend Kalim, she is terrified of the consequences - and rightly so. In her small Pakistani village she knows exactly what her fate will be. Just recently a young girl was drowned for being in a similar position, a ‘karo kari’, an honour killing. But Abida’s devoted father, Jamil, will do everything in his power to save her life.
I don’t want to say any more about the plot as you need to find out for yourself and I’ll spoil it if I give more away. What I will say is that this is an action packed, heart stopping, heart breaking rollercoaster of a story. Be warned, it pulls no punches - there are parts that are distressing and the prejudice and misogyny pour from these pages - it’s terrifying to think that these kind of atrocities STILL happen, in the 21st Century. As I was reading this I thought about Pakistan’s neighbour, Afghanistan, and the dreadful situation unfolding there and how the world seems to be worsening, not improving.
Awais Khan has created an incredibly powerful story about the disparity between rich and poor, privilege and poverty and where love can conquer mountains. This is a book you’ll be thinking about for a long time after you’ve finished it.
August 21, 2021
No Honour is the story of Abida, a 16 year old girl living in a small village in rural pakistan. The village follows the very traditional rules of what boys and girls are allowed to do and the punishments that are handed out if rules are broken, even to your own family.
When Abida finds herself in a situation that will get her in serious trouble, her Father, Jamil, has to decide whether he is going to follow through with these traditional rules, or spare his daughter and face the consequences.
The story then follows their alternate narratives following the decision and how a family bonds can remain strong no matter what.
This is a highly emotive book that while is fiction, tells a very important story and gives a heartbreaking insight into traditions that still go on today. If you manage to get past the first harrowing chapter (which I almost didn't, but I am very glad I did) you are in for a difficult read in places, but ultimately a hopeful story about a young girls fight against what really is a something that I am at a loss to understand how still happens today.
When Abida finds herself in a situation that will get her in serious trouble, her Father, Jamil, has to decide whether he is going to follow through with these traditional rules, or spare his daughter and face the consequences.
The story then follows their alternate narratives following the decision and how a family bonds can remain strong no matter what.
This is a highly emotive book that while is fiction, tells a very important story and gives a heartbreaking insight into traditions that still go on today. If you manage to get past the first harrowing chapter (which I almost didn't, but I am very glad I did) you are in for a difficult read in places, but ultimately a hopeful story about a young girls fight against what really is a something that I am at a loss to understand how still happens today.
July 31, 2021
Sixteen year old Abida lives in a small Pakistani village with strict rules to protect a family’s honour, but her spirit is defiant and she longs to make a home with the man she loves. When their love is discovered, they are forced to escape to Lahore and Abida becomes lost to her family.
What an incredibly powerful and moving book. The opening chapter of No Honour is one I’ll never be able to shake. It’s truly horrific and when you think that these things are happening right now, it makes even more horrific. Honour killings are a way of life for many families and this book gives readers an authentic and truthful look into that world.
The narrative of the book splits between Abida and her father, Jamil. The life Abida thought she was going to have with the man she loves, is quickly pulled away from her. She becomes trapped in Lahore, with no money, no freedom, no escape. Jamil becomes worried when the family stop receiving communications from Abida and he sets off determined to find her.
I was captivated by this book and became completely absorbed into it. The story features some hard hitting and traumatic scenes but I couldn’t tear myself away. I devoured it in two sittings because I just had to know what would happen, I was utterly invested in Abida and Jamil’s fates.
No Honour is thought-provoking, emotional, devastating but ultimately hopeful. The ending was perfect and exactly what I needed. Abida and Jamil’s strength and love is inspiring and humbling.
What an incredibly powerful and moving book. The opening chapter of No Honour is one I’ll never be able to shake. It’s truly horrific and when you think that these things are happening right now, it makes even more horrific. Honour killings are a way of life for many families and this book gives readers an authentic and truthful look into that world.
The narrative of the book splits between Abida and her father, Jamil. The life Abida thought she was going to have with the man she loves, is quickly pulled away from her. She becomes trapped in Lahore, with no money, no freedom, no escape. Jamil becomes worried when the family stop receiving communications from Abida and he sets off determined to find her.
I was captivated by this book and became completely absorbed into it. The story features some hard hitting and traumatic scenes but I couldn’t tear myself away. I devoured it in two sittings because I just had to know what would happen, I was utterly invested in Abida and Jamil’s fates.
No Honour is thought-provoking, emotional, devastating but ultimately hopeful. The ending was perfect and exactly what I needed. Abida and Jamil’s strength and love is inspiring and humbling.
June 14, 2021
No Honour is remarkable on many levels. Setting aside the perfectly paced story structure & the eloquent dialogue, what stands out for me are two hugely important factors. This story is a political indictment; an exposé of honour killing in Pakistan rendered with no let or hindrance. What makes it truly outstanding is, the author at no point exploits his female characters. We are exposed to the horrors without ever having to endure unnecessarily salacious detail. Awais Khan portrays Abida's terrible suffering so sensitively, but with such a clear & shrewdly implied visual, we are never complacent. He honours our intelligence, knowing we need only his perfectly nuanced words to be fully aware of the reality. The book is both shocking, deeply moving & hugely important. Highly recommended.
July 5, 2021
First of all, I would like to propose the motion of having Awais Khan crowned King of the Shocking Opening Chapter! I remember vividly how shook up I felt after listening to the opening chapter of In the Company of Strangers, how those first paragraphs got to me so unexpectedly. Yet silly me hadn’t prepared for the same thing to happen with No Honour. But it did. And I had to remind myself to close my mouth because it had fallen open from the shock of it all. Did I know what No Honour was about before I started it? Yes, I did. Was I prepared for the harrowing story that was waiting for me? No, I was not.
No Honour tells the story of sixteen-year-old Abida and her father Jamil, and the narrative alternates between their points of view. Abida and her family live in a small rural village in Pakistan, where life is lived in accordance with tradition. Boys get to go to school, girls remain at home and are largely illiterate. Boys get a certain amount of freedom, girls are not allowed to have opinions, and they must always safeguard the honour of the family. Men know what’s best, women are to obey or will get beaten within an inch of their lives if they don’t, because real men hit their wives, don’t ya know. This is the toxic environment Abida grows up in.
When Abida gets into trouble, her father must choose between love and honour, will he punish his daughter and save the honour of this family, or will he choose her, consequences be damned? When Abida manages to escape her backwater village, ending up in the city of Lahore, things start to snowball and her new life in the city couldn’t be further from the hopes and dreams she cherished while she was still in her village. Soon she is trapped in the seedy underbelly of Lahore, while her dad is desperately trying to get her out.
I’ve never been anywhere near Pakistan, but once again, Awais Khan made me feel like I had been there a dozen times before. His writing is just so supremely evocative, I’ve said this before and I stand by it. Without losing himself in detail he knows how to paint a picture in such a manner that you almost feel like you’re watching a film.
Pakistan is not shown in the most positive light. As I’ve said, it’s a country I’m not very familiar with, I did pick up a few things from In the Company of Strangers and I did know beforehand that it’s not the most woman-friendly country so to speak but bloody hell, I had no idea it was this bad. Regular visitors of my little blog will know I love to learn from reading fiction, and while I’m happy to have learnt more about Pakistan and its customs, it also broke my heart. It is just maddening that in this day and age, stories like No Honour still tell a truth that needs to be told.
Let me just stress that that doesn’t mean that No Honour should be read just because it’s “an important book”. I mean, it is but it is also stunningly beautiful and extremely readable. Which at the end of the day is the most important thing for most of us readers, I think. Sure, we want to read important books, and we want to learn about foreign cultures, but reading fiction, we first and foremost want to be entertained. We might want to escape our own reality by diving into someone else’s, we might want to travel the world without lifting a finger (except to turn the pages), but at the end of the day what we want most is to be drawn into a story, we want to be captivated, kept at the edge of our seats, on our toes, glued to the pages, going from one emotion to the next, feeling the characters’ pain, laughing with them, crying for them. And that, that right there, is what No Honour does.
No Honour broke my heart several times over. I loved Abida, I hated everything that was happening to her, everything that was being done to her. It made for difficult reading, my heart in my throat, my eyes forever on the brink of brimming with tears. However, I think I loved her dad even more. The love for his eldest child so overwhelming, his desperation palpable, throwing caution to the wind to save her, proving that there is hope even in desperate times.
I loved In the Company of Strangers but with No Honour, Awais Khan well and truly knocks it out of the park. Highly recommended.
No Honour tells the story of sixteen-year-old Abida and her father Jamil, and the narrative alternates between their points of view. Abida and her family live in a small rural village in Pakistan, where life is lived in accordance with tradition. Boys get to go to school, girls remain at home and are largely illiterate. Boys get a certain amount of freedom, girls are not allowed to have opinions, and they must always safeguard the honour of the family. Men know what’s best, women are to obey or will get beaten within an inch of their lives if they don’t, because real men hit their wives, don’t ya know. This is the toxic environment Abida grows up in.
When Abida gets into trouble, her father must choose between love and honour, will he punish his daughter and save the honour of this family, or will he choose her, consequences be damned? When Abida manages to escape her backwater village, ending up in the city of Lahore, things start to snowball and her new life in the city couldn’t be further from the hopes and dreams she cherished while she was still in her village. Soon she is trapped in the seedy underbelly of Lahore, while her dad is desperately trying to get her out.
I’ve never been anywhere near Pakistan, but once again, Awais Khan made me feel like I had been there a dozen times before. His writing is just so supremely evocative, I’ve said this before and I stand by it. Without losing himself in detail he knows how to paint a picture in such a manner that you almost feel like you’re watching a film.
Pakistan is not shown in the most positive light. As I’ve said, it’s a country I’m not very familiar with, I did pick up a few things from In the Company of Strangers and I did know beforehand that it’s not the most woman-friendly country so to speak but bloody hell, I had no idea it was this bad. Regular visitors of my little blog will know I love to learn from reading fiction, and while I’m happy to have learnt more about Pakistan and its customs, it also broke my heart. It is just maddening that in this day and age, stories like No Honour still tell a truth that needs to be told.
Let me just stress that that doesn’t mean that No Honour should be read just because it’s “an important book”. I mean, it is but it is also stunningly beautiful and extremely readable. Which at the end of the day is the most important thing for most of us readers, I think. Sure, we want to read important books, and we want to learn about foreign cultures, but reading fiction, we first and foremost want to be entertained. We might want to escape our own reality by diving into someone else’s, we might want to travel the world without lifting a finger (except to turn the pages), but at the end of the day what we want most is to be drawn into a story, we want to be captivated, kept at the edge of our seats, on our toes, glued to the pages, going from one emotion to the next, feeling the characters’ pain, laughing with them, crying for them. And that, that right there, is what No Honour does.
No Honour broke my heart several times over. I loved Abida, I hated everything that was happening to her, everything that was being done to her. It made for difficult reading, my heart in my throat, my eyes forever on the brink of brimming with tears. However, I think I loved her dad even more. The love for his eldest child so overwhelming, his desperation palpable, throwing caution to the wind to save her, proving that there is hope even in desperate times.
I loved In the Company of Strangers but with No Honour, Awais Khan well and truly knocks it out of the park. Highly recommended.
September 26, 2021
A terrifying electric page turner. Beautifully written showing the horrors of honor killing in Pakistan.
January 14, 2022
Sometimes you buy a book that really hits you hard, it really makes you think. Mr Khan has tackled a sensitive subject with such empathy. You can relate to each character, every detail whether it be in the small village or in Lahore you can picture everything. The way girls/women are treated like they are irreplaceable and worthless, and at birth are sometimes discarded because they are female. What makes this even more heartbreaking is that it still happens not just in Pakistan where the rate is higher, but in other countries, if a daughter doesn’t abide by what her parents say she will be killed by the father or other relative. But it is so hard to understand how this can be honourable, surely to kill your own child should bring dishonour to the family, but sadly this isn’t how the culture see things. There needs to be a cultural shift to put an end to this, a change in legislation is not enough. My son is married to an Asian lady, luckily her parents accepted him into the family and think the world of him. But for some this is just not the case.
The opening of the story is tough to read, but is necessary to get you to understand the rest of the story. Abida is a sixteen year old daughter, and sister to six siblings, the family are not rich, her father Jamil is a butcher, her mother does embroidery to help make ends meet. The family live in a small village, Abida starts seeing another youth from the village Kalim, they are intimate, and Abida finds herself pregnant. Recently another girl found herself in the same predicament, she was murdered by her father, in front of the whole village. When Jamil finds out Abida is pregnant he refuses to murder his daughter, instead he helps her to escape to Lahore, where she marries Kalim, they live in a rundown apartment with very little money but it’s not long before what happiness Abida had turns into nothing but a nightmare. Abida finds herself in a situation she has no idea how to get out of. But Jamil worried about his daughter heads to Lahore to find her.
The story delves into drug addiction, prostitution, police corruption, violence, poverty. Jamil will not give up on his daughter and is determined to find her and bring her home no matter what it takes. Abida is a girl full of courage who fights as hard as she can. You really do find yourself rooting for these characters. Wanting them to overcome everything that is thrown at them. Can Abida be reunited with her family?
So beautifully and carefully written, you really empathise not just with Abida but also with Jamil and other characters. It makes you wonder how any culture could treat women and girls in such a way. I remember when I was expecting my fourth child I was not allowed to be told what sex the baby was because at the time a high proportion of Asian women were aborting female babies, I had three sons and desperately wanted a daughter. For me the day she was born was a blessing.
This is an absolute 5⭐️ read, written with such care and compassion, highlighting practices that sadly do still go on, that need to come to an end. A gripping, engrossing read from start to finish. I highly recommend this book.
The opening of the story is tough to read, but is necessary to get you to understand the rest of the story. Abida is a sixteen year old daughter, and sister to six siblings, the family are not rich, her father Jamil is a butcher, her mother does embroidery to help make ends meet. The family live in a small village, Abida starts seeing another youth from the village Kalim, they are intimate, and Abida finds herself pregnant. Recently another girl found herself in the same predicament, she was murdered by her father, in front of the whole village. When Jamil finds out Abida is pregnant he refuses to murder his daughter, instead he helps her to escape to Lahore, where she marries Kalim, they live in a rundown apartment with very little money but it’s not long before what happiness Abida had turns into nothing but a nightmare. Abida finds herself in a situation she has no idea how to get out of. But Jamil worried about his daughter heads to Lahore to find her.
The story delves into drug addiction, prostitution, police corruption, violence, poverty. Jamil will not give up on his daughter and is determined to find her and bring her home no matter what it takes. Abida is a girl full of courage who fights as hard as she can. You really do find yourself rooting for these characters. Wanting them to overcome everything that is thrown at them. Can Abida be reunited with her family?
So beautifully and carefully written, you really empathise not just with Abida but also with Jamil and other characters. It makes you wonder how any culture could treat women and girls in such a way. I remember when I was expecting my fourth child I was not allowed to be told what sex the baby was because at the time a high proportion of Asian women were aborting female babies, I had three sons and desperately wanted a daughter. For me the day she was born was a blessing.
This is an absolute 5⭐️ read, written with such care and compassion, highlighting practices that sadly do still go on, that need to come to an end. A gripping, engrossing read from start to finish. I highly recommend this book.
June 11, 2021
A stunningly written, immensely important book that offers a powerful insight into a world where women and girls are murdered in the name of ‘honour’. With a shocking opening scene that will wrench at my heart for all eternity, it’s a story of love, courage and survival against all odds, of emotional and physical abuse, of one father and daughter’s defiance against deep rooted cultural beliefs that are accepted without question. Despite the heartbreaking subject matter, such is Khan’s literary prowess in keeping the reader hooked, I raced through this book in one sitting and was left breathless by the end.
An outstanding read that must surely earn its place at the pinnacle of literary fiction. Highly recommended.
An outstanding read that must surely earn its place at the pinnacle of literary fiction. Highly recommended.
December 12, 2022
No Honour by Awais Khan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow what a book. Set in Pakistan, girls pregnant out of wedlock are stoned or drowned to death, after their babies are drowned in milk. Here begins a story that will pull at your heartstrings whilst teaching you how suppressed women were. Highly recommended
Wow what a book. Set in Pakistan, girls pregnant out of wedlock are stoned or drowned to death, after their babies are drowned in milk. Here begins a story that will pull at your heartstrings whilst teaching you how suppressed women were. Highly recommended
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