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I Am a Bacha Posh cover art

I Am a Bacha Posh

Written by: Ukmina Manoori, Stephanie Lebrun, Peter E. Chianchiano - translator
Narrated by: Ariana Delawari
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Publisher's Summary

"You will be a son, my daughter." With these stunning words Ukmina learned that she was to spend her childhood as a boy. In Afghanistan there is a widespread practice of girls dressing as boys to play the role of a son. These children are called bacha posh: literally "girls dressed as boys." This practice offers families the freedom to allow their child to shop and work - and in some cases, it saves them from the disgrace of not having a male heir. But in adolescence, religion restores the natural law. The girls must marry, give birth, and give up their freedom.

Ukmina decided to confront social and family pressure and keep her menswear. This brave choice paved the way for an extraordinary destiny: She wages war against the Soviets, assists the mujaheddin and ultimately commands the respect of all whom she encounters. She eventually becomes one of the elected council members of her province. But freedom always has a price. For "Ukmina warrior" that price was her life as a woman.

This is a stunning and brave memoir about a little known practice that will challenge your perceptions about gender and the courage it takes to live your life to the fullest.
©2014 Ukmina Manoori and Stephanie Lebrun Translation 2014 by Peter E. Chianchiano (P)2014 Audible Inc.
Women's Studies Biographies & Memoirs Women Wars & Conflicts
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Profile image for Tathagat Varma

Discovered a new world...

We live multiple simultaneous identities - as a son / daughter / brother / sister / father / mother / neighbor / stranger / worker / breadwinner / .....and so on. And for most part, we take our identities for granted, and hardly ever think about it. For most part, we also don't realise the privileges our identities offer, for it is go ingrained in our thinking that it is part of our unconscious (or subconscious?) thinking. And thus, when you hear of how people in different parts of the world have to struggle with less-privileged identities - or at least that's how a given identity might be perceived in that part of the world, it does take a moment to think about it. I had never heard of this concept, and until I listened to the audiobook, I never realized its possibility, let alone its existence or its significance. The story opened up my mind to understanding how ignorant we are about how some of things that we take for granted as not that trivial, but in fact, might mean an entire life for someone else?

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