Different Kind of Daughter, A
Toorpakai, MariaIn this book, which could just as accurately be titled 'A Different Kind of Family', maverick parents guarantee that Maria Toorpakai was never going to be ordinary. Growing up in a home championing women's rights, in a repressive area in Pakistan, Maria was supported in disguising herself as a boy for the freedom it afforded her. When it was no longer possible to hide her gender, the street fighting and wrestling were replaced with squash.
As one would expect in a region where the Taliban called the shots, her eventual rise to be Pakistan's number one female squash player, is a remarkable and courageous story, both of her and her family, and, is compellingly presented in this inspirational memoir.
Pages
326
326
Year
2016
2016
Reviews
11-01-2024
We all loved this book. It really opens your eyes to the difficult life for women in tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Maria's family is truly awe inspiring.
19-10-2023
Loved it!
18-09-2023
Highly rated. Not an easy read but informative & absorbing. Led to a good discussion as it included so many topics & issues other than squash. Very good notes.
10-10-2022
Grueling read, but one of inspiration.
16-08-2022
Most of us had read this book, and found it beautifully written. Maria and her family were incredibly brave in the face of ostracism and severe punishment and death. They are a very close family and were strongly loyal to each other, and supportive of Maria being true to her own identity.
02-08-2022
We weren't sure how much we would enjoy "a book about squash" when we received it, but this story is about much more than squash. We were all so amazed at Maria's brave and progressive family. The whole group loved this book.
13-03-2022
Remarkable!
07-08-2020
"Inspiring", "enlightening", "eye-opening", "unbelievable"! We all enjoyed the book (first time ever) and for most of us it broadened our knowledge of Islam and Pakistan in particular. Several of us looked further into the author and her country and even current events with regard to the issues raised. The only negatve comment raised was that at times it was a little "wordy" and it became more interesting from about half way through.
11-06-2019
We all found this book to be an absorbing and informative read. While some found the over expressive descriptions irritating, these were soon overlooked as Maria's story unfolded. We had great respect for her supportive family but were more interested in what led her parents to be so liberal coming from such a restrictive, traditional and tribal background. A lot of reading in this book but well worth the effort.
05-06-2019
An absorbing story which gave valuable insights into the life of a woman in our lifetime who broke many barriers. It gave a face to the reality of life for some in Pakistan. Our group also watched a You Tube Ted talk about Maria.
05-06-2019
A very enlightening story of a young girl following her dream in the face of great danger, with the help of a loving and supportive family.
05-06-2019
Although the content of this book generated good discussion, inconsistencies in the story and writing styles of the authors meant this book was not universally enjoyed.
05-06-2019
A fascinating read and insight into a world so different to ours . What a brave woman.
05-06-2019
Good discussion. All thought better editing needed, but very inspiring and informative about Pashtun culture, about which we were totally ignorant!
05-06-2019
Thought provoking. Intense discussion.
24-04-2019
We all enjoyed this book and marvelled at Maria's great parents, especially her father! The descriptive writing read more like a novel and may have been influenced by the input of the co-author. Though not mentioned, we all thought Maria may be on the LBGTQI spectrum, which would have made her childhood more complex.
03-04-2019
We found this book fascinating.
03-04-2019
We loved this book. We were amazed by her resilience.