Call Her Freedom: A Novel

(Hardback)

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A sweeping family saga following one womans struggle to protect her culture and her family amidst the backdrop of a military occupation.

In the foothills of the Himalayas, the picturesque mountain village of Poshkarbal is home to lush cherry and apple orchards and a thriving communityone divided by a patrolled border. Aisha and her mother Noorjahan live on the outskirtstwo women alone in a world dominated by men. As the village midwife, Noorjahan teaches Aisha how to heal using local herbs and remedies. Isolated but content, Aisha is shocked when Noorjahan decides it is time for her to attend the village school as few girls do. Despite the taunting of her classmates and the teachers initial resistance to having her in the class, Aisha becomes a star student, destined for college.

When Aishas hand is bequeathed to a local boy in the village, she is forced to abandon her dreams of college. She comforts herself by staying on her ancestral land, creating a nourishing life with her children and husband. But her mothers secrets come back to haunt her and her marriage and the growing military presence in Poshkarbal force Aisha to make impossible choices in order to save her family and preserve the independence Noorjahan fought for. What follows is a family chronicle brimming with life, love, and humor, about sacrifice and honor, and fighting for your home and culture in the face of occupation.

A deeply moving novel about one womans love for her family, this is an epic investigation of colonialism, militarization, and the loss and innocence on the journey to creating home. Spanning 1969 to 2022, Call Her Freedom is a love story that untangles family secrets and heals generational wounds, announcing Tara Dorabji as a thrilling new voice in fiction.

Reviews

"A rich and beautifully crafted multigenerational epic that takes us into the heart of a war-torn family and into the soul of a people fighting for liberation, Call Her Freedomis a searing, atmospheric debut by a talented new voice in fiction."
KRISTIN HARMEL,New York Timesbestselling author of The Paris Daughter
A compassionate account of endurance.
KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A stirring debut... Book clubs will enjoy this character-driven drama."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Ultimately, Dorabji invitesreaders to explore deep family love and the battle for liberation amid a ruthless militaristic reign."
BOOKLIST
"In her brave debut novel, Tara Dorabji tells a story of one family under a brutal military occupation. In the foothills of the Himalayas, three generationsa mother, a daughter, a great-niece draw strength from a matriarchal legacy as healers, warriors, and survivors. Based on real accounts from an ongoing struggle, Call Her Freedom gives voice to women we otherwise would not hear."
EVELINA GALANG, author ofWhen the Hibiscus Falls andLola's House

"A striking, essential read set against an ongoing military occupation and pulsing with empathy and beauty. Dorabji balances the political and personal with moving portraits of characters who find love and redemption on a ceaseless quest for freedom, despite every unthinkable, unspeakable cruelty hurled in their paths."
PARINI SHROFF, author of The Bandit Queens

"Powerful and evocative. . . A novel that enables us to examine the longing for freedom within our own hearts, and in solidarity with occupied peoples worldwide."
AYESHA MATTU, author of Love, InshAllahand Salaam, Love
"A novel that evokes the scent of cardamom, rose water, pine needles, and freshly fallen snow. A treat for the senses and a balm for the soul, Call Her Freedomtakes readers up into the heart of the Himalayas, where theyll meet Aisha, a young, sensitive, yet headstrong protagonist, and her mother, Noor Jahan, a complicated woman and a flawed parentwhose presence and legacy are imbued through these pages like red poppies on a hidden mountainside. With dexterity and exquisite empathy, Dorabji maps the heartbreak of a region torn apart by greed, betrayal and conflict onto a vivid cast of characterseach of whom are unforgettable, cathartic and breathtakingly real."
NAHEED PHIROZEPATEL, author of Mirror Made of Rain
"This is a dazzling and beautiful debut. Tara Dorabji introduces us to a singularly unique protagonist and a cast of indomitable characters living, loving, and fighting for their homeland in a landscape scarred by violence and the bitter legacy of colonialism. The result is a novel both intimate and panoramic about resilience, family, and unwavering hope."
ALEX ESPINOZA, author ofThe Sons of El Rey
"Call Her Freedomis a mythic tale of one woman's family surviving inside another culture of massive, brutal power. The story parallels conflicts in Guatemala, Nazi Europe, and the Confederate South. Set in South Asia, its prose reads both dreamily faraway and realistically closea beautiful strength that can only be attributed toDorabji's impeccable talent."
DAGOBERTO GILB, author of New Testaments and The Magic of Blood
A deeply felt and triumphant tale, urging us to brave the despondency of our times. Tara Dorabji paints a world of strong, passionate women and their men, loving and living in the face of increasing military occupation."
ATHERZIA, author of The Frame and founder of Kashmir Lit
"In Call Her Freedom, Tara Dorabji guides us on a profound and transformative journey through the experience of war with warm characters and elegant prose that expose the immensity of loss, torture, and grief, yet reveal the meaning of freedom, the enduring power of love and everything worth living for."
ELBA IRIS PREZ, author of The Things We Didn't Know, inaugural winner of the Books Like Us Simon and Schuster Contest
Call Her Freedom is a powerful chronicle of one womans life set against the brutality of one of the longest conflicts in the world. It tells the powerful story of what it means to survive the unthinkable while attempting to retain love and liberation. This is a must-read.
NAYOMI MUNAWEERA, author of Island of a Thousand Mirrors and What Lies Between Us

Author Bio

Tara Dorabji is the author of the novel,Call Her Freedom,winner of the Simon & Schuster Books Like Us first novel contest. She is the daughter of Parsi-Indian and German-Italian migrants. Her documentaryfilm serieson human rights defenders in Kashmir won awards at over a dozen film festivals throughout Asia and the USA. Taras publications includeAl Jazeera,The Chicago Quarterly,Huizache, and acclaimed anthologies:Good Girls Marry DoctorsandAll the Women in My Family Sing. She lives in Northern California with her family and rabbit.