MY FORBIDDEN FACE: GROWING UP UNDER THE TALIBAN: A YOUNG WOMAN'S STORY

MY FORBIDDEN FACE: GROWING UP UNDER THE TALIBAN: A YOUNG WOMAN'S STORY
Average customer rating:

When Home Becomes Prison

A Non-Muslim American Woman's Comments

Could have used a competent editor, but good effort

My Forbidden Face : Growing Up Under the Taliban - A Young Woman's Story

What a story!

MY FORBIDDEN FACE: GROWING UP UNDER THE TALIBAN: A YOUNG WOMAN'S STORY
Latifa
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Born into a middle-class Afghan family in Kabul in 1980, Latifa had a conventional childhood. Then, Taliban soldiers seized power in Kabul. And from that moment, Latifa, just sixteen, became a prisoner in her own home. The simplest and most basic freedoms were forbidden. She was forced to put on a chadri, the state-mandated uniform that covered her entire body. Disbelief at having to hide herself was soon replaced by fear, the fear of being whipped or stoned like women she'd seen. My Forbidden Face provides a moving and highly personal account of life under the Taliban regime. With painful honesty and clarity, Latifa describes her ordered world falling apart, in the name of a fanaticism that she could not comprehend, and replaced by a world where terror and oppression reign.

Customer Reviews:

When Home Becomes Prison.......2007-10-02

Home became prison for women when the Taliban arrived. And I don't think Taliban rule was a picnic for most men either. "Latifah" did a great job of describing the deep depression of women whose lives suddenly became worth nothing with no hope and no dreams allowed.

This book was mentioned in a reader review of the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns". A reviewer implied that that the author plagiarized "Latifah's" book. I was curious so I bought "My Forbidden Face". I see no signs of any plagiarism at all. Can't imagine what the reviewer was thinking.

Another reviewer of "My Forbidden Face" wanted to know the reasoning behind the Taliban rules so that she could understand better. The Taliban wanted to demoralize and subjugate the people for complete control. That was the reason behind every crazy pronouncement.

I have to agree that the editing was poor and the timelines confusing. I had to re-read some portions of the book because I thought I missed segments. Turns out I didn't miss anything--what I was looking for wasn't there.

Definitely worth reading for the young woman's account of what life was like in Afghanistan during that time period. Scary and heartbreaking.

A Non-Muslim American Woman's Comments.......2007-04-17

I was eager to read this book because I wanted to learn about women's experiences in Afganistan at the hands of the Taliban. The title, "My Forbidden Face: Growing Up Under the Taliban, etc", indicated to me that this would be a personal, information-packed book on the subject. But as others have already said, the book was quite sketchy regarding the information it supposedly covered. Most of the Taliban decrees that Fatima listed were shocking to me, a western woman, and I wanted to understand her plight in greater detail. But instead I ended up with more questions than answers. Why was whistling forbidden (including ridiculously, even teakettles)? Why were photographs and paintings forbidden? Why were no books except the Quran allowed (that one would kill me for sure!)? What did she and her sisters do to pass the time living basically under house arrest for 3 years (besides lay on their bed, and listen clandestinely to the BBC in the evenings)? When she taught school, what did she teach and how did she teach it? How did the children respond? I would have loved to get a more personal account of her situation than I can get reading news stories. How do the Taliban's version of Islamic rule differ from non-Taliban rule? Why would the Taliban want to get rid of women, as she stated? These questions perplex me. I want to know the truth, I want to understand more.

When she said the United States' policies in the Middle East were mistakes and mishandled, I would like to know specifically what she was referring to. I don't doubt for a minute that the U.S. has bungled things in that region, probably on a grand scale, but I truly wanted to know what she thought first hand. Instead I think maybe she was superficially stating other people's views that she may not have been old enough to process yet.

As a non-Muslim American woman, Fatima's life and religion could not have been more opposite to mine than if she lived on another planet. Maybe Fatima will write another book after she has matured a bit so that she will add a more thorough account of her experiences to help those of us living in a far different world to understand the clash between our two cultures. Because I do believe that with knowledge and understanding of the other side, a way can come to get through this mess.

Could have used a competent editor, but good effort.......2007-03-17

This book jumps around a lot. The author could have used a better editor. Since this book deals with a lot of historical aspects of growing up in Afghanistan, a linear format would have worked better than the back and forth the author uses. One day her brother's fighting the Soviets. Then he's married in another country, then he's fighting the Soviets. You get the idea. It's a little hard to keep track of who's doing what.

As to the descriptions of the author's life, however, it was pretty good, but I don't feel she adequately captured the horrors of what was going on, at least not compared to other books I've read on the subject. More detail and expansion would have been good.

However, the book was very good, especially from one so young. I do recommend it.

My Forbidden Face : Growing Up Under the Taliban - A Young Woman's Story.......2006-03-27

My Forbidden Face : Growing Up Under the Taliban - A Young Woman's Story, is a firsthand account of a young girl under the Taliban. The Book begins as 16 year old Latifa, and ends when she is twenty one. I thought this book was very well written, and very enjoyable. I thought the book was kind of fluffy, meaning that, though it gave us information about the Taliban, and what it was like living under it, it was still not giving us a lot of detail. Sure, she talks about the rights they took away from women, and the depression it caused her and millions other women in the country, but I think she could have been a bit more focused on her life before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, as it is a biography.

I do recommend this book to people who are interested in Human Rights, women in the Middle East, but I think that people who have read other books about Women's rights issues wouldn't like this book as much as someone who has just begun to take an interest in the subjects.

I highy recommend The Princess Series, by Jean Sasson, and Nine Parts of Desire, by Geraldine Brooks.

What a story!.......2006-01-14

This book provides a first-hand account of daily life in Afghanistan under the Taliban. Latifa (a pseudonym made necessary by death threats to the author and her family members) lived with her family in a middle-class area of Kabul. Her country had been at war her entire life. Over the years, Latifa and her family members struggled to be apolitical just so they could survive the frequent regime changes. One of her brothers served in the army under the Soviets, only to become a political prisoner under the regime; another was sent to university in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on a Soviet scholarship. When the Taliban took over Kabul, Latifa found herself virtually imprisoned in her apartment, forbidden by the Taliban from attending the university where she had just passed her entrance exams. Her sister had been an airline stewardess and her mother a doctor, but both were forbidden from continuing their professions. Her father was a businessman, whose Kabul warehouses were being continually destroyed in battle.

In this book, Latifa describes daily life for her family after the Taliban took control. She describes listening to edicts on the radio, forbidding women from working and girls from going to school. Women and girls were also not allowed to be treated by male doctors, and since women doctors were forbidden from practicing, this effectively shut half the population out from being able to receive any kind of health care. Women had to be covered from head to toe if they were to go out in public, and they had to be escorted by a male relative. On one of the few times Latifa dared go out of her apartment for a walk, she witnessed a horrific beating of women whose feet were covered but who had committed the apparently reprehensible crime of wearing the wrong color shoes.

At the beginning of her story, Latifa is an ordinary teenager, excited with fancy dresses and movie stars. But as the years go by, and she finds herself and all other women that she knows forbidden from participating in society in any, Latifa becomes more and more concerned with women's issues-indeed she becomes a feminist, although she had most likely never heard the term before. It's fascinating to read in her descriptions of childhood in Kabul of what a relatively normal life her family had been able to lead, despite the wars and political upheavals. This contrasts sharply with the changes brought in by the Taliban, when marriages could no longer be celebrated, and teachers could be beaten for providing lessons to little girls.

Latifa's occasional references to Dubai kept bringing back my own memories of the young Emirati women I taught there at about the same time Latifa was stuck in her apartment. In class one day at the height of Taliban power, I asked the students to construct an argument for why women should be educated. "But why?" they asked in shock. "Everyone knows women should be educated. No one would say otherwise-it's in the Q'uran." When I tried to tell them that the Taliban had forbidden women or girls from getting any kind of education in the Islamic republic of Afghanistan, they vociferously denied that this could be so. If only this book had been available then-perhaps the students might have believed Latifa's word, coming from a fellow Muslim girl, if they wouldn't believe mine. (Has it been translated into Arabic? Is it on the list of banned books for the Emirates?) This is a very-well written, gripping account of Afghani life from the point of view of an ordinary citizen, and highly recommended to anyone who wants to further their understanding of the Afghan society and attitudes towards the Taliban.

My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City

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A history of Tibet that no longer exists, we all owe David-Neel a debt
The Pilgrim was a Lady
An unusual journey to say the least
Massively Overrated
Worth the Effort

My Journey to Lhasa: The Classic Story of the Only Western Woman Who Succeeded in Entering the Forbidden City
Alexandra David-neel
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Way of the White Clouds

ASIN: 0060596554
Release Date: 2005-08-23

Amazon.com

In any time, Alexandra David-Neel would have been considered an extraordinary woman, but in the Victorian era, she was truly exceptional. Born in 1868, David-Neel eschewed the dances, dinners, and formal marriages common to women of her era and social standing in order to indulge her fierce independence and insatiable intellectual curiosity. Her interest in comparative religions dated back to early childhood; even as a student in a Catholic convent school, she kept statues of both Christ and the Buddha in her room. She made her first trip to Asia in 1891, then supported herself as a light-opera singer and journalist before marrying a seemingly conventional man, Philip Neel. Fortunately for both Alexandra David-Neel and for posterity, Philip was less stodgy than his position as a well-off engineer might imply; though he did not accompany her, he supported his wife's explorations and even acted as her literary agent when she began to write about the places she visited. Alexandra and Philip remained the closest of friends until his death in 1941.

David-Neel spent years traveling in India and China, but perhaps her most daring adventure was the trip to Tibet's forbidden city of Lhasa. She was 55 years old at the time, fluent in Tibetan and well versed in both Sanskrit and Buddhism. Disguised as a man, she spent four treacherous months on the road before finally becoming the first European woman ever to enter Lhasa. My Journey to Lhasa is David-Neel's own account of her astounding journey, one fraught with hardship and danger. It is both a chronicle of a bygone time and a testimonial to a remarkable human.

Book Description

An exemplary travelogue of danger and achievement by the Frenchwoman Madame Alexandra David–Neel of her 1923 expedition to Tibet, the fifth in her series of Asian travels, and her personal recounting of her journey to Lhasa, Tibet's forbidden city.

In order to penetrate Tibet and reach Lhasa, she used her fluency of Tibetan dialects and culture, disguised herself as a beggar with yak hair extensions and inked skin and tackled some of the roughest terrain and climate in the World. With the help of her young companion, Yongden, she willingly suffered the primitive travel conditions, frequent outbreaks of disease, the ever–present danger of border control and the military to reach her goal.

The determination and sheer physical fortitude it took for this woman, delicately reared in Paris and Brussels, is inspiration for men and women alike.

David–Neel is famous for being the first Western woman to have been received by any Dalai Lama and as a passionate scholar and explorer of Asia, hers is one of the most remarkable of all travellersߴales.

Customer Reviews:

A history of Tibet that no longer exists, we all owe David-Neel a debt.......2007-07-16

Personally, I love this book and have read it more than three times. If, for no other reason, you have an interest in Tibet prior to the Chinese invasion in 1950, this book leaves for posterity a Tibet that no longer exists. The border is gone from modern maps, but even a Westerners' interpretation of their daily lives, is treasure to us all of what once was, a free and spiritually ruled Tibet.

The Chinese have a built a "Disneyland" at the foot of Potalla Palace. I need to remember it before the modern attempt at Chinesification of Tibet.

The Pilgrim was a Lady.......2006-08-11

In 1923 at the age of 55, Alexandra David-Neel put on the robes of a Buddhist monk and walked across Tibet for four months on a pilgrimmage to the holy city of Lhasa. No European woman had ever entered the holy city before, and the road promised many dangers, from wild animals to blizzards to bandits. Her descriptions bear witness to a spunky evolved soul whose scholarly knowledge of Buddhism served her well in her adopted role as an itinerant monk. Her writing is elegant, punctuated by an unselfconscious humor and relentless perspicacity. Truly an adventure trek of many wonders.

An unusual journey to say the least.......2004-01-26

When I was reading the reviews of this book, I was struck by the one of the reviews. It was very negative, and the reviewer missed the beauty of this book entirely. I was glad that I had already read it. I read the reviews because I was curious to see if others had enjoyed the book as much as I did. I was buying it again as a present for a friend. The author was a very unusual person, and this book is very much worth the read. She wrote about customs and values honestly as she saw them. She was not a dispassionate viewer, but I also felt that she was not judgemental or superior. When customs of two peoples are as different as some of Tibet and France are, they will shock a person and that person will remark. However, I felt that she loved and respected the people she wrote about, and she did a remarkable job in recounting what she saw. She gave her readers the pleasure of a most unusual journey with her and her young companion through a country that was worth writing about.

Massively Overrated.......2003-12-24

I did not see what the big deal was, and would not recommend it. Her language and the way she treated people is offensive, Eurocentric, condescending and narrow-minded -- typical of many travel books of this period. For those trying to learn about Tibet, there is not enough here to satisfy. This is your classic I-am-to-be-admired-because-I-left-the-comforts-of-civilization-applaud-me themed books. She is not a traveller but a trophy collector.

Worth the Effort.......2001-03-10

This is a book which I think of often. Ms. David-Neel had or should I say has quite a strong spirit. I would recommend all of her books to anyone interested in spiritual growth, women's triumphs or walking accross high Himalayan passes in the dead of winter with the Lama Yongden. I cross high Rocky Mountain passes regularly, but always in the comfort of an 18-wheeler.

Average customer rating:

Extremely Enlightening
A Lifechanging Read

A Woman's Forbidden Emotion
Gary J. Oliver , and H. Norman Wright
Manufacturer: Regal Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Customer Reviews:

Extremely Enlightening.......2007-08-06

This book teaches readers that anger is an acceptable emotion that everyone experiences. It explores ways people deal with anger and makes suggestions as to how readers can become "mature responders" when feeling anger. I wish I had read this book years ago and have already recommended it to several of my friends.

A Lifechanging Read.......2005-03-25

I have to admit, I was bit put off at the thought of two men writing a book about anger and women. However, I am sure glad I didn't let that stop me from buying this book. The authors of tackle this difficult subject with insight, compassion and sensitivity. They do not offer pat answers or a quick fix. This book is very well rounded. It deals with the why of anger as well as the how. It talks about hidden forms of anger. It also offers hope and lets the reader know that they are not alone. It also refutes many of the myths and lies about anger. This book also offers practical, useable solutions about how to identify and then overcome anger. I highly recommend this book to women of any age who are struggling with anger. Even if you are like me, and have struggled with anger for many years. I have read quite a few others books on anger and I have to say, this is one of the best.

Another book on Anger that I highly recommend is Anger is a Choice by Tim LaHaye and Bob Phillips.

Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies For Men and Women

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One man's views
A poetic hymn to the female body
Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies for Men And Women
Awesome Book About Women's Bodies & Female Sensuality
Erotic Book - Learn the Secrets!

Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies For Men and Women
Sheldon Filger
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1425929176

Book Description

Uplifting eroticism while demolishing myths, "Erotic Book" offers a fresh and exhilarating perspective on the sensuality and beauty of the female body. The author provides readers of "Erotic Book" with insights on what aspects of the female body actually arouse men, and why almost every woman potentially possesses an intensely erotic body. "Erotic Book" rebels against the objectification of women, and presents an understanding of female sensuality that integrates the feminine mind with the feminine body, creating a transcending erotic presence.

Customer Reviews:

One man's views.......2007-07-18

I'm captivated by female beauty, so I was interested at the prospect of a book dedicated to the subject from an artist's perspective. Unfortuately, the author has framed some of his statements to be representative of "most men." It's annoying and sloppy. For example, commenting that many women now shave their pubic hair, he observes that "most men" actually prefer women with pubic hair (without even broaching whether its trimmed or groomed). He fails to acknowledge that preferences vary widely and offers no data to support his statement. He has a section on body piercing where he goes to some lengths to explain how he's finally come around to accept the idea, but only in certain parts of the body, and again women are better off unadorned. Opinions on that subject also vary from person to person. Rather than discussing his preferences as strictly his own (e.g. "As a painter, I prefer 'x' because...") or doing some actual psychological or historical research, this book comes across as the organized ramblings of one opinionated man (whose opinions I don't share) - not intelligent discourse about a beautiful, age-old topic. I returned the book.

A poetic hymn to the female body.......2006-11-12

This slim book is not just a delightful account of the female body, but a passionate hymn to the beauty of woman.
Intensely sensous, but not pornographic at all, it lovingly examines and exalts all the components of her body, underlining their significance from an aesthetic and erotic viewpoint.
It should be required reading for all photographers and painters alike as an introduction to the appreciation of the female body.
Art teachers had better leave anatomy manuals on the bookshelves from time to time and refer to this book as they teach life drawing classes, to arouse the students' genuine interest in what they are drawing.

Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies for Men And Women.......2006-08-01

Erotic Book is an open and honest study of the female form, through the eyes of the author. Filger's background in Fine Art Photography is evident by the exquisite detail in which he views every nuance of the female form. Anyone who does not see the beauty in their own body needs to read this book.

Alan Walker

Awesome Book About Women's Bodies & Female Sensuality.......2006-07-04

This is an amazing book, more so as the author is man, but one with unusual perception when it comes to understanding the female psyche about their bodies and sexuality. Sheldon Filger presents the entire female body as an artistic tapestry, and enables the reader to understand the heavenly beauty that is the body of a woman. I really felt empowered after reading this appropriately-named "Erotic Book." Women will truly feel liberated after reading it--and men will also have new insights, and a wonderful gift for their special woman.

Erotic Book - Learn the Secrets!.......2006-05-14

I found this book very refreshing. Every woman should read this! Learn what turns men on about our bodies before you consider any augmentation, you will be pleasantly surprised. Thank you Sheldon Filger for telling us something we really needed to hear.

Fortune's Forbidden Woman (Silhouette Desire)

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Fortune's Forbidden Woman-A Joyfully Recommended Title!

Fortune's Forbidden Woman (Silhouette Desire)
Heidi Betts
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 037376801X

Book Description

Creed Fortune had hungered for Maya Blackstone for nearly a decade, but he'd held back to protect his family's reputation. After all, the press would have a field day if they uncovered a clandestine affair between a Fortune heir and his very own stepsister! Then a heated argument between Creed and Maya turned into a feverish night of lovemaking. Even though the raven-haired schoolteacher melted his heart in ways he'd never dreamed possible, Creed had to find a way to douse their dangerous attraction. Otherwise, the sordid truth could topple the Fortune empire!

Customer Reviews:

Fortune's Forbidden Woman-A Joyfully Recommended Title!.......2007-07-02

Maya Blackstone has loved her stepbrother, Creed Fortune, for years, but the marriage of her mother to his father has always made any relationship between them seem impossible, so she's hidden her love. Little does she know, Creed returns her feelings, but has also been keeping his love a secret. Can they overcome society's opinions and weather the scandal in order to finally be together?

I love Heidi Betts! Without a doubt, Fortune's Forbidden Woman is a wonderful example of why. Creed and Maya's star-crossed love kept me absorbed in the book, anxiously waiting for them to give into their passion. Sensual and emotionally riveting, Fortune's Forbidden Woman should be on every romance lover's reading list!

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Average customer rating:

Don't we always want what we can't have
Gotta Support My Man From Chicago!
Humorous, Steamy and Suspenseful
Excellent
This was an amazing book

Forbidden
Darrin Lowery Smith
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0595331041

Book Description

Forbidden. Leon Alexander is a therapist with a thriving practice. While working on his Doctorate degree, he comes across a patient that is breathtaking. Her name is Erica. Erica is in counseling because she is in a domestic violence situation. Her boyfriend, Ron has disrupted her life to the point that she is in danger of losing her career with his violent outbursts and psychotic behavior.

Leon, must try to convince Erica that she can do better and that she deserves better. The more they meet in session and the more they talk, the closer they become. Leon is already seeing someone--a married woman named Grace who is also vying for his attention.

A married woman and a patient--both of them stunningly beautiful, and both are Forbidden.

Download Description

Leon, must try to convince Erica that she can do better and that she deserves better. The more they meet in session and the more they talk, the closer they become. Leon is already seeing someone

Customer Reviews:

Don't we always want what we can't have.......2005-06-01

Forbidden - not allowed; prohibited.

What's wrong with a relationship between two consenting adults that are physically and sexually attracted to one another? Well, what if one party is a therapist and the other is his patient?

Leon Alexander is a therapist with a thriving practice shared with his childhood friend. He's a good looking brother, has a nice place, two automobiles and is looking for a woman to be his queen. Women should be falling all over him, right? WRONG. He's passed over time and time again because he's "lame" or not enough of a "bad boy." That is until he meets Erica. Beautiful and intelligent Erica.

Erica Johnson, with her business smarts and savvy, is slowly climbing up the corporate ladder. She could probably climb that ladder faster if her personal life was not spilling over into and affecting her work performance. Erica is in a physically abusive relationship and seeks the help of one Leon Alexander.

Torn between ethics and emotions, will Leon continue counseling Erica, refer her to another therapist or decide to take doctor/patient confidentiality to a whole 'nother level?

Saddled with an array of feelings, will Erica try to work through her abusive relationship, or move on to someone better? Someone like her therapist.

Darrin takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Highs and lows. Twists and turns. Ups and downs. Forbidden gives a full helping of drama, action and gratuitous sex. All of this centers around the very serious issue of domestic violence.

I become aware of this book thanks to Amazon. This brother is seriously being slept on. Wake up people! And sisters - love is not supposed to hurt.

Gotta Support My Man From Chicago!.......2004-10-15

This book was tight!All of Darrin Lowery Smith's books are tight. I met the brother recently and he was very down to earth. he gave me copies of all his books and his other joint, "Down Low, Double Life" that he wrote as D.L. Smith. This book had domestic violence, suspense, intrigue and some off the hook love scenes. The whole time that I was reading what the lead female was going through, I was cheering for her as the story progressed. She went through a lot. This book opened my eyes to some things that are really going on in relationships. Not enough attention is brought to this issue. I think putting DV in story form will reach more people. This brother is doing it!

Humorous, Steamy and Suspenseful.......2004-09-22

This books starts off really cool with the way the lead character relates to his patients and his childhood friend. It then picks up speed as one lead character meets the other. The abuse scenes were intense. The background of some of the characters was intense also. The erotic scenes were well written and they took some of the edge off the book. When the lead character was scared, the reader was scared. I thought this book was well written. The ending was a major triumph for the lead character, Erica after all she had been through. Like I said, the book was funny, the erotic scenes were on point, and the suspense was wild. I am going to pick up Darrin Lowery Smith's other book, "Down Low, Double Life." He wrote that book as D.L. Smith. I'm curious to see if it's just as good.

Excellent.......2004-09-21

Darrin Lowery Smith is an up and coming author. He has great writing skills. He leaves you wondering what is going to happen next and how far will the characters go. You never know what to expect. This book is great reading material and I look forward to reading more from him.

This was an amazing book.......2004-09-20

I had never read any books by this author before. His writing style is unique. The book was funny, serious, suspensful and it had a lot of twists and turns. I felt sorry for the lead character and the abuse that she endured. When she was scared, I was scared. I truly felt her defeats as well as her triumphs at the end of the book. The background on the abuser was an interesting storyline as well. The author gave you some insight as to why the abuser acted the way that he did, and you almost felt sorry for him. The author listed some frightening statistics at the end of the book that were really educational for me. I look forward to a sequel.

The Forbidden Woman (European Women Writers)

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I couldn't put it down - facinating and full of spirit
Excellent for the classroom.

The Forbidden Woman (European Women Writers)
Malika Mokeddem
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803282400

Book Description

The Forbidden Woman tells the story of Sultana, an Algerian woman doctor who, after years spent living in France, returns to her native village in order to attend the funeral of a former lover. The clash between her origins and the Westernized life she now leads is explored in telling detail against the backdrop of current events in Algeria. A work that combines insight into both political and personal matters, The Forbidden Woman develops a complex portrait of a country torn between progress and prejudice, secular life and Islamic fundamentalism.

In this passionate book, Malika Mokeddem places special emphasis on the position of women in modern Algeria. The frequent indignities and injustices suffered by the narrator reflect the plight of women in a society marked by patriarchalism and religious fundamentalism. Yet the novel also suggests that, along with modernization, there are emerging demands for women’s rights in Algeria—demands that might well signal a vastly different future for this tormented nation.

Customer Reviews:

I couldn't put it down - facinating and full of spirit.......2004-01-23

This book claims to take on, for the most part, the position of women in contemporary Algeria. But you can see many people's lives and how they're affected in this book. The narrative switches back and forth between Sultana, an Algerian woman doctor who lives in France, and a Frenchman in Algeria, Vincent. From the first, shocking few pages, to the very end, it captivated me. It is so hard to understand the FIS (Front Islamique du Salut, a radical Islamist Algerian group) and the way they see things. Sultana is an extremely dignified woman with much credibility and worhthy of anyone's respect, yet she is called a whore by her fellow Algerians when she walks on the street or goes to a bar or does ANYTHING really. The very end is the most surprising act of repression of all.

But there are so many glimpses of hope in this book as well, the little girl character of Delilah, the nurse Khaled. It seems that Algeria is torn between the strong, fundamental belief in their faith, and the changing world and people not wanting to be oppressed (who would?). Maybe fundamentalism is always a negative thing when it comes to faith and sprituality. Nobody has the right to force their ideas on others. I wish I had some idea of what I think would be something that could help Algeria. The language conflict (french and arabic, and to a lesser degree, Berber) seems difficult enough to tackle.

I'm sure this book was much better in its original French language text, although the translation is very good as well. Highly recommended, Algeria is facinating.

Excellent for the classroom........2003-07-13

One of the very best works of contemporary fiction set in the Maghrib. Raises the issues you would want for class discussion without the aggressive "eradicatory" anti-Islamism of most Algerian writers.

11 Titles By Jordan - Valentine's Night - Rival Attractions - Forgotten Passion - A Forbidden Loving - Daugher of Hassan - Dangerous Interloper - Injured Innocent - Woman to Wed - Kind of Madness - Too Short a Blessing - Savage Adoration

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11 Titles By Jordan - Valentine's Night - Rival Attractions - Forgotten Passion - A Forbidden Loving - Daugher of Hassan - Dangerous Interloper - Injured Innocent - Woman to Wed - Kind of Madness - Too Short a Blessing - Savage Adoration
Penny Jordan
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Product Description

11 massmarket paperback Titles By Jordan - Valentine's Night - Rival Attractions - Forgotten Passion - A Forbidden Loving - Daugher of Hassan - Dangerous Interloper - Injured Innocent - Woman to Wed - Kind of Madness - Too Short a Blessing - Savage Adoration

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The Forbidden Woman
Frances Mocatta
Manufacturer: G. Howard Watt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JL55SC

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Forbidden Yearnings

Manufacturer: Chivers North Amer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Literature & Fiction | Large Print | Formats | Books
ASIN: 0745121349

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