
My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird
New Fiction by Afghan Women
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Narrated by:
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Sitara Attaie
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By:
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18 Afghan Women
About this listen
A landmark collection: the first anthology of short fiction by Afghan women that are "powerful, profound, and deeply moving" (Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees, a Reese's Book Club pick)
"My pen is the wing of a bird; it will tell you those thoughts we are not allowed to think, those dreams we are not allowed to dream."
Eighteen Afghan women living in, speaking about, and writing from the country itself tell stories that are powerful and illuminating, unique and universal—stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, war, gender identity, and cultural traditions.
A woman's fortitude saves her village from disaster. A teenager explores their identity in a moment of quiet. A tormented girl tries to find love through a horrific act. A headmaster makes his way to work, treading the fine line between life and death.
These and more original, vital, and unexpected stories hail from extraordinary voices rooted in Afghanistan's two main linguistic groups (Pashto and Dari), and were developed over two years through the writer development program Untold's Write Aghanistan Project. My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird comes at a pivotal moment in Afghanistan's history, when these voices must be heard.
With an Introduction by Lyse Doucet, BBC chief international correspondant, and Afterword by Lucy Hannah, Founder and Director of Untold
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Critic reviews
Most take part totally in Afghanistan, spread out over years. They speak of struggles like poverty and war. Many have female main characters who face struggles because they are female in a patriarchal society.
While there is sadness, frustration, and grief in abundance, there is also some hope. There is some hope simply because these stories have made it into print. Thank you to the authors and all who worked to make this a reality. The narration is excellent. It took a story or two to get used to the accent, but I never had trouble understanding her.
I highly recommend this book.
Extraordinary collection of stories
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Absolutely outstanding
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