The Dancer From KhivaThe Dancer From Khiva
One Muslim Woman's Quest for Freedom
Title rated 1.25 out of 5 stars, based on 2 ratings(2 ratings)
Book, 2008
Current format, Book, 2008, 1st ed, Available .Book, 2008
Current format, Book, 2008, 1st ed, Available . Offered in 0 more formatsIn an unflinching and candid memoir, a young Muslim woman describes growing up in a poor, deeply religious family in Uzbekistan; the gang rape at the age of eight that led to ostracism, victimization, and violence from her family and community; her dreams of pursuing a career as a dancer and raising a family; and her determination to record her life story.
Winner of the National Bestseller and Book of the Year prizes in Russia, The Dancer from Khiva, is the unflinchingly honest, deceptively plainspoken memoir of Bibish, a Central Asian woman who came of age in a rigidly Islamic village in Uzbekistan. In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born into an impoverished family, she was named 'Hadjarbibi' in honor of her grandfather's pilgrimage to Mecca. The holy name, however, did not protect her from unspeakable abuse at the hands of the men in her village. She knew instinctively to keep her experience a secret rather than risk further punishment, but soon her love for Uzbeki dancing - prohibited by Islamic custom - caused her to be beaten by her brothers and ostracized from her community. Dreaming of freedom, Bibish fled. The Dancer from Khiva is a testament to her fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything to follow her dreams, break her culture's silence, and tell her shocking story.
An unflinchingly honest memoir, The Dancer from Khiva is a true story that offers remarkable insights into Central Asian culture through the harrowing experiences of a young girl.
In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born to an impoverished family in a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, Bibish was named ?Hadjarbibi” in honor of her grandfather’s hadj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But the holy name did not protect her from being gang-raped at the age of eight and left for dead in the desert. Bibish’s tenacity helped her survive, but in the coming years, that same tough-spiritedness caused her to be beaten, victimized, and ostracized from her family and community. Despite the seeming hopelessness of being a woman in such a cruelly patriarchal society, Bibish secretly cultivated her own dreams--of dancing, of raising a family, and of telling her story to the world.
The product of incredible resilience and spirit, The Dancer from Khiva is a harrowing, clear-eyed dispatch from a land where thousands of such stories have been silenced. It is a testament to Bibish’s fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything.
An unflinchingly honest memoir, The Dancer from Khiva is a true story that offers remarkable insights into Central Asian culture through the harrowing experiences of a young girl.
In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born to an impoverished family in a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, Bibish was named “Hadjarbibi&; in honor of her grandfather&;s hadj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But the holy name did not protect her from being gang-raped at the age of eight and left for dead in the desert. Bibish&;s tenacity helped her survive, but in the coming years, that same tough-spiritedness caused her to be beaten, victimized, and ostracized from her family and community. Despite the seeming hopelessness of being a woman in such a cruelly patriarchal society, Bibish secretly cultivated her own dreams--of dancing, of raising a family, and of telling her story to the world.
The product of incredible resilience and spirit, The Dancer from Khiva is a harrowing, clear-eyed dispatch from a land where thousands of such stories have been silenced. It is a testament to Bibish&;s fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything.
Winner of the National Bestseller and Book of the Year prizes in Russia, The Dancer from Khiva, is the unflinchingly honest, deceptively plainspoken memoir of Bibish, a Central Asian woman who came of age in a rigidly Islamic village in Uzbekistan. In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born into an impoverished family, she was named 'Hadjarbibi' in honor of her grandfather's pilgrimage to Mecca. The holy name, however, did not protect her from unspeakable abuse at the hands of the men in her village. She knew instinctively to keep her experience a secret rather than risk further punishment, but soon her love for Uzbeki dancing - prohibited by Islamic custom - caused her to be beaten by her brothers and ostracized from her community. Dreaming of freedom, Bibish fled. The Dancer from Khiva is a testament to her fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything to follow her dreams, break her culture's silence, and tell her shocking story.
An unflinchingly honest memoir, The Dancer from Khiva is a true story that offers remarkable insights into Central Asian culture through the harrowing experiences of a young girl.
In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born to an impoverished family in a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, Bibish was named ?Hadjarbibi” in honor of her grandfather’s hadj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But the holy name did not protect her from being gang-raped at the age of eight and left for dead in the desert. Bibish’s tenacity helped her survive, but in the coming years, that same tough-spiritedness caused her to be beaten, victimized, and ostracized from her family and community. Despite the seeming hopelessness of being a woman in such a cruelly patriarchal society, Bibish secretly cultivated her own dreams--of dancing, of raising a family, and of telling her story to the world.
The product of incredible resilience and spirit, The Dancer from Khiva is a harrowing, clear-eyed dispatch from a land where thousands of such stories have been silenced. It is a testament to Bibish’s fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything.
An unflinchingly honest memoir, The Dancer from Khiva is a true story that offers remarkable insights into Central Asian culture through the harrowing experiences of a young girl.
In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born to an impoverished family in a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, Bibish was named “Hadjarbibi&; in honor of her grandfather&;s hadj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But the holy name did not protect her from being gang-raped at the age of eight and left for dead in the desert. Bibish&;s tenacity helped her survive, but in the coming years, that same tough-spiritedness caused her to be beaten, victimized, and ostracized from her family and community. Despite the seeming hopelessness of being a woman in such a cruelly patriarchal society, Bibish secretly cultivated her own dreams--of dancing, of raising a family, and of telling her story to the world.
The product of incredible resilience and spirit, The Dancer from Khiva is a harrowing, clear-eyed dispatch from a land where thousands of such stories have been silenced. It is a testament to Bibish&;s fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything.
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- New York, NY : Black Cat : An imprint of Grove/Atlantic, c2008.
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