I Should Have Honor

July 15, 2018
One woman's efforts to save women in Pakistan from outdated tribal traditions.Brohi was born in a rural area of Pakistan where families, particularly the women, obey the men in charge, where women go uneducated and are often married off as child brides, and tribal honor is always at stake. Even before her birth, she was destined to marry an older man. However, her father defied traditions and let her get an education instead, and she grew up believing she would become a doctor. Her path changed completely when her cousin was murdered in an "honor" killing; the girl had fallen in love with a man and run away with him only to be hunted down and killed for bringing dishonor to the tribe. Sickened, enraged, and impassioned, Brohi was determined to stop the killings as well as the physical and verbal violence unleashed against women and young girls. She became an activist, working to improve conditions for young girls like herself by providing training centers where they could get an education and learn how to stop the violence perpetrated against them. Brohi's moving story unfolds gently and honestly as she shares her fears, triumphs, worries, stress, and the health issues she endured as she consistently marched toward creating change in her beloved Pakistan. Her efforts took her to the United States and other countries where she learned more about the shared humanity of people all over the globe. Throughout these years, she struggled with maintaining honor in her family, particularly with her father, and she shares the ups and downs of their relationship as well. The author illuminates the importance of education for both women and men and the global need for women to be recognized as equals to men.The heartfelt story of a woman's ardent dedication to stopping the senseless "honor" killings in Pakistan.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 15, 2018

Brohi paints a beautiful picture of Pakistan, where family and tradition are important but where the dark side of some traditions can lead to violence. Before the author was born, her father decided to eschew some of those customs, refusing to give his daughter to another family as an exchange bride. This small but meaningful act was the start of Brohi's path to becoming an advocate for women's rights. She's since traveled the world teaching others about Pakistan's lesser-known cultural practices. Throughout her memoir, she details her personal and professional struggles and successes, including her efforts with the WAKE UP campaign as well as the nonprofit Sughar Foundation. She addresses how her work has affected her family and, at times, herself, all while explaining lessons learned along the way. In the process, she offers readers a better understanding of her home country and its people. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in Pakistan or women's rights. Fans of Malala Yousafzai will also enjoy.--Sonnet Ireland, St. Tammany Parish P.L., Mandeville, LA

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2018
A 14-year-old girl was murdered by three men in 1999 because she dared to fall in love. After Khadija's death, termed an honor killing in Pakistan, memories of her were stripped away, her photos burned, and her name forbidden to be uttered, as per custom. But Khadija's cousin refused to stay silent. In writing this memoir, Brohi continues her work speaking out against the honor killings still happening in certain tribal cultures in Pakistan. In doing so, she is continuing another family tradition of courage begun by her father, who went against his family's wishes by refusing to give Brohi away in marriage before she was even born. She could easily have lived a very different life, the kind of servitude she witnessed among the women in her family. Instead, encouraged by her father to pursue an education, she used every tool at her disposal to work to improve the lives of women. But such work comes with real risks, which even her father could not always tolerate. This eye-opening story reveals the hard work of changing minds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)