THE BOOK FAIR

Review:

Jemina Akhtar’s parents emigrated from Pakistan to England where she and her siblings were born and raised.  In the fascinating memoir, “Veil of Lies”, Jemina Akhtar reveals the story of how she and her teen-aged sisters suffered near imprisonment by restrictive, repressive, unassimilated parents.

Akhtar describes in vivid detail the abuse she and her sisters endured at the hands of their parents and brothers, and explains the stark differences of treatment between sons and daughters in Pakistani Muslim culture.  Akhtar also reiterates throughout her book the shared feelings by Muslim women, of unhappiness and lowliness of being born female. Jemina, one of eight children of four girls and four boys, is the third daughter.

Akhtar relates how she and her sisters were not allowed normal relationships with their brothers because of the separation of the sexes.  At age twelve, the girls are no longer allowed to play with girlfriends, are kept at home under strict supervision, except for attending school, are allowed no activities or events outside of family functions, and answer to their brothers as surrogate parents, who effectively become their guards.

 

“Veil of Lies”, an intense and engrossing memoir, depicts the struggles, rebellion and consequences of defying tradition, for the author and her sisters.