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98 reviews for:
Het meisje dat van IS won. Ontvoerd, verkocht, ontsnapt
Farida Khalaf, Andrea C. Hoffmann
4.35 AVERAGE
98 reviews for:
Het meisje dat van IS won. Ontvoerd, verkocht, ontsnapt
Farida Khalaf, Andrea C. Hoffmann
4.35 AVERAGE
I downloaded this after seeing a review in the Guardian. I knew of the book but assumed it was a new take on misery lit and avoided it. I was wrong. It is gripping, educational, moving and inspiring but never gratuitous.
The book is based on interviews with "Farida" and I liked the way that the author kept the voice of a young and even naive girl. As well as adding authenticity it also makes the story easy to follow. I also liked learning about the faith of the Yezidi women and was inspired to find out more.
One of my books of the year.
The book is based on interviews with "Farida" and I liked the way that the author kept the voice of a young and even naive girl. As well as adding authenticity it also makes the story easy to follow. I also liked learning about the faith of the Yezidi women and was inspired to find out more.
One of my books of the year.
This is a brutal and eye opening book about Iraq under the rule of ISIS and the terror inflicted upon the people that live there. It was incredibly hard to read at times, but it is important that our eyes are open to the utter cruelty and inhumanity that most people have suffered at the hands of this organisation. But I think it’s also important to read stories like Farida’s and hang onto the hope that there is a future and a way out for some. What’s difficult is when this future starts and how much suffering is happening even right now. Highly recommend.
In a way, we all know this story. It's the story of an eighteen year old Yazidi girl from Northern Iraq in a village called Kocho, captured by Islamic State and forced to do unspeakable things in the name of 'Islam.' Farida Khalaf's story is one of the survivors. We hear these stories on the news.
Except it's not a story.
I usually find biographies more difficult to review; one can't really comment on the 'plot,' as that's not what it is. This is Farida's life. (Although she has actually changed her name and all names in the book to protect her dignity.) How can you talk about building dramatic tension when what she is doing is writing her experiences? And it's also hard to comment on writing style; I feel unable to criticise the way one writes about one's experience of the world, particularly when it is a subject as sensitive and devastating as this. Furthermore, Farida cowrite this with Andrea C Hoffman, a German journalist, and it has then been translated by Jamie Bulloch. So, what we are reading in English on the page (or in this case, screen) is not her words. So I won't critique this book as in a normal review: it would feel completely insensitive.
Instead, I will talk a little of the story. Farida is a feisty, passionate young woman, devoted to family life and the Yazidi religion. I knew very little about Yazidis, and learnt some from the book which inspired me to look up and learn more. You can always tell that a book has a hook into you when you go away and research something. Her village, the safe haven everyone always thought it was, is seized by ISIS soldiers in 2014. The young unmarried women are taken away to be sold as slaves to ISIS soldiers; the men are shot, and the older woman and children are taken somewhere else - it's unclear where.
When Farida's father taught her how to shoot at an early age, she was proud that he thought her strong enough to defend their family, but she never dreamt this would become a reality. It was more of a game for her, part of the other parts of everyday life: time with friends Nura and Evin, making apricot jam, picking lilies from her mother's garden and showing up the teacher at school by how good her maths skills were. None of them dreamed that the horror of ISIS could reach them in their idyllic little village of Kocho.
But it did. As we all know, ISIS soldiers took girls from all over the Middle East and Farida and her friends were just some of them. Through enormous tenacity and bravery, Farida never loses the spark inside her that they could be freed. She was never passive. Ever-fighting, sometimes getting herself into more trouble for it, she constantly devised plans for their escape, and ways to circumvent the compulsory Islamic prayers.
The girls were sold as sexual slaves, but there are no details of that. For Yazidis, it is the very worst shame that can befall you - to have sex outside marriage. It's so striking that throughout the book all the young women are disgusted and ashamed of themselves, scared to go back to their families because they had been 'spoilt.' To a Westerner's eye, this screams 'wrong!'; we label it as rape and the perpetrator is the guilty one, but to these girls, the crime was theirs. They had 'let' their bodies be taken, and would forever be dirty under the eyes of their religion and families. It's painful to read Farida's telling of this because she does everything she can to prevent the inevitable, but still feels as though she has betrayed her god, her family, her whole community.
It's a terrible story. And this is just one girl. It's happened (and is happening) to thousands. Okay, so Farida didn't 'beat' ISIS: they still exist. But she managed to beat them by never giving up, never letting her spirit be broken and staying true to her religion. She won in one way, but will be forever outcast in her own community.
As I said, I won't comment on style or texture of writing; this is a biography. But it's one that leaves you reeling. No one should believe that rape is their own fault. No one.
A humbling and eye-opening story to read. Not one to forget.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.
Except it's not a story.
I usually find biographies more difficult to review; one can't really comment on the 'plot,' as that's not what it is. This is Farida's life. (Although she has actually changed her name and all names in the book to protect her dignity.) How can you talk about building dramatic tension when what she is doing is writing her experiences? And it's also hard to comment on writing style; I feel unable to criticise the way one writes about one's experience of the world, particularly when it is a subject as sensitive and devastating as this. Furthermore, Farida cowrite this with Andrea C Hoffman, a German journalist, and it has then been translated by Jamie Bulloch. So, what we are reading in English on the page (or in this case, screen) is not her words. So I won't critique this book as in a normal review: it would feel completely insensitive.
Instead, I will talk a little of the story. Farida is a feisty, passionate young woman, devoted to family life and the Yazidi religion. I knew very little about Yazidis, and learnt some from the book which inspired me to look up and learn more. You can always tell that a book has a hook into you when you go away and research something. Her village, the safe haven everyone always thought it was, is seized by ISIS soldiers in 2014. The young unmarried women are taken away to be sold as slaves to ISIS soldiers; the men are shot, and the older woman and children are taken somewhere else - it's unclear where.
When Farida's father taught her how to shoot at an early age, she was proud that he thought her strong enough to defend their family, but she never dreamt this would become a reality. It was more of a game for her, part of the other parts of everyday life: time with friends Nura and Evin, making apricot jam, picking lilies from her mother's garden and showing up the teacher at school by how good her maths skills were. None of them dreamed that the horror of ISIS could reach them in their idyllic little village of Kocho.
But it did. As we all know, ISIS soldiers took girls from all over the Middle East and Farida and her friends were just some of them. Through enormous tenacity and bravery, Farida never loses the spark inside her that they could be freed. She was never passive. Ever-fighting, sometimes getting herself into more trouble for it, she constantly devised plans for their escape, and ways to circumvent the compulsory Islamic prayers.
The girls were sold as sexual slaves, but there are no details of that. For Yazidis, it is the very worst shame that can befall you - to have sex outside marriage. It's so striking that throughout the book all the young women are disgusted and ashamed of themselves, scared to go back to their families because they had been 'spoilt.' To a Westerner's eye, this screams 'wrong!'; we label it as rape and the perpetrator is the guilty one, but to these girls, the crime was theirs. They had 'let' their bodies be taken, and would forever be dirty under the eyes of their religion and families. It's painful to read Farida's telling of this because she does everything she can to prevent the inevitable, but still feels as though she has betrayed her god, her family, her whole community.
It's a terrible story. And this is just one girl. It's happened (and is happening) to thousands. Okay, so Farida didn't 'beat' ISIS: they still exist. But she managed to beat them by never giving up, never letting her spirit be broken and staying true to her religion. She won in one way, but will be forever outcast in her own community.
As I said, I won't comment on style or texture of writing; this is a biography. But it's one that leaves you reeling. No one should believe that rape is their own fault. No one.
A humbling and eye-opening story to read. Not one to forget.
Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy.
Wow! If you have doubts about helping refugees, read this book and let's chat. There are people like this around the world who need somewhere to go. They need a safe place when their country has failed them or their homes have been taken over.
I had to do some research while reading this to make sure the story was actually true. What a horrific experience Farida and these girls went through. And what a brave choice to share it with the world. This is not a happy read. It includes horrific abuse and rape. But it is written in very well. It is terrible, but not overly detailed, which I think is the perfect balance, allowing us to understand what she went through without turning too many readers away. I am still in shock that this happened in my children's life time- just a few short years ago. I knew women were being taken, raped, beaten, separated from their families, and treated as slaves, but to read a personal account makes it so much more real. Farida's courage is amazing. The way she kept her spirit up just enough to value her life and want to escape is unbelievable. Her story needs to be heard.
I had to do some research while reading this to make sure the story was actually true. What a horrific experience Farida and these girls went through. And what a brave choice to share it with the world. This is not a happy read. It includes horrific abuse and rape. But it is written in very well. It is terrible, but not overly detailed, which I think is the perfect balance, allowing us to understand what she went through without turning too many readers away. I am still in shock that this happened in my children's life time- just a few short years ago. I knew women were being taken, raped, beaten, separated from their families, and treated as slaves, but to read a personal account makes it so much more real. Farida's courage is amazing. The way she kept her spirit up just enough to value her life and want to escape is unbelievable. Her story needs to be heard.
I don't even know what to say about this book.
It is an absolutely amazing and tragic story of one girl and her fellow prisoners as well as their families, in their bid to escape from captivity from ISIS.
It's utterly heartbreaking and it was a real struggle to read but it is definitely a book that should be read by everyone. The subject and the content is so important and sheds huge amounts of light on what really does go on in these war zones and behind the scenes of what we hear on the news channels.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
It is an absolutely amazing and tragic story of one girl and her fellow prisoners as well as their families, in their bid to escape from captivity from ISIS.
It's utterly heartbreaking and it was a real struggle to read but it is definitely a book that should be read by everyone. The subject and the content is so important and sheds huge amounts of light on what really does go on in these war zones and behind the scenes of what we hear on the news channels.
I received a copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a interesting story but not enough detail into Isis regime and political background so found it less interesting. Harrowing what this girl went through though and flew through the book.
Tata îmi arătă ce poziţie trebuie să adopt. - Aşază-te cu picioarele uşor îndoite şi cu cel stâng ceva mai în faţă. îmi corectă poziţia, apucându-mă pe la spate de umeri, împingându-mi uşor bustul într-o poziţie frontală. Ca membru al trupelor de graniţă irakiene, ştia cum se mânuiesc puştile. Apoi îmi puse o armă în mână: un AK-47. Kalaşnikovul era mai uşor decât îmi imaginasem. - îţi plasezi mâna dreaptă în spatele trăgaciului, îmi explică el. Aşa. Cu cea stângă poţi ajusta în faţă ţeava puştii. Ocheşte de pildă trunchiul acela de copac de acolo, din spate. Am ţintit spre unul dintre duzii din grădina noastră. - Şi... trage! Degetele mele atinseră ezitant trăgaciul. însă nu se întâmplă nimic. - Haide, zise el. Ai puţină încredere, Farida! Am atins foarte uşor pârghia de metal, până când se auzi, în cele din urmă, un clic. în spatele meu, tata râdea. - Aşa se face, mă lăudă el. Bine! L-am privit uşor întrebătoare. - încă nu am scos siguranţa armei, îmi mărturisi el. Dar asta o s-o fac imediat: iată cum se procedează. îmi arătă cum se desprinde mica toartă de siguranţă aflată pe partea dreaptă a puştii. - Eşti pregătită? - Sigur că da, am zis extrem de concentrată. - însă, te rog, fii prevăzătoare! -O K . - Ai ochit? Am dat afirmativ din cap. - Atunci dă-i bătaie! Prin grădină răsună o împuşcătură zgomotoasă, iar forţa reculului armei mă făcu să mă clatin. - Bravo, zise tata zâmbind pe sub mustaţa cenuşie. Am mers la copac, pentru a evalua împreună rezultatul primului meu exerciţiu de trageri: într-adevăr, în partea din dreapta, chiar pe margine, era înfiptă o bucată de metal. Cartuşul gol se afla pe jos, la aproximativ un metru distanţă. - Eşti talentată, mă încurajă tata. Cu puţin exerciţiu vei fi în curând mai bună decât mama ta.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War
