Set in a rural Afghani village during the conflict with Russia, Laila Anwarzai Ayoubi’s Niki’s Honor relates the tale of a Pashtun girl who is engaged to the son of a local luminary at the age of 9. As the couple matures, they grow to love each other and plan a glorious future. Everything changes, however, when her stepfather rapes her and she becomes pregnant. After this horrific event, the honor of the families must be maintained above everything else. To protect the family honor, Niki suffers consequences hard for Americans to believe.
Ayoubi’s book is a beautifully written and compelling story. I couldn’t put it down. Reading the book made me feel that I was there in the Pashtun village learning about the role of village women and the importance of a family’s honor. The portions that took part in Kabul highlighted the huge differences between village and city lives. It also related the additional hardships caused by the war. This book offers an incredible insight into an area of the world that has become so entwined with Hoosier life.
Ayoubi has had an amazing life. She was born, raised and educated in Kabul. After the 1979 Soviet invasion, her father was imprisoned. Then she, along with her husband and children, were granted asylum in the United States and eventually settled in Indianapolis. She served as the First Secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan from 2003-2006. In 2008 she was honored with the “International Women’s Award” for her distinguished diplomatic service in difficult and dangerous times.
The book is available at Bookmamas. Meet the author for a book discussion at 7 p.m. on Wed., April 27 at Bookmamas, 9 Johnson Ave. Visit www.bookmamas.com for more information on this and other upcoming events.
