I just finished reading The Cry of the Dove by Fadia Faqir. The novel is disturbing in so many ways, and the fragmented writing style adds to this. A young woman gets pregnant out of wedlock in Jordan and turns herself in to prison to be held in protective custody. After giving birth, her baby is instantly removed but Salma remains in prison for eight years, until she is finally able to escape with the help of nuns. She ends up in England and tries to work out a life for herself, overcoming poverty, alienation and a constant fear of being killed by her brother.
I am always looking for good reads for our course in Global Women, but they are hard to find. Does a book like this one reinforce stereotypes of Middle Eastern women as being oppressed, or does it show the harsh realities of life they are facing?
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