A sweeping family saga following one woman’s struggle to protect her culture and her family amidst the backdrop of a military occupation.
In the foothills of the Himalayas, the picturesque mountain village of Poshkarbal is home to lush cherry and apple orchards and a thriving community—one divided by a patrolled border. Aisha and her mother Noorjahan live on the outskirts—two women alone in a world dominated by men. As the village midwife, Noorjahan teaches Aisha how to heal using local herbs and remedies. Isolated but content, Aisha is shocked when Noorjahan decides it is time for her to attend the village school as few girls do. Despite the taunting of her classmates and the teacher’s initial resistance to having her in the class, Aisha becomes a star student, destined for college.
When Aisha’s hand is bequeathed to a local boy in the village, she is forced to abandon her dreams of college. She comforts herself by staying on her ancestral land, creating a nourishing life with her children and husband. But her mother’s secrets come back to haunt her and her marriage and the growing military presence in Poshkarbal force Aisha to make impossible choices in order to save her family and preserve the independence Noorjahan fought for. What follows is a family chronicle brimming with life, love, and humor, about sacrifice and honor, and fighting for your home and culture in the face of occupation.
A deeply moving novel about one woman’s love for her family, this is an epic investigation of colonialism, militarization, and the loss and innocence on the journey to creating home. Spanning 1969 to 2022, Call Her Freedom is a love story that untangles family secrets and heals generational wounds, announcing Tara Dorabji as a thrilling new voice in fiction.
"A rich and beautifully crafted multigenerational epic that takes us into the heart of a war-torn family and into the soul of a people fighting for liberation, Call Her Freedom is a searing, atmospheric debut by a talented new voice in fiction."
—KRISTIN HARMEL, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter
“A compassionate account of endurance.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS
"A stirring debut... Book clubs will enjoy this character-driven drama."
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Ultimately, Dorabji invites readers to explore deep family love and the battle for liberation amid a ruthless militaristic reign."
—BOOKLIST
"In her brave debut novel, Tara Dorabji tells a story of one family under a brutal military occupation. In the foothills of the Himalayas, three generations—a mother, a daughter, a great-niece —draw strength from a matriarchal legacy as healers, warriors, and survivors. Based on real accounts from an ongoing struggle, Call Her Freedom gives voice to women we otherwise would not hear."
—EVELINA GALANG, author of When the Hibiscus Falls and Lola's House
"A striking, essential read set against an ongoing military occupation and pulsing with empathy and beauty. Dorabji balances the political and personal with moving portraits of characters who find love and redemption on a ceaseless quest for freedom, despite every unthinkable, unspeakable cruelty hurled in their paths."
—PARINI SHROFF, author of The Bandit Queens
"Powerful and evocative. . . A novel that enables us to examine the longing for freedom within our own hearts, and in solidarity with occupied peoples worldwide."
—AYESHA MATTU, author of Love, InshAllah and Salaam, Love
"A novel that evokes the scent of cardamom, rose water, pine needles, and freshly fallen snow. A treat for the senses and a balm for the soul, Call Her Freedom takes readers up into the heart of the Himalayas, where they’ll meet Aisha, a young, sensitive, yet headstrong protagonist, and her mother, Noor Jahan, a complicated woman and a flawed parent—whose presence and legacy are imbued through these pages like red poppies on a hidden mountainside. With dexterity and exquisite empathy, Dorabji maps the heartbreak of a region torn apart by greed, betrayal and conflict onto a vivid cast of characters—each of whom are unforgettable, cathartic and breathtakingly real."
—NAHEED PHIROZE PATEL, author of Mirror Made of Rain
