Synopsis

A sweeping family saga following one womans 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 communityone divided by a patrolled border. Aisha and her mother Noorjahan live on the outskirtstwo 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 teachers initial resistance to having her in the class, Aisha becomes a star student, destined for college. When Aishas 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 mothers 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 womans 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.

About The Author

Tara Dorabji is the author of the novel,Call Her Freedom,winner of the Simon & Schuster Books Like Us first novel contest. She is the daughter of Parsi-Indian and German-Italian migrants. Her documentaryfilm serieson human rights defenders in Kashmir won awards at over a dozen film festivals throughout Asia and the USA. Taras publications includeAl Jazeera,The Chicago Quarterly,Huizache, and acclaimed anthologies:Good Girls Marry DoctorsandAll the Women in My Family Sing. She lives in Northern California with her family and rabbit.