Call Her Freedom

“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


“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

“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

“This is a dazzling and beautiful debut. Tara Dorabji introduces us to a singularly unique protagonist and a cast of indomitable characters living, loving, and fighting for their homeland in a landscape scarred by violence and the bitter legacy of colonialism. The result is a novel both intimate and panoramic about resilience, family, and unwavering hope.”
—ALEX ESPINOZA, author of The Sons of El Rey

“Call Her Freedom is a mythic tale of one woman’s family surviving inside another culture of massive, brutal power. The story parallels conflicts in Guatemala, Nazi Europe, and the Confederate South. Set in South Asia, its prose reads both dreamily faraway and realistically close—a beautiful strength that can only be attributed to Dorabji’s impeccable talent.”
—DAGOBERTO GILB, author of New Testaments and The Magic of Blood

“A deeply felt and triumphant tale, urging us to brave the despondency of our times. Tara Dorabji paints a world of strong, passionate women and their men, loving and living in the face of increasing military occupation.”
—ATHER ZIA, author of The Frame and founder of Kashmir Lit

“In Call Her Freedom, Tara Dorabji guides us on a profound and transformative journey through the experience of war with warm characters and elegant prose that expose the immensity of loss, torture, and grief, yet reveal the meaning of freedom, the enduring power of love and everything worth living for.”
—ELBA IRIS PÉREZ, author of The Things We Didn’t Know, inaugural winner of the Books Like Us Simon and Schuster Contest

“Call Her Freedom is a powerful chronicle of one woman’s life set against the brutality of one of the longest conflicts in the world. It tells the powerful story of what it means to survive the unthinkable while attempting to retain love and liberation. This is a must-read.”
—NAYOMI MUNAWEERA, author of Island of a Thousand Mirrors and What Lies Between Us
“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

“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

“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

“This is a dazzling and beautiful debut. Tara Dorabji introduces us to a singularly unique protagonist and a cast of indomitable characters living, loving, and fighting for their homeland in a landscape scarred by violence and the bitter legacy of colonialism. The result is a novel both intimate and panoramic about resilience, family, and unwavering hope.”
—ALEX ESPINOZA, author of The Sons of El Rey

“Call Her Freedom is a mythic tale of one woman’s family surviving inside another culture of massive, brutal power. The story parallels conflicts in Guatemala, Nazi Europe, and the Confederate South. Set in South Asia, its prose reads both dreamily faraway and realistically close—a beautiful strength that can only be attributed to Dorabji’s impeccable talent.”
—DAGOBERTO GILB, author of New Testaments and The Magic of Blood

“A deeply felt and triumphant tale, urging us to brave the despondency of our times. Tara Dorabji paints a world of strong, passionate women and their men, loving and living in the face of increasing military occupation.”
—ATHER ZIA, author of The Frame and founder of Kashmir Lit

“In Call Her Freedom, Tara Dorabji guides us on a profound and transformative journey through the experience of war with warm characters and elegant prose that expose the immensity of loss, torture, and grief, yet reveal the meaning of freedom, the enduring power of love and everything worth living for.”
—ELBA IRIS PÉREZ, author of The Things We Didn’t Know, inaugural winner of the Books Like Us Simon and Schuster Contest

“Call Her Freedom is a powerful chronicle of one woman’s life set against the brutality of one of the longest conflicts in the world. It tells the powerful story of what it means to survive the unthinkable while attempting to retain love and liberation. This is a must-read.”
—NAYOMI MUNAWEERA, author of Island of a Thousand Mirrors and What Lies Between Us

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 documentary film series on human rights defenders in Kashmir won awards at over a dozen film festivals throughout Asia and the USA. Tara’s publications include Al Jazeera, The Chicago Quarterly, Huizache, and acclaimed anthologies: Good Girls Marry Doctors and All the Women in My Family Sing. She lives in Northern California with her family and rabbit.

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