My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird

New Fiction by Afghan Women

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 18 Oct 2022 | Archive Date 13 Sep 2023

Description

A landmark collection: the first anthology of short fiction by Afghan women that are "powerful, profound, and deeply moving" (Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees, a Reese's Book Club pick)

"My pen is the wing of a bird; it will tell you those thoughts we are not allowed to think, those dreams we are not allowed to dream."

Eighteen Afghan women living in, speaking about, and writing from the country itself tell stories that are powerful and illuminating, unique and universal - stories of family, work, childhood, friendship, war, gender identity, and cultural traditions. 

A woman's fortitude saves her village from disaster. A  teenager explores their identity in a moment of quiet.  A  tormented girl tries to find love through a horrific act. A headmaster makes his way to work, treading the fine line between life and death.

These and more original, vital, and unexpected stories hail from extraordinary voices rooted in Afghanistan's two main linguistic groups (Pashto and Dari), and were developed over two years through the writer development program Untold's Write Aghanistan Project.  My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird comes at a pivotal moment in Afghanistan's history, when these voices must be heard.

With an Introduction by Lyse Doucet, BBC chief international correspondant, and afterword by Lucy Hannah, Founder and Director of Untold


 
A landmark collection: the first anthology of short fiction by Afghan women that are "powerful, profound, and deeply moving" (Elif Shafak, author of The Island of Missing Trees, a Reese's Book...

Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781538726822
PRICE $25.00 (USD)
PAGES 256

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)

Average rating from 12 members


Featured Reviews

This short story collection...wow...what can I say? It took me a long time to get through because there are some stories that are absolutely gut wrenching. But don't let that dissuade you, there are also stories that are hopeful. Overall this collection is incredible. Although I would love to write more, I don't think my words can do it justice. Just read it and experience it for yourself.
Thank you, Netgalley, for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A powerful collection of short stories by Afghan women, many of them incredibly heartbreaking and stories that will stay with me for a long time. It's rare that we get to read something by writers out of Aghanistan or about Afghanistan that isn't a sterile piece about war. Their bravery in sharing their writing is inspiring and I enjoyed this book so much, highly recommend for anyone interested in women's stories around the globe or Afghanistan in general.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: