
My Past Is a Foreign Country: A Muslim feminist finds herself (Hardback)
Zeba Talkhani (author)Published: 27/06/2019
'Brilliant and brutally honest, this memoir ropes you in with every page. The intimacy that Zeba evokes will remind you of your own sister opening her heart to you.' Meena Kandasamy, author of When I Hit You, shortlisted for The Women's Prize
28-year-old Zeba Talkhani charts her experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia amid patriarchal customs reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, and her journey to find freedom in India, Germany and the UK.
Talkhani offers a fresh perspective on living as an outsider and examines her relationship with her mother and the challenges she faced when she experienced hair loss at a young age.
Rejecting the traditional path her culture had chosen for her, Talkhani became financially independent and married on her own terms in the UK. Drawing on her personal experiences Talkhani shows how she fought for the right to her individuality as a Muslim feminist and refused to let negative experiences define her.
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 9781473684065
Number of pages: 208
Weight: 324 g
Dimensions: 224 x 140 x 24 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
A fearless voice that tells its hard-won truths with immense strength, and a lot of love. It is a beautiful and important book which belongs at the centre of our cultural life. * Preti Taneja, author of We That Are Young *
Fascinating * Scotsman *
Touching on often taboo subjects like hair loss, Talkhani's story of grit is a portrait of a young woman who refused to let others define her. * ELLE *
Insightful...Written with unflinching honesty . . . Political, personal, religious, revealing and beautifully written, Talkhani is a writer to watch. * Stylist *
Brilliant and brutally honest, this memoir ropes you in with every page. The intimacy that Zeba evokes will remind you of your own sister opening her heart to you. * Meena Kandasamy, author of When I Hit You, shortlisted for The Women's Prize *
An addictive, vital read. Talkhani interrogates the outsider narrative in ways that feel expansive, timely and wholly inspiring. * Irenosen Okojie, author of Butterfly Fish *
A brave new voice that reaches out to us all. * Miranda Doyle, author of A Book of Untruths *
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“Everyone and anyone should read this book!”
Incredibly moving and beautifully told. Talkhani is an amazing writer and storyteller. We can all learn something from the way she approaches past experience and trauma. A brilliant, honest and empowering read.

“WOW!”
In this memoir Zeba Talkhani talks about her experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia amid patriarchal customs and her journey abroad to India, Germany and the UK to find freedom as a young woman while she rejects the... More
“This book was compelling, honest and nothing short of remarkable.”
I couldn’t help but feel incredibly lucky for being able to read each page of this memoir. The way Zeba articulates herself and guides us through her own experiences in Saudi Arabia, India, Germany and the UK to... More
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