5 stars

I received an uncorrected proof of this book through The Reading Room in exchange for an honest review.

This is the most powerful and inspiring book I have read all year. Following Toorpakai’s journey as she overcomes multiple obstacles and unbelievable hardships, the reader is taken on an unforgettable adventure with a truly phenomenal family.

This book is a very powerful piece as Toorpakai demonstrates what one can overcome and what one can achieve. At times heart-warming, at other times gut-wrenching, this work shows the variety in humanity, the amazingly good and the horribly bad, as Toorpakai fights to find her place in the world. Her family and their bravery have helped change the world and their story is awe-inspiring. The story of Toorpakai’s life itself is amazing and well-told, and Toorpakai and her family are a real inspiration.

After reading this book, the reader feels like anything is possible and any goal is achievable. Even if you aren’t a sports fan (which I am not), this is still a fantastic read filled with joy and sorrow, pain and happiness, love and rejection.

At times the text is difficult to read due to the violence and intense descriptions of pain and fear, but such scenes only make Toorpakai’s journey all the more remarkable.

I highly recommend this book, especially in our time of ridiculous Islamiphobia and discrimination. Toorpakai shows the sharp contrast between Muslims and extremists, while at the same time, blending the lines between what it is to be male and what it is to be female.