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Leila's Secret

Leila's Secret 3

by Kooshyar Karimi
Paperback
Publication Date: 25/02/2015
5/5 Rating 3 Reviews

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In fundamentalist Iran, new life sometimes means certain death. When Leila comes to see Doctor Karimi, both are in danger. Born in a slum to a Muslim father and a Jewish mother, Kooshyar Karimi has transformed himself into a successful doctor, an award-winning writer, and an adoring father. His could be a comfortable life but his conscience won't permit it: he is incapable of turning away the unmarried women who beg him to save their lives by ending the pregnancies that, if discovered, would see them stoned to death. One of those women is 22-year-old Leila. Beautiful, intelligent, passionate, she yearns to go to university but her strictly traditional family forbids it. Returning home from the library one day - among the few trips she's allowed out of the house - she meets a handsome shopkeeper, and her fate is sealed. Kooshyar has rescued countless women, but Leila seeks his help for a different reason, one that will haunt him for years afterwards and inspire an impossible quest from faraway Australia. Spellbinding and heartbreaking. Leila's Secret shows us everyday life for women in a country where it can be a crime to fall in love. But for all its tragedy, this unforgettable book is paradoxically uplifting, told from the heart of Kooshyar's immense sympathy, in the hope that each of us - and the stories we tell - can make a difference. ' A remarkable book . . . Karimi earns our trust through his experiences and his sympathy with the plight of the marginalised.' Owen Richardson, Saturday Age 'A profoundly moving story, beautifully told with extraordinary insight, and filling us with awe at the strength of the author's moral courage.' Robin de Crespigny, author of The People Smuggler 'An absolutely stunning book. Leila's story is deeply affecting and Kooshyar Karimi is a consummate storyteller.' Shirley Walker, Author of The Ghost at the Wedding 'Leila's Secret brims with compassion and yearning and eloquently shares the story of a regime suffocating its people and losing all that was great about it. To read this book is to see inside a culture and understand the desperation of its people.' The Hoopla 'A riveting account of one girl's innocent spirit defying the tyranny of Iran's crushing regime. It is a masterpiece of moral impossibilities and climactic suspense.' Bob Brown 'Inspiring . . . often harrowing . . . Offers insight into how and why one man is willing to put the welfare of others before his own safety.' Townsville Bulletin 'Compelling and powerful.' Sunday Age
ISBN:
9780670078165
9780670078165
Category:
Biography: general
Format:
Paperback
Publication Date:
25-02-2015
Publisher:
Penguin Australia Pty Ltd
Pages:
304
Dimensions (mm):
232x153x25mm
Weight:
0.46kg

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4.67

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3 Reviews

The most confronting, sad and compelling book I have for some time. I could not put it down. Beautifully and sensitively written. I am a huge fan of Kooshyar Karami. This is a must read for everyone.

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This was a heart wrenching book from the very beginning. Confronting and challenging! A real insight to the life of woman under Muslim law, and the courageous effort some people go to do the right thing regardless of the cost.

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Leila’s Secret is a true story of immense courage and conviction against a brutal regime.
Told from the point of view of Kooshyar Karmi - The Doctor - and Leila - one of his patients - it recounts tales of true love, dishonesty and deceit which lead to Kooshyar performing hundreds of illegal abortions in the strictly controlled sharia Islamic state. When Leila meets The Doctor she is strong, passionate and intelligent, but is she able to fight against everything she has been taught in order to survive?
I flipped the pages of this book late into the night, desperate to find out more about Leila and horrified by the stories told by The Doctor’s patients. I was reminded just how lucky I am to be born in this country, and how truly, very little separated Leila and I. Hers is a story that I won’t forget, that I can’t forget.

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