Tropical Girl Reads

The Stars Are Our Witness – Blog Tour Book Review

Title:- The Stars are Our Witness

Author:- Siobhan Curham

Date published:- April 26th 2024 (Happy Publication day)

Publisher:- Bookouture

No. of pages:- 465 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

Auschwitz, 1943. Adela stuffs small cloth pouches containing the stolen gunpowder into the folds of her dress. As she joins the column of exhausted women heading back to the barracks, the guard shouts ‘Inspection!’ and her blood turns to ice…

Working in the camp’s munitions factory, Adela Rubenstein discovers the underground network fighting against the devastating cruelty all around them. Imprisoned for teaching Jewish orphans in secret for the resistance, she doesn’t hesitate to join the rebellion. Every night on the way back to her hut, she looks up at the stars, the only witness to their plan to blow up the crematoria buildings.

The women can only smuggle a teaspoonful of the gunpowder at a time. But Adela knows from her time in the Warsaw ghetto what incredible feats can be achieved with courage and patience. Thinking of home reminds her of her darling brother, Azriel, and Izabel, who was like a sister to her. She has no idea what happened to them when she was caught, if they are even still alive. But she must keep doing whatever she can to resist. She has to make them proud.

As the day of the attack draws near, Adela is utterly stunned when she comes face to face with her beloved brother. Pale and hunched, but alive. Her heart soars as she hugs him tightly. Maybe it’s a sign, and there is hope for them after all. But not if he is working in the very building they will soon destroy…

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and A Fire Sparkling will be swept away by this beautiful, heartbreaking read about unimaginable bravery, family ties and the power of hope when everything seems lost.

This is a heartbreaking and emotional stories of three brave young people Adela, Azriel and Isabel during the German occupation in Poland during World War II.

The story is told in their POVs. All three are involved in the resistance movement and Isabels loyalty towards her Jewish friends make her a very likable character as she risked her own life helping them.

The descriptions used in the book are all too real the description of Warsaw Ghetto, the dire conditions at both the Ghetto and Auschwitz the brutal treatment by the Nazis is general were at times too heartbreaking and emotional to read. Despite being a historical fiction we know that these events did occur in real life. Holocaust is something that we should never forget.

All in all, the whole story was beautifully written engaging and shows the true meaning of friendship and loyalty. Worth five stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only

Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.

https://www.facebook.com/Siobhan-Curham-Author-398343120181969
https://www.instagram.com/siobhancurhamauthor/
https://twitter.com/SiobhanCurham

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0CX5FM97Ysocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

The Heiress – Book Review

Title:- The Heiress

Author:- Rachel Hawkins

Date published:- January 9th 2024

No. of pages:- 294 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

OK, when I read The Wife Upstairs, I was bored that I actually DNFed the book (yeah I did). I found really good ratings on this book and I decided to check her latest book out. I wondered if it was going to be like the Wife Upstairs.

But, this was actually good. Better–much better than The Wife Upstairs.

Ruby McTavish is notoriously famous–she was that infamous kid who was being kidnapped in the early 1940’s and was found two months later, living in Alabama. Then Ruby was nicknamed “Mrs. Kill-more” because she was married four times and her four husbands all died under mysterious circumstances. And Ruby Mctavish runs the Ashby House.

Camden who is Ruby’s adopted son returns back to his childhood home Ashby House with his wife Jules. While Camden wasn’t interested in moving back to the house and the house reminds him the reason why he left, his wife Jules has other ideas…

The story was told in Jules and Camden’s POVs and there are Ruby’s letters, written before her death to someone, explaining the circumstances of her abduction as a child and also the reason behind her husbands’ mysterious deaths. There are also random news articles, posts and gossips that talk about the McTavishs elegant lifestyle in North Caroline, mostly focused on Ruby. These were very interesting to read, particularly Ruby’s letters were interesting to read. Jules and Camden were pretty much likable characters although the other characters like Nelle, Ben are unlikable. The descriptions of the house, the sceneries made the reader feel like they are also a part of the story. There wasn’t much suspense in the story however, although the twist towards the end was completely unexpected.

Overall if you are looking for a thriller with a bit of a family drama, then check The Heiress out–worth four stars.

Rachel Hawkins (www.rachel-hawkins.com) was a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer. She lives with her family in Alabama, and is currently at work on the third book in the Hex Hall series. To the best of her knowledge, Rachel is not a witch, though some of her former students may disagree….

His Last Wife – ARC Book Review

Title:- His Last Wife

Author:- Ruhi Choudhary

Date published:- will be published on 25th April 2024

No. of pages:- 355 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

“Do not go in there, Anna. Never go in there.” The words ring in my head as I pick the lock to the only room in the house that the man I love tells me I’m not allowed to enter. Trembling as I step inside, I’m about to finally find out what happened to his last wife…

Everyone thinks my life is bliss. The love of my life, Cary, and I live in our dream home and we have a beautiful little girl, Harper. I may not have given birth to her, but I’m her mommy now. But there’s one thing we never talk about…Cary’s wife before me, Presley, was perfect in every way. But she went missing a long time ago. Cary was distraught when he told me how she was abducted from her car, leaving behind a pool of blood. No one saw a thing.

The neighbors are always gossiping about Presley. I try to ignore them, but one day I hear something that makes my stomach flip. Presley was abducted from her home. The home I now live in. Cary lied to me about the car. But why?

As I search our beautiful home for answers, I stumble across Presley’s diary. My heart thunders in my chest as I discover the Cary had something to do with his wife’s disappearance. And I’m terrified I might be next.

But Cary doesn’t know that I have a secret too. He doesn’t know how far I’ve gone to get this perfect life, and how much further I’ll go to keep it…An unbelievably gripping psychological thriller, His Last Wife will have you flipping the pages until you reach the final, breathtaking twist. Fans of Don’t Let Her Stay, The Housemaid and The Perfect Marriage won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping read down!

I have read and enjoyed Ruhi Chaoudhary’s series and so I wanted to try out her standalone novel.

His last wife is a story of a woman named Anna who meets a surgeon named Cary. Cary’s first wife Presley disappeared without a trace and Anna soon enters into Carys life. But as she starts her new life, she finds some dark secrets about Cary…
I did think that this book will end up becoming great but….it wasn’t really great actually. The writing was good. There were twists and turns, most unexpected ones in the book. But I found the book too slow, and all the characters in the book were confusing to me. The ending wasn’t really great in my opinion nonetheless. I know Ruhi Chaoudary writing Is impeccable and knows how yo keep the reader on the edge. The twist revealing at the end was great and unexpected but the ending again was confusing. I could have given a solid four stars but I will give on threes stars.

Thanks Netgalle and Bookouture for ARC. Review is based on my honest opinion only

Confessions on the 7:45 – Book Review

Title:- Confessions on the 7:45

Author:- Lisa Unger

Date published:- October 6th 2020

No. of pages:- 448 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Selena Murphy is a hardworking mother of two when she discovers that her husband Graham might be sleeping with the nanny Geneva. On the way home on the train, Selena meets a woman named Martha. The two women exchanged their life stories–Martha is sleeping with her boss and is trying to get out of it while Selena confesses to her that her husband might be sleeping with their nanny. The two women then separate, hoping that they wouldn’t meet again. The next day, Geneva, the nanny goes missing.

This was a put you on the edge of the seat type of thriller. So many characters, but you in the end realize that one character is known in different names. The whole book itself is fast paced, with some twists and turns. The writing was really great that the author did a good job of getting the reader into the story. The story of the missing nanny is where things started getting interesting–who is responsible, what really happened to the nanny. Not to mention the background story while the main story is going on.

This is the third Lisa Unger book I have read and I have to say, I enjoyed this book more than the other two previous book. There are so many POVs in the book but to my surprise, it wasn’t really confusing with many POVs in the book. If you are looking for a thriller that will help you get out of reading slump and a page turning thriller, then this book is one for you–worth four stars.

The Therapist – ARC Book Review

Title;- The Therapist

Author:- S.A. Falk

Date published:- will be published on 25th April 2024

No. of pages:- 348 pages

Genre:- Medical/Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

t’s my first day back at work, and the grief I’m carrying is still with me, but I file it away and put on my professional face to greet my new patient.

As a successful psychiatrist and criminologist, I’m used to working with damaged minds. But I’m not prepared for Trent Davis. Sitting across the table from me, his warm brown eyes shine. He laughs easily and part of me can’t help but like him, despite what his file says he’s capable of.

Then a package arrives for Trent, with my home as the return address.

And everything falls apart…

A shocking and unputdownable thriller with a ‘didn’t see that coming’ twist. The perfect read for fans of The Silent Patient, Mike Omer and Freida McFadden.

Dr. Stephanie Fletcher is a leading psychiatrist working in the prison psychiatric facility. She was assigned to do psych evaluations on the most notorious serial killer and a famous gothic band member- Trent Davis. Trent Davis was convicted of killing six women and many of these women were murdered in the most gruesome and brutal manner that some of their organs are missing. As Dr. Fletcher takes on Davis’s case, boxes with body parts in it were mailed to none other than Dr. Fletcher herself. Women start going missing and their mutilated bodies were found in the highway. Is there are copycat killer out there or someone else is responsible?

Honestly, this story really had a good premise. The story is well written and then there is the moment of suspense throughout the story. The plot was really good as well. The story itself is unpredictable, which made me guess more as to what is going to happen towards the end. The characters weren’t really likable, although Trent Davis really as a serial killer vibe in the character. The story was at times too disturbing and gory to read and so this is not really for the faint hearted who cannot stand reading about blood. The ending was a surprising twist although I didn’t really fancy the ending too much. I actually enjoyed this author’s debut move The Patient’s Secret and saw I took a chance to read this latest novel. This book wasn’t bad but wasn’t great as the first novel. Overall this book is worth four stars in my opinion.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

The Thursday Murder Club – Book Review

Title:- The Thursday Murder Club (Thursday Murder Club series Book 1)

Author:- Richard Osman

Date published:- September 3rd 2020

No. of pages:- 382 pages

Genre:- Mystery/Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 3/5

Writing:- 3/5

Overall rating:- 3/5

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved murders.

But when a brutal killing takes place on their very doorstep, the Thursday Murder Club find themselves in the middle of their first live case. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

OK I will start with the good ones first.

First of all, I don’t think I have ever laughed so much because of a book! This book is so funny, and actually enjoyable. The characters in the book are all likable. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron and Ibrahim are all in their seventies and in their retirement houses and the four would get together to solve a brutal murder that happened right in their vicinity. I also like Elizabeth’s character in the story–she is such a quirky character in which readers wish she was your typical grandmother. I also like how they are associating with the two police officers, Donna and Chris, particularly the fact that the police officers get closer to these characters. It was actually a fun read, the chapters were all short, some chapters were less than a page, thus makes the reading a little quicker.

The bad thing is, it got a little time for me to get into the story. I was nearly bored at first but then eventually, I started to enjoy the book more, towards the beginning of the middle.

If you are looking for a cozy thriller, then try out this book. This is the first book of the series and I have already the other books in the series, so cannot wait to continue with the reading–worth three stars.

Richard Osman is an author, producer and television presenter. The Thursday Murder Club is his first novel. He is well known for TV shows including Pointless and Richard Osman’s House of Games. As the creative director of Endemol UK, Richard has worked as an executive producer on numerous shows including Deal Or No Deal and 8 Out of 10 Cats. He is also a regular on panel and game shows such as Have I Got News For You, Would I Lie To You and Taskmaster.

The Baby – ARC Book Review

Title:- The Baby

Author:- A J McDine

Date published:- will be published on 25th April 2024

No. of pages:- 310 pages

Genre:- Psychological Thriller

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

There’s a baby in your house. It isn’t yours…

The day I was told I’d never be able to have a child, my world came crashing down. My husband says he still loves me but I lie awake at night, wishing we could have a family.

One morning, my husband’s side of the bed is cold and empty. I hear a noise and head downstairs.

In the middle of the rug in my living room is a wooden drawer. Swaddled inside, with perfect rosy cheeks and beautiful round blue eyes, a baby gazes up at me.

I shiver. It’s all I’ve ever wanted, but this baby is not mine…

An absolutely addictive page-turner with heart-pounding twists from beginning to end. Fans of The Woman in the Window, Freida McFadden and Lisa Jewell won’t be able to put this jaw-dropping psychological thriller down!

This was actually a jaw dropping, fast paced psychological thriller that will definitely keep you up all night.

The book starts off with Lucy who has moved back to her grandfather’s cottage in Kent. Her husband, Miles is working in an oil rig in Aberdeen. Lucy seems to be an alcoholic and one day, she happened to come across a baby lying in front of her house. Lucy was clueless as to who have left the baby behind but Lucy had always wanted a baby and so she decided to take the baby, even though Lucy knew that it was wrong. Lucy promised herself that she would go over to the police. And as the story goes on, Lucy finds that someone else must have left the baby behind…

The entire story is told in Lucy’s POV although in the last few pages, another character named Rae’s POV was also present. I like the suspense that is in the story–whose baby was it? Who left the baby at the doorstep? As you go on reading this book, you find so many deceit, lies as well as many unexpected twists and turns that you did not see it coming. The ending was OK though it wasn’t the ending that I actually expected. Reading this, you can see the mental state of Lucy. There is some sensitive content in the book such domestic abuse and sexual assault. Overall, this is a book that is a guaranteed page turner and an unputdownable thriller–worth four stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

A J McDine was a journalist and police press officer until she realised writing fiction was much more fun.

She lives in Kent in the UK with her husband, fellow thriller writer A J Wills, their two sons and a pair of very demanding cats.

The author of five dark, domestic thrillers, she loves to keep her readers guessing till the very last page.

When she’s not writing, playing tennis or attempting to run a 5k, she can generally be found gazing blankly out of the window as she dreams up conflict and tension for her poor characters.

Her debut thriller, When She Finds You, was followed by Should Have Known Better, No One I Knew, The Promise You Made and The Invite.

Two new thrillers are due to be published by Bookouture in April and May 2024.

You can find her here:

http://www.ajmcdine.com

Facebook: A J McDine

Instagram: @ajmcdineauthor

Hello Beautiful- Book Review

Title:- Hello Beautiful

Author:- Ann Napolitano

Date published:- March 14th 2023

No. of pages:- 416 pages

Genre:- Historical Fiction/Literary

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

An emotionally layered and engrossing story of a family that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?

William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it’s a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family’s artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia’s new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household.

But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable loyalty to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?

Vibrating with tenderness, Hello Beautiful is a gorgeous, profoundly moving portrait of what’s possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.

This is an emotional, heart wrenching story of family saga–a story between four sisters and a man named William.

William grew up in Boston, but he had a very estranged relationship with his parents, as they were mourning at the loss of William’s sister Caroline. William moves to Chicago for college. There he meets Julia, a vibrant oldest sister of Padavano sisters. William also meets Sylvie, Emmeline and Cecelia, Julia’s sisters. William marries Julia but then an event causes William to suffer from depression and the only person who can help him to get out of depression was Sylvie…

This book was beautifully written and explored the dynamics of family relationship. The story starts in 1978 and throughout the year until up to 2008, the story explores the lives of main characters–William, Julia, Sylvie and later on William and Julia’s daughter Alice. Each character has some sort of a flaw in their character–William being lonely and suffering with depression, Julia wanting to get whatever she wanted in order to succeed. As over the years, each character start growing. I actually liked reading this book. You can also see the close bond between the sisters even though by the middle of the book, the bond between the sisters eventually break. There are some references from Little Women as well and how each of the Little Women characters are compared to Padavano sisters.

The only thing I didn’t like is how William abandoned his own daughter. The book kind of made it look OK but in my opinion, even whatever he was suffering, a father should never abandon his own child.

With that being said, I cannot wait to read more books from this author–worth four stars.

Ann Napolitano’s novel, Hello Beautiful, was published by Dial Press in March 2023 and was an instant New York Times bestseller and the 100th Oprah Book Club pick. The novel was published by Viking Penguin in the United Kingdom in July 2023, and currently has thirty-one international publishers. It was named one of the ten best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library, and one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, Amazon, NPR, The Washington Post, Time, Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Post and others. Hello Beautiful has also been long-listed for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award.

Dear Edward was published by Dial Press in January 2020 and was an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and was released as an Apple TV+ series starring Connie Britton. The novel currently has twenty-eight international publishers. It was named one of the best books of 2020 by The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Real Simple, Fast Company, Women’s World, Parade, LibraryReads and Amazon.

Her other two novels are A Good Hard Look, and Napolitano’s debut novel, Within Arm’s Reach, which will be re-issued with a new cover in April 2024. She was the Associate Editor of One Story literary magazine from 2014-2020. She received an MFA from New York University; she has taught fiction writing for Brooklyn College’s MFA program, New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and for Gotham Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.

The Soulmate Equation – Book Review

Title:- The Soulmate Equation

Author:- Christina Lauren

Date published:- May 18th 2021

No. of pages:- 416 pages

Genre:- Romance

Rating:-

Plot:- 4/5

Writing:- 4/5

Overall rating:- 4/5

Single mom Jess Davis is a data and statistics wizard, but no amount of number crunching can convince her to step back into the dating world. After all, her father was never around, her hard-partying mother disappeared when she was six, and her ex decided he wasn’t “father material” before her daughter was even born. Jess holds her loved ones close but working constantly to stay afloat is hard…and lonely.

But then Jess hears about GeneticAlly, a buzzy new DNA-based matchmaking company that’s predicted to change dating forever. Finding a soulmate through DNA? The reliability of numbers:This Jess understands.

At least she thought she did, until her test shows an unheard-of 98 percent compatibility with another subject in the database: GeneticAlly’s founder, Dr. River Peña. This is one number she can’t wrap her head around, because she already knows Dr. Peña. The stuck-up, stubborn man is without a doubt not her soulmate. But GeneticAlly has a proposition: Get to know him and we’ll pay you. Jess—who is barely making ends meet—is in no position to turn it down, despite her skepticism about the project and her dislike for River. As the pair are dragged from one event to the next as the “Diamond” pairing that could launch GeneticAlly’s valuation sky-high, Jess begins to realize that there might be more to the scientist—and the science behind a soulmate—than she thought.

The Soulmate Equation proves that the delicate balance between fate and choice can never be calculated.

I read True Love before actually reading the Soulmate Equation, which is the first book of the DNA Duo series. In True Love we saw Fizzy Chen falling in love with TV producer Connor. In Soulmate Equation, we see Jess Davies, Fizzy’s best friend, falling in love with DNA Duo CEO River.

Jessica Davies is a single mother, statistician and a freelancer. While at the coffee shop, she meets River. At first Jessica hated him. Fizzy convinces Jessica to try out the new DNA Duo kit. When Jessica did try, she found herself 98% matching with none other than River Pena.

Of all the romance authors, Christina Lauren are my favorite duo authors. This book is no exception. There were some funny parts in the book, which will make you laugh out loud. It was interesting to see how both River and Jessica at first couldn’t take each other, eventually, they have to pretend that they like each other until they actually do like each other. I really like the authors’ style of writing which might be one of the reasons why I love reading the books–their books never get boring. I do like how the chemistry between River and Jessica slowly developed in the book, Jessica’s close relationship with her Nana, Pop, Juno and Fizzy and her stranded relationship with her own mother. There were not much spicy scenes in the beginning although there were some spicy scenes towards the end.

Since I have read the second book of the series already, it felt weird to know what is going to happen to Fizzy Chen next.

If you haven’t read the Soulmate Equation, then go ahead and read this one. If you haven’t read the series, then read both Soulmate Equation and True Love–guaranteed you will enjoy both the books–worth four stars!

Playing for Freedom The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl – ARC Book Review

Title:- Playing for Freedom – The Journey of a Young Afghan Girl

Author:- Zarifa Adiba and Anne Chaon

Date published: – first published in French – November 10th 2021. The English version will be published on 16th April 2024

No. of pages:- 205 pages

Genre:- Non Fiction/Memoir

Setting:- Afghanistan/USA/ Europe

Rating:-

Plot:- 5/5

Writing:- 5/5

Overall rating:- 5/5

A passionate musician growing up in the war-torn streets of Kabul takes her forbidden talents abroad in this triumphant memoir from debut author Zarifa Adiba.

As an Afghan girl, Zarifa Adiba has big, unfathomable dreams. Her family is poor, her country mired in conflict. Walking to school in Kabul, Zarifa has to navigate suicide bombers. But Zarifa perseveres, nurturing her passion for music despite its “sinful” nature in Afghan culture. At sixteen, she gains admission to the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, and at eighteen she becomes the lead violist, conductor, and spokesperson for Zohra, the first all-female orchestra in the Muslim world.

Despite Zarifa’s accomplishments―which include a stunning performance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland―her future in music demands a reckoning with her life back home. Many of the girls in Zohra are forced to marry, but Zarifa yearns to study, travel, and explore her independence. Her so-called bad girl identity puts her at odds with her culture and her family. Playing for Freedom is the deeply compelling story of a woman who dares to compose a masterpiece even with all odds stacked against her.

Usually, I don’t really read much Nonfiction books, but I do read memoirs, and if it sounds interesting or written by someone famous, then I would read. Initially, I thought this was a fiction until I actually did a search on this book, when I realized that this was actually a memoir about a young Afghan girl, who would work tirelessly and endlessly, clashing with the Afghan culture to fulfill her dreams of becoming a musician and going to the university.

If you have read I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai, then I highly recommend that you should read this book.

Zarifa is an ambitious Afghan woman who comes from a poor Hazara family. At sixteen, Zarifa joins Afghanistan National Institute of Music. By eighteen, she is the lead violinist, conductor of the all women orchestra named Zohra and one of their performances including performing in the World Economic Forum in Switzerland. But despite Zohra’s hard success and achievement, most of the girls that Zarifa knows are forced into arranged marriages. Zarifa also faced many obstacles from her family, who shunned her for her keen interest in music and the fact that she was defiant and refused to cover her hair and marry someone like her cousins. Playing for Freedom talks about how Zarifa yearned for independence and study at the university and how she overcame many obstacles to succeed as a person she is today.

I am not going to put too much details but this is a beautifully written memoir and I was glad to get a privilege to read this memoir. The way women were treated in Afghanistan in a men dominated world, the Taliban rule…sometimes, it’s hard to imagine that cruelty can exist. I enjoyed reading this book and was glad that now Zarifa and her family are now living in New York away from now Taliban rule Afghanistan.

Overall I rate this book five stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.