Call Her Freedom

by Tara Dorabji

A sweeping family saga following one woman’s struggle to protect her culture and her family amidst the backdrop of a military occupation.

In the foothills of the Himalayas, the picturesque mountain village of Poshkarbal is home to lush cherry and apple orchards and a thriving community. Yet Aisha and her mother Noorjahan live on the outskirts. A social pariah ever since her husband left, Noorjahan remains the only trusted healer and midwife and teaches Aisha about her special herbs and remedies. Isolated but content, Aisha is shocked when Noorjahan decides it’s time for her to attend the village school. From there, Aisha reconnects with her cousins from her father’s side of the family and excels in academics under the watchful eye of her teacher.

When Aisha is promised to the teacher’s son, Alim, in marriage, she is forced to abandon her dreams of college and become a wife. Their marriage is happy and fulfilling, but Aisha is also the keeper of her mother’s secrets, including the hidden poppy field that may have been the cause of her parent’s separation. As life in Poskarbal becomes increasingly difficult to navigate, Aisha and Alim eventually have children of their own, but the growing military presence forces Aisha to make impossible choices in order to save her family and preserve the independence Noorjahan fought so hard for. What follows is a family chronicle brimming with life, love, and humor, about sacrifice and honor, and fighting for your home and culture in the face of occupation.

Call Her Freedom is a lyrical, beautifully written novel about one woman’s love for her family. It is a sprawling investigation into colonialism’s relationship with loss and innocence spanning from 1969 to 2022. It is brimming with the violence of militarism, family secrets, and generational trauma announcing Tara Dorabji as a thrilling new voice in fiction.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, India, Historical, Asia, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2025

Reviews

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a family saga.It is set in the foothills of the Himalaya mountains. It spans from 1969 through 2022.
Noorjahan has taught her daughter Aisha all about healing. Aisha has an arranged marriage and is forced to abandon her hopes and dreams for a better life by going to college. Life is difficult in Poshkarbal. There is a strong military presence.
This is a sad story. It was hard for me to read it times because of the violence.
Aisha was a very strong woman and endured much. She did it for the love of her family. My heart broke for her.
It is a beautiful written story. In her acknowledgments she states “Thank you to the people of Kashmir who shared their stories with me those in exile, in prison and creating home under occupation “.
A story that needed to be told.

Thank you Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel beautifully and brutally tells the story of a woman and her family in what is almost surely Kashmir (although the country has a different name) from 1960 through current times. As the novel begins, Aisha is a child and the daughter of Noorjahan, a healer and midwife, who is an outcast because her husband left her. It is clear to Aisha that her mother harbors many gifts as well as many secrets. They live on the side of a mountain outside a small village, and life is quite difficult. Aisha is a good student, but when she is promised in marriage, she understands that a university education is no longer available to her. She marries and raises her children, one of whom becomes a guerrilla fighter, while the other pursues a foreign education. So, in many ways this is a novel of family: parent-child relationships; difficult mothers-in-law; navigating marriage; loss of parents; and distant daughters. But this novel is more, because the entire domestic structure of the characters must reflect the fact that the country is not only occupied by a brutal foreign power (India), but a foreign power whose religion is different (Hindu) (the characters are all Muslim). Woven deeply into the storyline are the horrendous brutality and arrogance of the occupying soldiers, as well as the multiple ways in which living under occupying forces affects everyday life and decisions.
Aisha is a very strong and well developed character, who sacrifices on many levels for her family. The author’s portrayal of village life in the Himalayas (including harvesting poppies) is quite tangible. The brutality disrespect for human life of the occupying forces is extremely clear. The writing is good – particularly for a debut novel. I look forward to Tara Dorabji’s next work.

[Desiree Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read to 64%. Really did not need a strong allusion to a rape followed very quickly by a scene of a man who witnessed the rape masturbating. 🤢

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-book.

I enjoy reading books about other cultures and histories, especially those I don't know much or even anything about. I've never read a book that takes place in Kashmir before, and I don't know anything about the conflict in Kashmir, unfortunately. I enjoyed learning about the culture through this novel and finding out more about the conflict. The book led me to look up more about the conflict happening in Kashmir, and I want to read even more about it to understand it further.
As for the story itself and the characters, I enjoyed the magical realism and the way the characters grew over time. I liked that the story deals with different generations and tells stories about different time periods in Kashmir. The story is very moving and brought me nearly to tears numerous times, particularly at the end.
I did get confused by the names of places as I couldn't tell sometimes what they were supposed to represent and who was the aggressor and who wasn't, but overall, this book was interesting to read and taught me something about a region of the world I don't know much about.
I recommend this book if you enjoy family stories and cultural books about survival, love, war, and hope.
Trigger warnings: graphic scenes of violence and s*x, assault/r*pe, and torture

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was blown away by this hauntingly beautiful novel set in Kashmir and spanning decades. From the minute I began reading this novel, I was transported to a time and place foreign to me. The setting was at once strikingly beautiful (the descriptions of the Himalayan foothills are stuck in my mind) and painfully hemmed in by brutal occupation. This is a story of women - alive and ghosts - and the ways in which they provide for, love, and protect their chosen families.
The use of perspective is purposeful and interesting. It was intriguing to me to see whose personal story was spotlighted and who we did not hear from. Over time, we see Aisha grow from a young girl living with her mother to becoming a matriarch of her own and surviving and even thriving despite military occupation, moving from her village to the city and navigating relationships with her in-laws, her husband, and her children. Her growth truly made me emotional, and her bravery and resilience will stick with me. I cannot recommend this one enough.

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. First off, a moment for this stunning cover!!🤩👏🏼. Unfortunately, the cover was probably my favorite thing about this book.

I’m so sad to be writing out these thoughts because this book was on my most anticipated list and I love getting to champion a debut, especially a historical fiction debut. Sadly, this book just didn’t fully work for me.

This family saga starts with Aisha. She and her mother live in the foothills of the Himalayas in the town of Poskarbal. There is growing unrest and military presence as she begins to go to the local school. We follow this family’s lives over many years to the present day.

So what didn’t work for me? And keep in mind, I am just one reader! From what I could find out, the town and surrounding areas of the story were based on the real life area, Kashmir. However, in the story, all the towns and places were given fictional names. I never felt grounded in where we were or what was happening with the militant groups and military. I kept wanting to Google the places and times and read about the real life history (and granted I could do that for Kashmir in general) but I kept wanting to line up the specifics of the story with actual events in history. I hope that makes sense.

Unfortunately, the narrative style of this book wasn’t my favorite either. It almost felt like a handful of connected short stories. The reader was placed in a time for a some chapters and then there might be a 20 year jump. It felt like I was hovering over the story from afar, but I wanted to be fully immersed in it; feet on the ground. This caused it to not be a propulsive story for me personally. I love a character driven story, but I still have to want to keep turning the pages.

This is not a bad book. And again, I hate that I had this experience😕 I really hope this book finds its audience and that other readers love it!

Thank you @simonbooks for the gifted copy!! This one is out now!

[Vicki F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested Call Her Freedom by Tara Dorabji to learn of conflicts and cultures that I had little knowledge about. At times, the names of people and places was confusing, and close attention was necessary to keep everything straight. Some details were rushed while others went into too much detail, i.e. rape, murder.

Releases Jan. 21st. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

@SimonBooks @tdorabji

[Di Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty heavy. It is often described as a family saga, but I would characterize it more as a book about a family struggling for survival in a militarized state. It is mostly set in a fictionalized village called Poshkarbal in the foothills of the Himalayas. This author has done other work to bring attention to problems in Kashmir, and that area is clearly the inspiration for this story. It is told mostly from the perspective of the women, specifically Aisha, who was raised by a mother who not only taught her healing and midwifery, but also insisted she attend school. It is the story of the sacrifices Aisha makes to protect her family and her ancestral land. It speaks of colonization, military brutality, class discrimination, misogyny, sexual and domestic abuse, etc. Sometimes, when I read a book like this, I have to wonder how the human race survives.

[Trisha]

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published on Peeking Between the Pages (https://peekingbetweenthepages.com/20...)


Call Her Freedom is a sweeping family saga portraying one woman’s love for her family in a time of great conflict. It is a beautiful novel that I loved listening to.

The setting is the village of Poshkarbal located in the foothills of the Himalayas between 1969 to 2022. It is a beautiful land of apple and cherry orchards. It is here that Aisha is born and lives out her life. Aisha and her mother Noorjahan are outcasts in the village since Aisha’s father left her mother although the village still depends on Noorjahan for healing and birthing babies. Noorjahan has spent her time teaching Aisha herbs and medicines until one day out of the blue she sends Aisha to school. Aisha is very intelligent and does well but still she ends up in an arranged marriage. Her schooling seems wasted but she is lucky in that she marries a good man named Alim who treats her well. Life goes on even in the midst of the military occupation and they go on to have a family.

The occupation takes so much from them. There are so many things they are unable to do and they are under a curfew. It doesn’t take much to be taken away and beaten- there is so much violence around them. At times this story was hard to listen to because life was so difficult. I admired Aisha so much for her strength and resiliency. She never gave up no matter what she faced. She was a survivor who lived for her family.

The audiobook was a pleasure to listen to in that the narrator Soneela Nankani has such a nice and soothing voice. I think she was the perfect choice for this novel. She brought Aisha alive for me as well as being able to bring forth the seriousness of the situation she was in. This is Tara Dorabji’s debut novel and I’ll be watching for what she writes next. Another favourite for me this year!

[Jessica Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was baffled when I started reading this- not only had I never heard of Charagan or Nadistan but I couldn’t find them online either. Had these places been obliterated? No- when I finally googled right, I discovered the locations were fictional and the story actually takes place in Kashmir. Did the author change the names to show this can happen anywhere? I also had a hard time with the story repeatedly jumping ahead 10 years and thought it was odd that this historical fiction ended in the year 2032. And I want to conclude with a trigger warning- this book shows how horrible living in a war zone can be and it includes sexual torture so graphic I felt sick reading it. I looked into it because it’s a method of torture I had never heard of and I learned that the Russians recently did this to their Ukrainian prisoners. Knowing America is now allied with Russia against Ukraine made this book extra awful to digest. I think this book may not be good to read right now for most of us. Thank you for the gifted copy, Simon & Schuster.

[Star Gater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read and review Call Her Freedom by Tara Dorabji on NetGalley.

Published: 01/21/25

Stars: 2.5

For me this was just okay. I had a hard time following the book -- multigenerational. The story was confusing. It felt repetitive. It didn't matter where I stopped, when I came back I felt as if I lost my place and was rereading sections.

There is one point, early on that caught my attention and that will stay with me. As for the rest of the book it is unforgettable. I will have to read the back to place the story.

If you choose to read Call Her Freedom I hope you have a more enjoyable experience.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written book but also hard to read much of the time given the tragedy experienced by the family and the community. I found myself sometimes not wanting to grapple with the heartache in this book but also growing attached to the characters and returning to see how their lives unfolded. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel set in Kashmir is the first time I have read about this place and its history. The book is historical fiction so the characters are not historical, but the events that happened in terms of wars and conflict are. So it was interesting to me to learn about this part of the world.
The story was easy to read and easily engaged me. I appreciated the writing style and I would read more books by this author if she publishes more. I believe this the author's first published book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my ARC. The review is my own.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was an incredibly tough read and weighed heavy on my heart. I did not know much about the Kashmir conflict, and I thought this book might shed some light on that. I loved reading about young Aisha and her mother Noorjahan, but as the novel progressed, I felt more and more disconnected from Aisha and her entirely family. I had trouble feeling for the characters as I had in the beginning. The graphic accounts of sexual assault and torture were too much for me, which I suppose was its intended purpose, but it was almost too much to bear. I appreciate the picture of the Himalayas that the author painted for me, and the love story between Aisha and Alim, which felt genuine and sweet.

[Jeanette Durkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was mostly tragic with a few good experiences mixed in. I liked that Aisha remained strong despite all of the horrible things that happened to her. My heart ached for the people living in the village of Poshkarbal.

Trigger warnings: murder, suicide, rape and torture.
*My personal opinion: I could have done without the explicit details of rape and torture.

The epilogue was my favorite part. It provided a hopeful future for Nalja and her family.

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from Simon and Schuster. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Nima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this heartfelt, sad, and heartwrenching novel. The story and main character keep you engaged and feeling her anguish throughout.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #SimonandSchuster for this ARC.

[Bbecca_marie]

Thank you so much to the publisher for the gifted copy…

unfortunately this book was not for me. I was probably only 20% in when I decided to DNF it. I love that there are so many good reviews for this book but I am not the right audience. I am not one to WANT to read a sad book… and as much as I tried to keep going, I couldn’t.

[Sharon Mensing · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I started this book, I wasn't too much into it. It seemed very simply written and followed a young girl (Aisha) as she came of age in a village in a fictional town along the India/Pakistan border. It felt very much like a YA book. However, as Aisha ages and develops a more complex understanding of the personal and political situation in which she lives, the complexity of the writing and plot reflects that growing character development. By the time we reach Aisha's middle age, the war in which her region is enmeshed becomes brutally a part of Aisha's life and there is not a chance that the book could be considered a YA novel.

Other characters are introduced over time and they likewise take on depth. The strands of each of their lives intermingle in the plot, continuously growing in influence upon each other and becoming increasingly influenced by the conflict and (by the end of the book) the Covid-19 pandemic. A full blown tapestry is formed from the threads of the characters' lives and thoughts. The plot is told in a straightline narrative through the decades with flashbacks, a bit of ghostly interference to fill in gaps, and jumps in the timeframe to hit upon important events in Aisha's life.

The book uses short chapters, changing perspectives, jumps in timeframe, and present tense to move the book along. In the most grim sections, it is comforting to the reader to know that it will be over soon (for the reader, if not the character). There is a recurring use of fire and flame to represent anger and rage, which feels appropriate and adds interest. The underlying theme of women's role in ameliorating the mess men make of the world is clear from the title and various references in the telling of this story. I knew nothing of the conflict in this part of the world, and I appreciated this introduction to it. There is a good deal of explicit violence, including sexual, that might put off some readers. However it feels necessary to the author's intent to personalize the genocide in the area.

What started as a book I wasn't at all sure about became a book that I couldn't put down. Persevere through Aisha's childhood and you will be well rewarded.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was nearly impossible to put down. We follow the path of Aisha and her kin, a young woman and later an older one growing up and living life in the Himalayas. Her story is one of turmoil and survival and love despite it all.

I was riveted, although the writing is simple and a bit perfunctory. Several moments are hastily passed over, where I'd expect a little more engagement and care. A lot of terrible things happen that are glossed over. The reader has to pay close attention or they'll miss an important detail.

I found myself unable to fully understand everyone's motivations. I felt I was missing important background ... perhaps a cultural barrier. More insidiously, several plot points hint at a anti-medical/pro-pseudoscience perspective that I can't get behind. Aisha's mother's decision didn't make sense to me. She leaves for 2 weeks to quarantine, but then refuses help when she's dying of the flu. Was it a deep anti-medical sentiment or mental illness that led her into the snow? By the end of the novel, which spans several decades, possibly a century, COVID-19 has struck. Aisha blandly dismisses the pandemic and insists on winter cherries ... the author, via Aisha, even goes through the folk remedy defense list (essentially: "No one I know's gotten sick!" "You're secluded in the mountains!" "You know it works, it saved us before!" "Why hasn't anyone made money on this?" "I don't know but it'll make me feel better if you take it!"). The strange thing is, this has nothing to do with the story and left a sour taste in my throat.

Still a worthwhile addition to the anti-colonial fiction library.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in a fictional country in the foothills of the Himalayas, Call Her Freedom spans decades and tells the story of a family torn apart by war and occupation. In interviews, Tara Dorabji has stated that she used Kashmir as the backdrop for this story, and its struggles for independence.

Aisha is a child of eight when the story begins in 1974. Her mother wants her to start going to school (a rarity for girls). The father is absent due to some unknown incident from the past, and Aisha and her mother seem to be shunned from the rest of the village. Because we get the story from Aisha's perspective, and she's so young, the book almost skews YA. We do get other perspectives - they shift over time from her teacher to her eventual husband and children, with their stories revolving around Aisha's.

Dorabji depicts a dark vision of the impact a military occupation has on an individual family, from opium farming to the guerrilla movement to vicious cruelty practiced by occupying soldiers. Parts can be on the nose: "They kill each other over religion. How can people be so cruel?", "And what did your generation do? You sold us to the colonizer under the veil of democracy", "Us men and our guns, what can we achieve?" Some scenes were graphically brutal and hard to read. War and occupation is heartbreaking and senseless, and Dorabji gets her message across in a fairly straightforward manner.

I don't understand why Kashmir was fictionalized. When reading about real events I like to be able to look at maps, understand the geography, understand the (fictional) events in the context of real history. I would have learned more if Charagan was real, and not a stand-in for Kashmir.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the digital ARC.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tara Dorabji’s debut novel Call Her Freedom, is set in Kashmir against the background of violence between political factions and the abuses of military occupation. Aisha, the heroine, must face not only the constant threat of violent conflicts invading her village and her home, but also the limitations faced by women that make it more difficult to fight for survival and against injustice. This is a powerful tale of one woman’s fight against all odds to protect herself and those she loves.
The story is primarily told from Aisha’s perspective from the age of eight, when her mostly male classmates in elementary school looked down on her not only because of her sex but also because her mother was from a lower-class background. Along the way to becoming a grandmother she must navigate many crises, including learning the truth about her father who had disappeared from her life and dealing with her only son’s desire to join an armed militant group. In all stages of her life, Aisha is succored by her rapport with nature, her love for the marvelous plants that beautify the Himalayan foothills and provide the resources to produce the natural cures used in her practice of the profession of healer inherited from her mother.
Although Aisha’s voice is dominant, some chapters are told from the perspective of others who were important in her life, including some who committed reprehensible acts. The characters are not drawn in black and white but revealed in all their human complexity dealing with the pressures of military occupation and concepts of male honor that provoke mistreatment of women. A sensitive and beautifully written story of courage, love, betrayal and resistance.

[Sriram Nagarajan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really a rare Meh book that I’ve read in the recent past. I will get to the Meh part in a bit. This book talks about the ethnic conflict and tensions in a fictional land called Charagan, nestled amongst the mighty mountains and is in the meeting point of three countries - Nadistan, Daryastan and Middle Kingdom (it should be guessable by this point what this place is and what these countries are). The story is a multi generational one starting with the midwife and herbal healer Noorjahan, her daughter Aisha and their children and grandchildren. It talks about the strife and conflict within their society and with the government, army and the world at large. While the writing is top notch, what I found to be absolutely vile and disgusting is the portrayal of their struggle as a freedom struggle, army and the government as blood thirsty and womanising barbarians. The book completely glosses things like the state sponsored terrorism from the friendly neighbours, innocent civilians being used as pawns in the struggle and above all how the other minority non Muslim communities have been stripped of their basic rights including their land and livelihood. The book fails to provide a balanced view of the struggle and deifies the terrorist as warriors while portraying the Government as a heartless dictator with no moral scruples. The book ends with the authors wet dream of an independent Kash.. oops Charagan , which has its own self government. I literally soldiered along with the plot to just see if there’s any semblance of any real life rational view, but nope there wasn’t absolutely any. Please don’t waste time reading the propagandist tome, masquerading as a real life account.

[Breanna McLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of call her freedom by :Tara Dorabji from net gallery for review, I receive no compensation whatsoever for this review and all opinions and thoughts written here are my own.


just finished reading. Call her freedom by: Tara Dorabji this is a compelling work of fiction. That artfully showcases generational trauma and its effects as well as the effects of war on the human psyche as well as family relations while nestling within it and deeply held cultural beliefs and family. Love that people of any age or culture cling to in times of desperate trial. I found this novel incredibly moving and I thought that the way in which the author told the story was sensitive but also did not pull any punches as far as the realities of war, reminding us all to think twice and carefully before charging headlong into something that we feel passionate about without thoroughly considering the positive or negative effects.. I thoroughly appreciate the way that Tara Dorabji told the truth about some things that happen in war and in life that some storytellers tend to gloss over.
I found this story. Riveting loving, passionate and genuine. Thank you so much! Tara Dorabji for sharing your first story in this way and allowing me to review it, I hope to be able to review more of your work in the future

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fascinating novel about Aisha and her mother Moorjahan in the village of Poshkarbal in the foothills of the Himalayas, readers follow their struggle to protect their families and their culture against the military occupation and the men’s control of village life. The local midwife, Noorjahan teaches Aisha how to heal until it is time for her to attend the village school, which pushes her into becoming a star student destined for college and a life outside the village. However, an engagement with a local boy keeps Aisha on her ancestral land, not in college, but her mother’s secrets haunt her and her marriage, threatening her children, and Aisha must make hard choices to save her family. With a multitude of perspectives bringing village life to light in this novel spanning 1969 to 2022, the family-centric novel really brings Aisha and Noorjahan’s specific struggles and challenges to life in some complex and emotional ways. Brilliantly written and very moving, the twists in the novel and Aisha’s growth over the course of the events of the story are particularly immersive, bringing this small village to life. Immersive, complicated, and emotional, this family-centric novel about protection and preservation is a must-read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advance copy.

[Diane Nagatomo · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Call Her Freedom” by Tara Dorabji is one of those books that is heartbreaking, heartfelt, and utterly compelling. It is a testament as to why fiction, as a means for creating empathy and understanding of the world outside our immediate sphere, is so important. It is easy for us to be wrapped up in our own petty problems, many of which are so minor. In this family saga, we follow the lives of a family living in the foothills of the Himalayas from 1969 to present day. Aisha is raised by her mother, who does everything she can to ensure that Aisha will receive an education to improve her lot in life. Aisha is the best student in her village school, but circumstances change and she marries the son of her teacher. He goes on to college instead. They raise their family during great political and social turmoil, trying to stay away the violence caused by drug trafficking and the political violence left behind from colonial occupation and military occupation of opposing regimes. This book is sometimes difficult to read because it shows how ordinary people’s lives get torn apart through the greed and cruelty of others. But it also shows how love and family can sometimes be stronger.

Many thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. My opinions are my own.

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tara Dorabji’s “Call Her Freedom” is a beautifully written and emotional family saga set in the foothills of the Himalayas. It follows Aisha’s journey through love, loss, and survival as she navigates life under military occupation. Spanning from 1969 to 2022, the novel explores generational trauma, resilience, and the sacrifices made to hold onto culture and family.

Dorabji’s writing is vivid and immersive, bringing the lush landscapes of Poshkarbal to life while telling a deeply personal yet universally powerful story. Aisha is a strong, complex protagonist, facing the weight of tradition, marriage, and war while making heartbreaking choices to protect her loved ones. The novel doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of occupation—violence, displacement, and loss—but balances them with moments of tenderness and hope.

At times, the story is heavy with tragedy, and some themes are spelled out a bit too directly. But the novel’s emotional depth and rich cultural backdrop make it a compelling read. “Call Her Freedom” is both an intimate look at one woman’s life and a broader reflection on colonialism and resistance. A powerful, thought-provoking book for anyone who loves historical fiction and stories of survival.

[Jasminegalsreadinglog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Call Her Freedom spans years, following Aisha’s life from the time she was seven. Her story makes you question what freedom truly is. Is it freedom of choice, the ability to breathe, or simply the right to be yourself?

While the book is set in a fictional place, it’s not hard to see that the author drew inspiration from Kashmir. Aisha and her mother, Noorjahan, navigate life as two women alone in a land ruled by men, militants, and military forces. Noorjahan wants her daughter to be independent, to study, and to manage her own land. But when she dies, Aisha’s circumstances shift, and she finds herself married. As her family grows, so does the turmoil in their village. What follows is a story of strength, resilience, and survival.

It’s easy to take freedom for granted. In theory, we all have it, but do we really? This book resonated deeply, especially in today’s world. Aisha and Noorjahan are strong women, but they’re still exploited by the men around them. The story doesn’t just explore personal struggles; it reflects the harsh realities of war, political unrest, and the cost of freedom in places where it’s anything but guaranteed.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster, for the copy.

[Chandra Powers Wersch]

DNF at 1/3 of the book. I thought I would love this book based on the summary. It has ingredients I love: a female driven coming-of-age and multicultural. I was so excited to read about a family in the Himalayas, a region I don't know much about.

BUT chapter after chapter, and even into Part II, I just couldn't find a connection with any character. The plot and characterizations are very basic. The sentence structures are short. A chapter focuses on one character (in 3rd person, which I'm okay with), but still switches between other characters' thoughts and intentions, which just felt like snags as I read.

WHAT is going on between the villages/borders? Is it a fictional country? I was so confused at first. Fictional places are for scifi books. Just say what it is! Obviously we can assume, but I don't see why we need to.

I get that there's a Hindu/Muslim divide, but tell me MORE. I want to be immersed in these cultures. I want to understand and empathize. I want the nuances, complexities, and contradictions. Even if the author was building up to it, I feel like that should have come out more in the first 3rd of the book. I want to be hooked by that point.

[Ted Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Call Her Freedom,” a profound novel by Tara Dorabji, the Books Like Us Grand Prize winner, stands out as the most moving book I’ve read in 2025. For a first-time novelist, Dorabji’s work is incredible. Her poetic prose transports us to a vividly depicted world, offering a fictional representation of Indian-administered Kashmir, which the author has researched as a documentary filmmaker. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring.

We gain a deep understanding of the political climate and the brutal realities of the place, as well as the profound impact it has on the characters we come to cherish over the decades and generation. Aisha and her mother, Nourjahan, who visits Aisha as a ghost after her passing, are the central characters. The novel explores passion, oppression, destruction, love, loss, and caring and healing. Aisha’s courage and resilience come through as we see her survive brutality and losses. I love the exploration of family and identity and learning about a culture I’m not familiar with as a Westerner. I love the way the novel unfolds. It’s a revelation of how hope and our need for freedom are sustained through oppression, and it deeply affected me.