The dancer from Khiva
Subtitle: one Muslim woman's quest for freedom
By: Bibish ; translated by Andrew Bromfield.
Contributors: Bromfield, Andrew.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Black Cat; Distributed by Publishers Group West
Published: 2008
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 248
ISBN-13: 9780802170507
Subjects: Bibish; Women -- Uzbekistan -- Biography; Women refugees -- Russia (Federation) -- Biography
Genres: Biography.
Work titles: Tok-shou dli a prostodushnoĭ.
Description: An unflinchingly honest memoir, this true story offers remarkable insights into Central Asian culture through the harrowing experiences of a young girl. In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born to an impoverished family in a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, Bibish was named "Hadjarbibi" in honor of her grandfather's hadj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But the holy name did not protect her from being gang-raped at the age of eight and left for dead in the desert. Bibish's tenacity helped her survive, but in the coming years, that same tough-spiritedness caused her to be beaten, victimized, and ostracized from her family and community. Despite the seeming hopelessness of being a woman in such a cruelly patriarchal society, Bibish secretly cultivated her own dreams - of dancing, of raising a family, and of telling her story to the world.
Notes: Translation of Tok-shou dli a prostodushnoĭ.