My Name is SalmaIn her village of Hima in the Levant, Salma, a young goat-herd, has violated the code of her Bedouin tribe by becoming pregnant before marriage. To restore their honour, the villagers set out to kill her.Now a runaway from the men of her tribe, Salma's days playing the pipe for her goats and swimming in the spring are over. She is placed in prison for her own protection, and to the sound of her deafening screams, her newborn baby is taken away. After several years, when it seems the men have given up on their chase, she moves to England to seek asylum. So begins her new life in the permissive West.In the middle of the most English of English towns, Exeter, she learns good manners from her ancient landlady, and strives to have a social life at the local pub. But it is with the help of Parvin, a feisty Pakistani girl on the run from an arranged marriage, that Salma is finally able to forge a new identity.But deep in her heart the cries of her baby daughter still echo. When she can no longer bear them, she decides to go back to her village to find her. It is a journey that will change everything - and nothing. |
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Allah Allan Arab asked ayah Bedouin began crying Beqaa Valley black iris blue bread breath café clouds coffee cold colour covered cream daughter door doves crying dress drink English eyes face falafel father filled fingers floor Françoise girl glass green Gwen Hamdan hand head heart held Hima hugged Imran Khairiyya kissed kitchen Layla legs letter lips listening looked Madam Lamaa Mary Quant Minister Mahoney Miss Asher Miss Nailah morning mother Muslim night Noura Parvin prison pulled pushed reed pipe river Exe Rock The Casbah rubbed rushed Sally Salma Shahla shalwar kameez shirt shoes shoulders shouted sitting skirt sleep smell smiled sound stairs stood stopped stuck tears thin tight took trees trousers Turkish delight walked washed watching window wiped woman wrapped