Halfway Round the World
NZ$29.00
Paperback | English
Foreword by Helen Clark
In this book, a woman tells her powerful story, growing up in an isolated village in Afghanistan, fleeing the Taliban, and dealing with tragedy in New Zealand.
Soghra Habibi was born in a rural village in Afghanistan. As a young wife and mother, she and her baby hid in the mountains from the Taliban.
When her husband, an Afghan interpreter with the New Zealand army, came to New Zealand, she moved halfway round the world with him and their three sons. She could not read or write in her own language, and did not know any English.
In New Zealand, she has learned to drive and to read and write in both Farsi and English.
She had just finished this book during Covid lockdowns when tragedy struck.
Additional information
ISBN
978-0-473-54804-9
Dimensions
148 × 210 mm
Format
Paperback | 94 pages
Language
English
Printed by
The CopyPress
Publication Date
November 2021
Publisher
Open Leaf Publications
3 reviews for Halfway Round the World
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Jill Hunter –
Soghra Habibi beautifully shares her life so far, in a matter-of-fact style, all the more potent for its grounded visceral telling. Surviving the frequent and dangerous turmoil of Taliban incursions into Afghanistan, Soghra describes one life changing decision after another without pause for breath, reinventing courage for All in the reading of this short book. Am left in total admiration and full heart for this determined woman. I look forward to the next instalment! Jill Hunter
Sara Anderson –
Stunning- such an interesting insight onto the refugee journey.
Dee Williams –
Soghra’s journey from Afghanistan to New Zealand is nothing short of miraculous. Her story is one of incredible courage, strength and pervasive determination through innumerable trials. It is these qualities that have taken Soghra from not being able to read or write in Dari, her mother tongue, and not speaking a word of English when she arrived in New Zealand less than a decade ago, to writing a powerful memoir in her own words in beautiful, clear English. I am filled with awe and respect for Soghra and grateful to gain a window into her life through the fascinating photos in the book. I hope it paves the way for more women refugees to put pen to paper and tell their stories as well. The world needs to hear from and about these extraordinary women!