Leila's Secret (Paperback)

Kooshyar Karimi

ISBN 10: 0143783998 / ISBN 13: 9780143783992

Published by Random House Australia, North Sydney, 2017

About this Item

Paperback. Spellbinding and heartbreaking, Leila's Secret shows us everyday life for women in a country where it can be a crime to fall in love. But for all its tragedy, this unforgettable book is paradoxically uplifting, told from the heart of Kooshyar's immense sympathy, in the hope that each of us - and the stories we tell - can make a difference.In fundamentalist Iran, new life sometimes means certain death. When Leila comes to see Doctor Karimi, both are in danger.Born in a slum to a Muslim father and a Jewish mother, Kooshyar Karimi has transformed himself into a successful doctor, an award-winning writer, and an adoring father. His could be a comfortable life but his conscience won't permit it: he is incapable of turning away the unmarried women who beg him to save their lives by ending the pregnancies that, if discovered, would see them stoned to death.One of those women is 22-year-old Leila. Beautiful, intelligent, passionate, she yearns to go to university but her strictly traditional family forbids it. Returning home from the library one day - among the few trips she's allowed out of the house - she meets a handsome shopkeeper, and her fate is sealed. Kooshyar has rescued countless women, but Leila seeks his help for a different reason, one that will haunt him for years afterwards and inspire an impossible quest from faraway Australia.Spellbinding and heartbreaking. Leila's Secret shows us everyday life for women in a country where it can be a crime to fall in love. But for all its tragedy, this unforgettable book is paradoxically uplifting, told from the heart of Kooshyar's immense sympathy, in the hope that each of us - and the stories we tell - can make a difference.' A remarkable book . . . Karimi earns our trust through his experiences and his sympathy with the plight of the marginalised.' Owen Richardson, Saturday Age'A profoundly moving story, beautifully told with extraordinary insight, and filling us with awe at the strength of the author's moral courage.' Robin de Crespigny, author of The People Smuggler'An absolutely stunning book. Leila's story is deeply affecting and Kooshyar Karimi is a consummate storyteller.' Shirley Walker, Author of The Ghost at the Wedding'Leila's Secret brims with compassion and yearning and eloquently shares the story of a regime suffocating its people and losing all that was great about it. To read this book is to see inside a culture and understand the desperation of its people.' The Hoopla'A riveting account of one girl's innocent spirit defying the tyranny of Iran's crushing regime. It is a masterpiece of moral impossibilities and climactic suspense.' Bob Brown'Inspiring . . . often harrowing . . . Offers insight into how and why one man is willing to put the welfare of others before his own safety.' Townsville Bulletin'Compelling and powerful.' Sunday Age Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780143783992

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Leila's Secret (Paperback)
• Publisher: Random House Australia, North Sydney
• Publication Date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0143783998
• ISBN 13: 9780143783992
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Born in a slum, Kooshyar Karimi transformed himself into an award-winning writer as well as a successful doctor, whose conscience won't let him turn away the unmarried women who beg him to save their lives by ending pregnancies that would see them stoned to death. One of those women is Leila. She yearns to go to university, but her family forbids it. Kooshyar has rescued countless women, but Leila seeks his help for a different reason, one that will haunt him for years afterwards. Leila's Secret shows us everyday life for women in a country where it can be a crime to fall in love. For all its tragedy, this book is paradoxically uplifting, told from the heart of Kooshyar's immense sympathy.

About the Author

Kooshyar Karimi is the author of several books on Iranian, Chinese, and Assyrian myths and history, one of which was banned from publication by the Iranian government. He is also the author of a memoir, I Confess: Revelations in Exile, and is an award-winning translator of Gore Vidal, Kahlil Gibran, and Adrian Berry, among others.