A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose

by Samra Zafar, Meg Masters

Overview

Despite facing years of abuse after arriving in Canada as a teenage bride in a hastily arranged marriage, nothing could stop Samra Zafar from pursuing her dreams

At fifteen, Samra Zafar lives with her family in Pakistan and has big dreams: she will go to university and forge her own path in the world. Then, with almost no warning, her dreams evaporate when her parents arrange her marriage to a stranger in Canada. Her new husband and his family promise that the marriage and the move will be a fulfillment of her dreams. But as the walls of Zafar’s new home slowly become a prison, she realizes how deeply she has been betrayed.

Desperate to get out and refusing to give up, she hatches an escape plan for herself and her two daughters. Somehow, she finds the strength to not only build a new future, but also to walk away from her past, ignoring the pleas of her family and risking cultural isolation by divorcing her husband.

A Good Wife tells Zafar’s harrowing and inspiring story, following her from a young girl with big dreams to a woman who finds strength in the face of oppression and battles through to empowerment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781443454872
Publisher:	HarperCollins Canada
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	352
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

SAMRA ZAFAR is an award-winning, internationally renowned speaker, physician, author and educator. She has been recognized among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, the Top 25 Most Inspirational Women in Canada, and the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants. Her book A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, based on her journey of escaping an abusive child marriage to pursue her freedom, sheds light on gender-based oppression, and was a national bestseller and a CBC Best Book. One of the youngest alumnae to serve as governor at the University of Toronto, she is currently on the board of the Women’s College Hospital Foundation and a celebrated ambassador for Plan International. She is also the founder and executive director of Brave Beginnings, a national charity that provides mentorship to women who have escaped abuse. Her work has impacted millions and has been extensively featured in national and global media. Samra Zafar’s speaking portfolio includes four successful TEDx Talks and many leading organizations around the world. 

Meg Masters is a Toronto-based writer and editor. She has worked with many bestselling Canadian authors and has penned eleven books.

Table of Contents

Prologue ix

Part 1

Chapter 1 Mehndi 3

Chapter 2 Time Bomb 19

Chapter 3 The Proposal 35

Chapter 4 Rukhsati 53

Part 2

Chapter 5 Samra-Begum 79

Chapter 6 A Good Wife 102

Chapter 7 Turbulent Waters 120

Chapter 8 Shopgirl 147

Chapter 9 The Sticky Web 166

Chapter 10 Dark Days 184

Part 3

Chapter 11 In Business 205

Chapter 12 School at Last 220

Chapter 13 Time Away 240

Chapter 14 Talaq, Talaq, Talaq 258

Part 4

Chapter 15 On My Own 279

Chapter 16 The Way Forward 293

Chapter 17 Freedom 308

Epilogue 325

Acknowledgements 339

Editorial Reviews

Whether you are trying to escape a life you never chose or the one you did, Samra’s resolve and ingenuity will inspire you to honor every flicker of longing for freedom.

Shauna-Singh Baldwin

Whether you are trying to escape a life you never chose or the one you did, Samra’s resolve and ingenuity will inspire you to honor every flicker of longing for freedom.” — Shauna Singh Baldwin, author of The Tiger Claw and The Selector of Soul

“I cried while reading this book, but I was also left in awe of Samra Zafar’s epic grit and bravery. Her story will stay with you long after the last hope-filled page is turned.”  — Lisa Gabriele, author of the bestselling novel The Winters

“A thoroughly engaging story of strength, feminism and refusal to conform to societal and familial expectations. I found it difficult to put this book down.” — Cea Sunrise Person, bestselling author of North of Normal

“Samra Zafar has penned a rare memoir, a life story worth reading and an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you feeling empowered at the end. This is a modern-day fairy tale where the heroine saves her own life.” — Sharon Bala, bestselling author of The Boat People

From the Publisher

I cried while reading this book, but I was also left in awe of Samra Zafar’s epic grit and bravery. Her story will stay with you long after the last hope-filled page is turned.” 

Lisa Gabriele

Samra Zafar has penned a rare memoir, a life story worth reading and an emotional rollercoaster that will leave you feeling empowered at the end. This is a modern-day fairy tale where the heroine saves her own life.

Sharon Bala

Whether you are trying to escape a life you never chose or the one you did, Samra’s resolve and ingenuity will inspire you to honor every flicker of longing for freedom.

Shauna Singh Baldwin

A thoroughly engaging story of strength, feminism and refusal to conform to societal and familial expectations. I found it difficult to put this book down.

Cea Sunrise Person