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Biography & Autobiography Women

A Good Wife

Escaping the Life I Never Chose

by (author) Samra Zafar & Meg Masters

Publisher
HarperCollins Canada
Initial publish date
Mar 2019
Category
Women, Personal Memoirs, General
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781443454872
    Publish Date
    Mar 2019
    List Price
    $13.99
  • CD-Audio

    ISBN
    9781713623373
    Publish Date
    Jun 2021
    List Price
    $43.99
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781443454865
    Publish Date
    Mar 2019
    List Price
    $25.99
  • CD-Audio

    ISBN
    9781713639251
    Publish Date
    May 2022
    List Price
    $54.99

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Description

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

At 15, Samra Zafar had big dreams for herself. She was going to go to university, and forge her own path. Then with almost no warning, those dreams were pulled away from her when she was suddenly married to a stranger at 17 and had to leave behind her family in Pakistan to move to Canada. Her new husband and his family promised that the marriage and the move would be a fulfillment of her dream, not a betrayal of it. But as the walls of their home slowly became a prison, Samra realized the promises were empty ones.

In the years that followed she suffered her husband’s emotional and physical abuse that left her feeling isolated, humiliated and assaulted. Desperate to get out, and refusing to give up, she hatched an escape plan for herself and her two daughters. Somehow she found the strength to not only build a new future, but to walk away from her past, ignoring the pleas of her family and risking cultural isolation by divorcing her husband.

But that end was only the beginning for Samra. Through her academic and career achievements, she has gone on to become a mentor and public speaker, connecting with people around the world from isolated women in situations similar to her own, to young schoolgirls in Kenya who never allowed themselves to dream to men making the decisions to save for their daughters’ educations instead of their dowries. A Good Wife tell her harrowing and inspiring story, following her from a young girl with big dreams, through finding strength in the face of oppression and then finally battling through to empowerment.

 

About the authors

SAMRA ZAFAR is an international speaker, human rights activist, scholar, author and social entrepreneur. After arriving in Canada as a teenage bride in a forced marriage, Samra faced more than a decade of oppression and opposition to her dream of getting an education. Today, she is the youngest alumna serving as a governor for the University of Toronto and has a rewarding career in commercial banking. Her impressive speaking portfolio includes platforms such as Amnesty International, Women in Leadership, and major universities, banks and corporations.

Samra’s story is one of Brave Beginnings, the name of the non-profit organization she founded to support abuse survivors in their journey to build lives of respect and freedom. Her story and work have been featured on prominent media platforms, including Toronto Life, CTV, CBC, Global News, Yahoo Canada and many others. Her free time is dedicated to her two daughters and her passion for empowering others through advocacy and non-profit work.

Samra Zafar's profile page

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

Meg Masters' profile page

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, 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

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