Book: Dancing in the Mosque
Author: Homeira Qaderi
Country: Afghanistan
Review: 5/5
Homeira Qaderi is an Afghan writer, activist and educator born in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her mother was an artist, and her father a high school teacher, both who I believe inspired her to pursue education and to create a path for herself. This book details her life in moments of history and her own memories, beginning with her childhood during Soviet invasion and civil war, then accounting life during the Taliban takeover of Herat where Qaderi was banned from school. Her brave resistance was not a choice made lightly, yet is seemed the only choice for her as she fought for her own eduction and that of others as she began secretly teaching other children.
I loved the chapter that reflected the book’s namesake, when young Qaderi and the other children took a risk simply by dancing in secret. “I looked over at the colorful pile of small shoes. Their neon colors glowed dimly in the shadows. I raised the curtain of the mosque to bring light into this dark place. Herat’s warm winds covered us in the dust. I believe that on that day in that sacred place, God smiled on us and loved us more than ever before.”
Not only has Qaderi had an incredible story of fighting for what she believes in, but she is also an incredible author, and I feel so lucky that her writing is now available to English speakers as well. It is so clear to me that, while this account is meant to teach others about her story and the overarching suppression that women face in Afganistan and other parts of the world, it is at its heart a labour of love, a story for her son, her loss, and her hope that one day these wrongs will be righted. Throughout the narrative of her own life, Qaderi has woven beautifully-written, intimate, and heart-wrenching letters dedicated to her son, Siawash. “I want you to be a rebel, to grow up to fight the antiquated, brutal ways of that land. My son, nothing can diminish this sense of motherhood in me.” Dancing in the Mosque is Homeira Qaderi’s seventh book, but first in English translation and first memoir. It serves as an opportunity to learn Qaderi’s story when it may have passed you by before. It details her life in Afghanistan and her refuge in Iran, and describes the difficult decision she has to make as a mother and as a woman passionate for change in her country.
When the hardships in Afghanistan started again last year, I sought out books that could help me understand and appreciate the trauma that people were living through when it seemed so difficult to imagine so far away from my own home. I highly recommend this memoir.
Stay tuned for other book recommendations for this country and other countries, and follow my journey on Instagram @beyondpageone and find more reviews on my GoodReads page: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/116494925-kaitlyn-nightingale Thank you and happy reading!
Feature image from Goodreads.