A Different Kind of Daughter: The Girl Who Hid from the Taliban in Plain Sight
Written by Maria Toorpakai and Katharine Holstein
Narrated by Neela Vaswani
4.5/5
()
Currently unavailable
Currently unavailable
About this audiobook
"Maria Toorpakai is a true inspiration, a pioneer for millions of other women struggling to pave their own paths to autonomy, fulfillment, and genuine personhood." --Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and And the Mountains Echoed
Maria Toorpakai hails from Pakistan's violently oppressive northwest tribal region, where the idea of women playing sports is considered haram-un-Islamic-forbidden-and girls rarely leave their homes. But she did, passing as a boy in order to play the sports she loved, thus becoming a lightning rod of freedom in her country's fierce battle over women's rights.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF DAUGHTER tell of Maria's harrowing journey to play the sport she knew was her destiny, first living as a boy and roaming the violent back alleys of the frontier city of Peshawar, rising to become the number one female squash player in Pakistan. For Maria, squash was more than liberation-it was salvation. But it was also a death sentence, thrusting her into the national spotlight and the crosshairs of the Taliban, who wanted Maria and her family dead. Maria knew her only chance of survival was to flee the country.
Enter Jonathon Power, the first North American to earn the title of top squash player in the world, and the only person to heed Maria's plea for help. Recognizing her determination and talent, Jonathon invited Maria to train and compete internationally in Canada. After years of living on the run from the Taliban, Maria packed up and left the only place she had ever known to move halfway across the globe and pursue her dream. Now Maria is well on the way to becoming a world champion as she continues to be a voice for oppressed women everywhere.
Maria Toorpakai
Born in 1990 to a Pashtun family in South Waziristan, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, Maria is currently ranked fifty-fourth in the world and is Pakistan Number One at squash. The only way Maria could play sport as a girl was to disguise herself as a boy. When her gender was eventually revealed in order for her to train professionally in squash, Maria and her family received death and kidnap threats, as her actions were perceived as 'un-Islamic'. The Pakistani national squash federation provided security for her home and training venue, but Maria decided it was a safer option to seek an opportunity to train internationally. Maria lives and trains in Toronto, Canada, under former professional squash player Jonathon Power.
Related to A Different Kind of Daughter
Related audiobooks
WOLFPACK: How to Come Together, Unleash Our Power, and Change the Game Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wolfpack (Young Readers Edition) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Girl Who Escaped ISIS: This Is My Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Cave in the Clouds: A Young Woman’s Escape from ISIS Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion, and the Community He Inspired Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Saving Our Sons: Raising Black Children in a Turbulent World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMy Greatest Save: The Brave, Barrier-Breaking Journey of a World Champion Goalkeeper Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Picture of Dorian Gray (dramatic reading) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pull Focus: A Novel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLooking for Miss America: A Pageant's 100-Year Quest to Define Womanhood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lost & Hound Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRena Glickman, Queen of Judo Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World—and how to Repair it All Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stolen Girls: Survivors of Boko Haram Tell Their Story Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Horse Crazy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Doomsday Cults : The Devil's Hostages Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Barack Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Girl Explorers: The Untold Story of the Globetrotting Women Who Trekked, Flew, and Fought Their Way Around the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWomen in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5No More Heroes: Grassroots Challenges to the Savior Mentality Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rootwork: Using the Folk Magick of Black America for Love, Money and Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Between Good and Evil: The Stolen Girls of Boko Haram Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Sports & Recreation For You
Mental Toughness Training For Young Athletes - Parent's Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Confident Mind: A Battle-Tested Guide to Unshakable Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Becky Lynch: The Man: Not Your Average Average Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/580/20 Running: Run Stronger and Race Faster by Training Slower Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hagakure: The Secret Wisdom of the Samurai Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Tyrus: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Resilience: Strategies for an Unbreakable Mind and Body Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Peak: The New Science of Athletic Performance That is Revolutionizing Sports Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It Takes What It Takes: How to Think Neutrally and Gain Control of Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Run the Mile You're In: Finding God in Every Step Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gambler: Secrets from a Life at Risk Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Winners Won't Tell You: Lessons from a Legendary Defender Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A River Runs Through It Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Stay Alive in the Woods: A Complete Guide to Food, Shelter and Self-Preservation Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Read Nature: An Expert's Guide to Discovering the Outdoors You've Never Noticed Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Leadership, Excellence, and Decision-Making Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for A Different Kind of Daughter
9 ratings1 review
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I had always believed that the Pashtun people were a tall and noble people, but I had no idea that their females were as nothing and forced into seclusion, deliver their baby without trained assistance, or that the Pakistani version of a Taliban found all Pashtun disgusting and open targets for murder. But then, I also did not know that Pakistani sports teams were run by branches of the military, that Squash is the second most popular sport in Pakistan, which is also the most heroin addicted country in the world.Before being forced to marry, Maria's father, a professor of engineering, had been locked in an asylum, twice, for publicly speaking out about the rights of women to seek an education, receive medical care inherit or buy property, or simply own and drive a car. And the mother was considered an abomination for having learned too much--but husband later assisted her to gain degrees, which she used to pursue schooling for many girls.Enter Maria. She simply did not fit into the culture. Born in 1990, at the age of 4 she totally disdained the cultural norm, burned the girl clothing, and hacked off her hair. Her father supported her needs and renamed her Ghengis Khan, and she wore her older brother's outgrown clothing. Constitutionally unable to tolerate being kept indoors for schooling, she learned from her highly educated family in the evenings. At the age of twelve, she discovered the sport of squash and found her passion, goals, and joy of life. She became the first Pashtun girl to enter the sport, and was amazed, several years later, to find that there was a national girl's team. But unlike the boys, there were no government supplied shoes, uniforms, transportation to interAsian tournaments. With a lot of hard work, she eventually became the national champion, and therefore as much a target for the Pakistan taliban as her mother and later, her sister who held a public government position. As a target, she became confined to the house, tried to practice, and sank into a deep depression. The family eventually found ways to send her to a meet in Kuala Lampur, but she came down with Dengue Fever and nearly died, spending 6 days in ICU and suffering severe muscle wasting. The family got her home, and then found a way to send her to a meet in the states, even though she was in no shape to play. There, Jonathon Power, world title holder, caught up with her and brought her to Toronto to heal, become able to be competitive again, and coach in his academy.An emotionally exhausting book, but one that needs reading and sharing.