A Woman Like Her

Reviews

“An exemplary work of investigative journalism…delves into the story of a woman as misunderstood in death as in life.”

“Unfolds like a thriller, only it’s true…Maher’s investigation of Baloch’s life and death is remarkable: It is not just the story of one rebellious woman but a study of an entire country and culture in collision.”

“This fascinating portrait of Qandeel Baloch, Pakistan’s first big female internet sensation, is also a skillfully reported account of a country in which conservative mores conflict with the pace of social change, and in which women all too often pay the price.”

“Maher’s courageous reporting for her first book deserves recognition. She entered into male dominated and often hostile spaces—despite pushback—to pursue the truth behind Baloch’s meteoric rise and tragic fall. The result is a fascinating, richly detailed tribute to the fearlessness with which Baloch pursued her dreams.”

“A compelling account of the tragic fate of a creative woman who might have excelled brilliantly in any other milieu.”

“Immersive and eye-opening…This deeply researched account illuminates the qualities that made [Baloch] so galvanizing in life as well as death.”

“A breakthrough book, A Woman Like Her bracingly illuminates an increasingly global if yet under-covered phenomenon: the tragic collision between the forged selves of social media and the brute realities of ordinary life. It also describes, with rare intimacy, some profound cultural tumult in a society that is largely known for its political dramas.”

“The highest calibre of investigative journalism, written with tragedy, poetry, and passion befitting of its subject.”

“Qandeel was a marvellous blaze. She set our dark world on fire and made enough light to expose the hypocrisies of Pakistan’s pious patriarchy. In Sanam Maher’s terrific and necessary book, these flames burn brighter than ever.”

“A breakthrough book.”

“Sanam Maher has put out the highest caliber of investigative journalism, written with tragedy, poetry, and passion befitting of its subject.”

“A book about killing that tells us how we live now. Sanam Maher has her ear to the ground and a storyteller’s voice that is intimate and yet soars to the skies.”

“A terrific achievement. Sanam Maher’s sensitive, nuanced portrait restores humanity, in all its complexity, to her subject.”

“Only one of Pakistan’s finest young writers could carry weighty themes like honor, fame, and violence with such deliberation and poise.”

“Written without judgement, without pandering, without reducing its subject to a stereotype, this book is brilliant and terrifying.”

“Qandeel was a marvellous blaze…In Sanam Maher’s terrific and necessary book, these flames burn brighter than ever.”

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