A Pebble In The Throat
Growing Up Between Two Continents
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Headline Publishing Group
Published:18th May '23
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This memoir beautifully intertwines Aasmah Mir's and her mother's experiences, highlighting their journeys of identity and belonging in different cultures.
In A Pebble in the Throat, Aasmah Mir presents a heartfelt dual memoir that explores the intertwined lives of her and her mother as they navigate their formative years in Glasgow and Pakistan. The narrative captures Aasmah's journey from a spirited child in 1970s Glasgow to a more introspective teenager, highlighting the challenges of growing up between two cultures. Her experiences at school, where she often felt out of place, contrast with the warmth and safety of her home life, shared with her beloved but distant brother and their family's devoted guardian, Helen.
The memoir also delves into the life of Aasmah's mother, whose story unfolds from her childhood in 1950s Pakistan to her transition into 1960s Scotland. This rich tapestry of experiences reveals the struggles and victories both women face in their respective journeys. Their narratives are marked by resilience, as they confront societal expectations and personal challenges, ultimately finding strength in their identities.
A Pebble in the Throat is not just a coming-of-age story; it is a profound exploration of family bonds, cultural identity, and the universal quest for belonging. Through her poignant storytelling, Aasmah Mir invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of growing up and the powerful connections that shape who we are.
Full of beauty, wit and inner strength, this unique dual voiced memoir moved me deeply. Aasmah Mir's childhood may have been bittersweet but her writing, like her broadcasting, is pure gold -- Samira Ahmed
I will be thinking of Aasmah's story for a very long time. She writes with such richness of her life, such detail of her time at school and the love for her young brother. This book will resonate with many people no matter that they be Christian or Muslim, British or Pakistani. A treasure of a book.
-- Fern BrittonHonest and powerful -- Ian Rankin
An incredible memoir on culture and finding your voice that will stay with you long after you have read it * The Sun *
An exquisite memoir, revealing how the wheels of progress have turned across two generations - but how they have also got very stuck. It is at times heart-breaking and poignant but also so very funny and clever and full of small moments that you want to pause and reread. -- Fi Glover
I loved this book partly because Aasmah Mir has such a good way with detail that she can with conjure Glasgow in the 80s or Pakistan in the 60s so vividly and economically it's like looking at snapshots in a photo album; but what I loved most were the moments when you sense her - and her mother - understanding that the world and their place in it is not what was advertised and they are going to have to work and sometimes fight to secure that place. I found it incredibly moving and it made me think and rethink how the narratives that shape who we are and how we fit in are not givens but negotiations and always up for revision. -- Reverend Richard Coles
Young Aasmah bursts into life in this lovingly evoked portrait of a Scottish childhood, complicated by the challenge to fit in when the shade of your skin seemingly sets you apart. Exuberant warm funny and wise, just like its author -- Mariella Frostrup
A Pebble in The Throat will leave your heart in your mouth.
Writing about a culture that values compliance in women and encourages silence, Aasmah Mir's book does the exact opposite.
Moving between her and her mother's life, it reveals parts of the Pakistani immigrant experience that are rarely seen on our bookshelves. Aasmah's raw, and honest account of her family life will blow you away!
A gorgeous book about family and identity * The i Paper *
Evocative and vivid * The Scotsman *
An uplifting story * The Sun *
An interwoven tale of love, loss and life in Glasgow and Pakistan across multiple generations * The Sunday Times *
ISBN: 9781472288523
Dimensions: 236mm x 158mm x 40mm
Weight: 620g
368 pages