Nazhah Khawaja

The Other Side of Life Nazhah Khawaja

Taking us through the lawless streets of Lahore, Pakistan, The Other Side of Life is a complexly layered retelling of the darkness and tragedy that Farishteh, daughter of a wealthy real estate agent and misogynistic patriarch grapples with. Her inner dialogue and memories of the haunting voice of her mother urge her to challenge the suffocating abuse and domination that a male-dominated culture inflict in this coming of age story. Desperate to connect to a faith that is bullied by strict cultural barriers to females, she silently protests and persists in contemplating the complexities to her being as a female in a big city with small minds. Desperate to believe that there is more to life than the mundane and restrictive traditions a young woman in Pakistan must comply with, Farishteh faces her biggest struggle yet. Kidnapped by her father's rivals, Farishteh comes face to face not only with the dark truth of the underground life of Pakistan, but her father's truth.