Somebody Else's Life

By: Shafi, Khatijah

I always thought that it would never happen to me.

My upbringing was unconventional. My father had 2 wives, living with both at the same time. We lived together harmoniously, my dad sleeping between the 2 of them. We only spoke English at home. I never imagined the Pakistani culture of honour would impinge on my life. The sad reality is it did. It was because of these cultural values that at age 17 I became a bartered bride, forced into a loveless marriage to a man I can only describe as repulsive. A much older man who saw me as another chattel with parents willing to pay for the sale of a troublesome teenager.

This book is the story of my life. Of freedom gained and lost, and found again when I escaped Pakistan, return to the safety of England, only to be betrayed by those closest to me.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1836714475
• ISBN13: 9781836714477
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: Pegasus Elliot MacKenzie Publishers Ltd
• Length: 244 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.1" x 7.8"