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Daring to Drive

A Saudi Woman's Awakening

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
"A vital, inspiring book" (O, The Oprah Magazine)—a ferociously intimate memoir by a devout woman from a modest family in Saudi Arabia who became the unexpected leader of the courageous movement that won Saudi women the right to drive.
Manal al-Sharif grew up in Mecca the second daughter of a taxi driver, born the year strict fundamentalism took hold. In her adolescence, she was a religious radical, melting her brother's boy band cassettes in the oven because music was haram: forbidden by Islamic law. But what a difference an education can make. By her twenties Manal was a computer security engineer, one of few women working in a desert compound built to resemble suburban America. That's when the Saudi kingdom's contradictions became too much to bear: she was labeled a slut for chatting with male colleagues, her school-age brother chaperoned her on a business trip, and while she kept a car in the garage, she was forbidden from driving on Saudi streets.

Manal al-Sharif's memoir is an "eye-opening" (The Christian Science Monitor) account of the making of an accidental activist, a vivid story of a young Muslim woman who stood up to a kingdom of men—and won. Daring to Drive is "a brave, extraordinary, heartbreakingly personal" (Associated Press) celebration of resilience in the face of tyranny and "a testament to how women in Muslim countries are helping change their culture, one step at a time" (New York Journal of Books).
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Lameece Issaq narrates Manal al-Sharif's engaging memoir about her highly publicized arrest and imprisonment for "driving while female" in Saudi Arabia in 2011. Al-Sharif gives listeners the context of her drive by sharing details of her formative years in Mecca as well as her work for a multinational oil company. Issaq recounts emotionally complex memories with sensitivity and adopts a steelier tone when discussing the abuse she endured at home, at school, in her first marriage, and from conservative groups. As she guides listeners through the author's evolution from an Islamic fundamentalist teenager to an advocate for women's rights, Issaq exudes her strength and intelligence with a sure-footed tone. The inspiring story is a stark reminder that women in Saudi Arabia still face arrest for violating social and religious customs. J.R.T. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:990
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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