Call Her Freedom

By: Tara Dorabji

Narrated by: Soneela Nankani

A “rich and beautifully crafted multigenerational epic” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Daughter) following one woman’s struggle to protect her culture and her family amidst the backdrop of a military occupation.

Aisha and her mother, Noorjahan, live on the outskirts of their remote mountain village nestled among the Himalayas—two women alone in a world dominated by men. As the village midwife, Noorjahan teaches Aisha how to heal using local herbs and remedies.

When Aisha’s hand is betrothed to a local boy, she is forced to abandon her dreams of going to university. Soon her mother’s secrets come back to haunt her, and Aisha’s marriage and a growing military presence force her to make impossible choices in order to save her family and preserve the independence Noorjahan fought for. What follows is a family chronicle brimming with life, love, and humor, about sacrifice and honor and fighting for your home and culture in the face of occupation.

Call Her Freedom is a deeply moving novel about one woman’s love for her family, and an epic investigation of colonialism, militarization, and loss of innocence on the journey to creating home. Spanning 1969 to 2022, this is a love story that untangles family secrets and heals generational wounds, announcing Tara Dorabji as a thrilling new voice in fiction.

Critic reviews

"Soneela Nankani’s narration brings warmth and depth to Aisha’s story. Nankani captures the emotional weight of Aisha’s choices as she navigates family duty and her desire for personal freedom. Nankani’s performance shifts seamlessly between Aisha's interior world and the tension that builds as an Indo-Chinese military conflict disrupts daily life in 1969. Long-buried family secrets surface, forcing Aisha to fight for her family’s survival. Nankani’s voice enhances the novel’s themes of resilience, sacrifice, and love, immersing the listener in a multigenerational story that explores the cost of survival and the pursuit of self-determination."