Silk Tether

A Novel

By: Minal Khan

Narrated by: Zehra Jane Naqvi

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

This is the real world of modern Karachi as seen through the eyes of a young woman in an elite family. Here are the hidden dramatic realities of the upper class, the undertow of religion, revealing the truth sometimes spoken in hushed whispers, more often swept away by the flourish of silk saris at extravagant dinner parties...or perhaps never mentioned at all.

Often tragic, always youthful, yet never what those in the West expect, here in fully realized first-person prose are the lives of Ayla, the protagonist, and her boundaries and customs, as well as those of her friends: Alia, oppressed by her wealthy, overly conservative parents, and Tanzeela, a teenager trapped in an abusive arranged marriage. From silk saris to bombings; from fundamentalism to American sympathy; from Dior makeup to desperate poverty; from sexual abuse to religious taboos, the world of Ayla, in her late teens, struggling in the real world of modern-day Pakistan, is anything but simple.

Silk Tether is a revealing, truthful, poignant novel destined to become a must-listen by westerners seeking to understand the complex world of Islamic fundamentalist countries.

Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Arcade, Yucca, and Good Books imprints, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers and listeners interested in fiction - novels, novellas, political and medical thrillers, comedy, satire, historical fiction, romance, erotic and love stories, mystery, classic literature, folklore and mythology, literary classics including Shakespeare, Dumas, Wilde, Cather, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times best seller or a national best seller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

©2016 Minal Khan (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

A beautiful portrait painted with words!

The author is so gifted with her words that I felt like I was there in person, quietly watching this story unfold, unable to look away. The narrator is sensational, too. Silk Tether is a fascinating and personal glimpse into another modern culture, and the satisfying conclusion left me caring enough about the main characters to wish there was more! I'm actually finding myself day dreaming about how this young woman and her friends are doing right now, as if they were real people!

A Pleasant Listen

The narrator did a lovely job with this book. she has a pleasant voice and reads dialogue in a way that enhances the characters and the story.

The book, set in modern Pakistan, provides a glimpse into the life of a sweet, though self-centered, teen girl and her best friend. The two girls have sort of a Barbie/Skipper dynamic, one which they never manage to shake. The author spends an appropriate amount of time exploring several weighty themes (class, arranged marriage, religion, art, politics).

The story feels a bit rushed and unrealistic toward the end. The story even glosses over some pretty substantial issues, almost as if some things got cut out and they cauterized the storyline.

P.S. As a visual person, I sometimes find stories with unfamiliar names or terms to be cumbersome and hard to follow - not an issue with this book.

Women of the world

Incredible story full of feelings not only women living in control with such restrictions feel but women even living in America feel.

Teenage girl story

This is not the kind of book I would usually read/listen to. It was recommended to me.

It is written from the point of view of a teenage girl, spoiled one, and there are strange details like “I swallowed [spit]” in between of two sentences. Or “he stepped on the gas pedal”. And then there are a couple disjoint rants about Pakistani political situation that in no way add to the story and are written in a voice that’s too mature for the main character. They are out of place.

The reader was fantastic and she made it fun and engaging enough for me to finish the audiobook.

BFFs

Hard to get in to, stay with and follow. Had to restart 3 times before I finally was able to begin to understand where the story might be going. While it was a story worth telling it wasn't the best presentation of it for the reader...at least a reader who is wanting to learn as well as enjoy while listening.

Enjoyable but predictable

Excellent performance! The story tended to drag a bit in the middle. Ending predictable.

I loved it! 🥰

I'm greatful to Miss Marvel for the introduction into Pakistani culture as it provided so much context for my Basic understanding of the world. It was so easy to listen to. The last book I intended to was the same length and took me two weeks to listen to. I finished this book in a day.
It's the story of friendship - which I am profoundly greatful for. If I hear another damn romantic love story I'm going to scream. I love good stories about platonic love.
There was a line about racism that spoke to me. It made me think differently about race in a way I hadn't considered before. This book is not super heavy, but I feel (mind you I'm basic) that it's somewhat of an accurate portrait of life. -For a light listen, it was mildly challenging.

Carried me back to childhood....

My father’s job introduced us to people who had moved to the us from around the world. I was blessed to get to know and love people from other cultures....including physician and his family who moved to our town from Pakistan. The narrators accent, while not perfect, was close and the “flowery” language used stirred memories of childhood and the stories the mother and grandmother in this family would tell. Stories of dreams that came true and those that didn’t. Stories of weddings, births, family triumphs and sorrows.
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this book. Thankful to the author & the narrator for bringing back memories of childhood friends.

Sweet

Very sweet story.
innocent and heartfelt stories about two girls growing up to see the hardships and harshness of the world they lived in.very well written and very sweetly narrated. Enjoyed it a lot .

Beautiful

It's a beautiful story of sisterhood and triumph. And it is equally beautiful in descriptions and culture.