This book had an impact on my life long before I ever got a copy and read it. I can clearly remember my mum being traumatised by reading this when it first came out. It just so happened to be around the time my dad was thinking about sending me to Iran, to meet his family and learn his language. Absolutely no chance of that ever happening after mum read this. And having read this now, I can't blame her really.

It's absolutely shocking reading how a father sold his daughters off as wives - to his friends sons in the Yemen - when they were only (underage) teenagers and totally unaware of their fate. The sisters thought they were going on the holiday of a life time to visit their father's country and meet their family. Even more shocking in my eyes was that their mum went along with the holiday plan for her daughters - especially after he took their eldest two children over under the same pretence and didn't bring them back! Why would you allow two more to go?

The sisters grew up in Birmingham and fairly westernised, They didn't even speak Arabic. So can't even begin to the true horror of what they went through. Aside from the horrendous marriage experience, there was total culture shock and the language barrier. I think although Zana tried to explain it as best as she could, the book felt detached and emotionless. I felt more was lest unsaid, than what was actually said. Words are one thing, reality is another. It must have been extremely traumatic to try and relive it all so write this book and spread awareness of this crime. She does raise the point that the girls raised in the Yemen didn't have a problem with living that way, as that's all they knew.

I found it was so frustrating reading how the efforts to free them were constantly blocked on all sides (not even any help from the British embassy and government!) Women there just have no rights at all! I can't imagine what that must be like to actually live through. I was really surprised that their mother was eventually able to track them down and visit them there.

Throughout it all I was missing her mum. She only appears in the book as a background figure until well after the sisters are trapped (by law) in the Yemen. Then she springs into action. There is mention ay the end of the book of a companion book, giving the mothers side. I have obtained a copy and really look forward to finding out about her life and the story from her perspective.