Promotional Information

A powerful memoir about a young Pakistani girl who, until the age of twelve, was disguised as a boy so she could compete in sports.

Table of Contents

Chapter - 1: Prologue Chapter - 2: Between the Mountains Chapter - 3: The Mullah Chapter - 4: An Unlikely Bride Chapter - 5: Genghis Khan Chapter - 6: Bhutto's Muse Chapter - 7: The Wall Chapter - 8: the City of Guns Chapter - 9: Deities, Temples and Angels Chapter - 10: Out of the Tribal Lands Chapter - 11: The Capital of Empires Chapter - 12: I Am Maria Chapter - 13: Playing Like a Girl Chapter - 14: Smoking Scorpions Chapter - 15: Rupees for My Mother Chapter - 16: The Giver of Treasure Chapter - 17: Number One Chapter - 18: In the Crosshairs Chapter - 19: Purdah Chapter - 20: Breakbone Fever Chapter - 21: Liberty Bell Chapter - 22: Epilogue: One Thousand Marias Acknowledgements - 23: Acknowledgments Chapter - 24: About the Authors Chapter - 25: A Letter about MariaToorpakai.org

About the Author

Born in 1990 to a Pashtun family in South Waziristan, a tribal region bordering Afghanistan, Maria is currently ranked fifty-fourth in the world and is Pakistan Number One at squash. The only way Maria could play sport as a girl was to disguise herself as a boy. When her gender was eventually revealed in order for her to train professionally in squash, Maria and her family received death and kidnap threats, as her actions were perceived as 'un-Islamic'. The Pakistani national squash federation provided security for her home and training venue, but Maria decided it was a safer option to seek an opportunity to train internationally. Maria lives and trains in Toronto, Canada, under former professional squash player Jonathon Power.

Reviews

It's hard enough to become the best in the world at anything. It's even harder when people want to kill you just for trying.
*Mary Carillo - NBC Sports*

A vivid personal account of a courageous young woman standing up to one of the world's most oppressive theocracies
*Kirkus Reviews*

Beyond Brave
*Sunday Express*

A remarkably vivid book
*Herald Scotland*