Burned Alive
Chapter One
I Was in Flames
I am a girl. A girl must walk fast, head down, as if counting the
number of steps she's taking. She may never stray from her path or
look up, for if a man were to catch her eye, the whole village would
label her a charmuta. If a married neighbor woman, or an old woman,
or just anybody were to see her out without her mother or her older
sister, without her sheep, her bundle of hay, or her load of figs,
they would right away say charmuta. A girl must be married before
she can raise her eyes and look straight ahead, or go into a shop,
or pluck her eyebrows and wear jewelry. My mother was married at
fourteen. If a girl is still unmarried by that age, the village
begins to make fun of her. But a girl must wait her turn in the
family to be married. The oldest daughter first, then the others.
There are too many girls in my father's house, four of marrying age.
There are also two half sisters, born of our father's second wife,
who are still children. The one male child of the family, the son
who is adored by all, is our brother Assad, who was born in glory
among all these daughters. He is the fourth bo ... read full excerpt from: Burned Alive ebook
