'All the men I did get to know, every single one of them, has filled me
with but one desire: to lift my hand and bring it smashing down on his
face. But because I am a woman, I have never had the courage to lift my
hand. And because I am a prostitute, I hid my fear under layers of
make-up.'
So begins Firdaus' story, leading to her grimy Cairo prison cell, where
she welcomes her death sentence as a relief from her pain and suffering.
Born to a peasant family in the Egyptian countryside, Firdaus suffered a
childhood of cruelty and neglect. Her passion for education was ignored
by her family, and on leaving school she was forced to marry a much
older man.
Following her escapes from violent relationships, she finally met
Sharifa, who told her that 'a man does not know a woman's value; the
higher you price yourself, the more he will realise what you are really
worth' and led her into a life of prostitution. Desperate and alone, she
took drastic action.
Saadawi's searing indictment of society's brutal treatment of women
continues to resonate today. This classic audiobook has been an
inspiration to countless people across the world.
