BEGINNING WITH A PRIVILEGED CHILDHOOD IN AN ELITE FAMILY OF PRE-PARTITION INDIA, TO A TROUBLED YOUTH IN PAKISTAN, THIS IS THE INSPIRING STORY OF SALMA AHMED--A WOMAN WHO SURMOUNTED FORMIDABLE ODDS TO ACHIEVE EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AND POLITICS. IN THIS STRIKINGLY HONEST AND CANDID ACCOUNT, SALMA TALKS OF HER THREE MARRIAGES - TO A NAVAL OFFICER, A SCION OF A LEADING FEUDAL FAMILY, AND A CRICKETING STAR; HER CONFLICTS AS A MOTHER AS SHE MAKES THE AGONISING DECISION TO GIVE UP TWO OF HER SIX CHILDREN, AND HER EFFORTS TO BUILD A CAREER AS A BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR AND POLITICAL FIGURE IN AN EMERGING PAKISTAN. AS SHE RECOUNTS THE EVENTS OF A LIFE FILLED WITH DRAMATIC HIGHS AND EQUALLY PAINFUL LOWS, SHE DOES NOT SPARE HERSELF ANY MORE THAN SHE DOES OTHER PLAYERS IN HER STORY. THIS IS A BOOK THAT UNABASHEDLY REVEALS MANY OF THE HIDDEN TABOOS OF CONTEMPORARY PAKISTANI SOCIETY, BRINGING INTO QUESTION CUSTOMS THAT ARE AN INTEGRAL, IF UNPLEASANT, PART OF SUBCONTINENTAL CULTURE. SALMA AHMED`S GRIPPING NARRATION OF HER POLITICAL CAREER IS FAST-PACED AND OFTEN AMUSING. THE BOOK RELATES EVENTS OF THE 1985 ASSEMBLY WHICH NO OTHER AUTHOR HAS YET COMMENTED ON. HER INTERACTION WITH THE LATE PRESIDENT ZIAUL-HAQ AND PRIME MINISTER MOHAMMAD KHAN JUNEJO, MQM LEADER ALTAF HUSSAIN, THE CHARISMATIC PIR SAHIB PAGARO, AND SEVERAL OTHERS, GAVE HER A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO WITNESS FIRST-HAND THE INTRIGUE, POWER PLAYS AND UNFOLDING DRAMA OF PAKISTANI POLITICS. HER FREQUENT VISITS TO INDIA BROUGHT HER INTO CONTACT WITH INDIRA GANDHI, HER SON RAJIV, AND MANY OTHER LEADING FIGURES OF THE SUB-CONTINENT. THIS IS THE ABSORBING TALE OF A WOMAN WHO WAS A PAMPERED CHILD, AN UNHAPPY WIFE, A REPENTANT MOTHER--BUT ONE WHO EMERGED TRIUMPHANT AS A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE, IN BUSINESS AND POLITICS.
ही एक अतिशय श्रीमंत, उच्चभ्रू कुटुंबात जन्मलेल्या पाकिस्तानी स्त्रीची विलक्षण कहाणी आहे. आयुष्यानं निरनिराळ्या टप्प्यांवर घेतलेली अनपेक्षित वळणं झेलताना लेखिका सलमा अहमद यांनी त्यांच्या बिझनेस, राजकीय कारकीर्द व कौटुंबिक जीवन यांबद्दल, यशापयश, भावनिक आंदोलनं यांबद्दल अतिशय प्रामाणिक व मनमोकळं कथन केलं आहे. सलमा अहमद यांच्या जीवनातले अतिशय उत्तुंग नाट्यमय क्षण वाचकाला रोमांचित करतात तर त्यांच्या जीवनातल्या अनेक काळ्याकुट्ट क्षणी त्यांनी दाखवलेलं विलक्षण धैर्य, चिकाटी आणि आत्मविश्वास स्तिमित करतो. सलमा अहमद यांच्या व्यक्तिगत आयुष्याबरोबरच या कथनातून उपखंडातील संस्कृती, तत्कालिन पाकिस्तानी समाज, सरंजामी जीवन आदींचेही विविधांगी पदर वाचकासमोर उलगडतात.
बिझनेस व राजकारण या दोन्ही क्षेत्रांत ‘वूमन ऑफ सबस्टन्स’ ठरलेल्या सलमा अहमद यांचं हे विलक्षण अनुभवकथन वाचकाला एका निराळ्या विश्वाची व स्त्रीशक्तीच्या अफाट सामथ्र्याची ओळख करून देते.