Listen free for 30 days
-
A Good Wife
- Escaping the Life I Never Chose
- Narrated by: Samra Zafar
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $31.26
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
You may also enjoy...
-
Princess
- A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
- Written by: Jean Sasson
- Narrated by: Catherine Byers
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Princess describes the life of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband, and her country. Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: 13-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age; young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "women's room". Princess is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and courage.
-
-
Amazing book
- By Rome on 2020-09-26
Written by: Jean Sasson
-
An American Bride in Kabul
- Written by: Phyllis Chesler PhD
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few westerners will ever be able to understand Muslim or Afghan society unless they are part of a Muslim family. Twenty years old and in love, Phyllis Chesler, a Jewish-American girl from Brooklyn, embarked on an adventure that has lasted for more than a half-century. Drawing upon her personal diaries, Chesler recounts her ordeal, the nature of gender apartheid - and her longing to explore this beautiful, ancient, and exotic country and culture.
-
-
Well written!
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-02-04
Written by: Phyllis Chesler PhD
-
American Daughter
- A Memoir
- Written by: Stephanie Thornton Plymale, Elissa Wald
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marno
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The sharp and surprising true story of a woman who finally sets out to understand her past, and the mother she had one day hoped to forget. Full of unexpected twists and unbelievable revelations, American Daughter is an immersive memoir that will have you on the edge of your seat to the very last minute.
-
-
Words fail me!
- By Jayne on 2023-07-28
Written by: Stephanie Thornton Plymale, and others
-
Escape
- Written by: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church.
-
-
I love memoirs! This is one of the best !
- By Nikki on 2020-04-28
Written by: Carolyn Jessop, and others
-
Unorthodox
- The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots
- Written by: Deborah Feldman
- Narrated by: Rachel Botchan, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a member of the strictly religious Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism, Deborah Feldman grew up under a code of relentlessly enforced customs governing everything from what she could wear and to whom she could speak to what she was allowed to read. Yet in spite of her repressive upbringing, Deborah grew into an independent-minded young woman whose stolen moments reading about the empowered literary characters of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott helped her to imagine an alternative way of life among the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
-
-
Witnessing the struggle !
- By Louise P. on 2020-10-09
Written by: Deborah Feldman
-
Yasmeena's Choice
- A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival
- Written by: Jean Sasson
- Narrated by: Parisa Johnston
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the true story of Yasmeena, a bright and beautiful young Lebanese woman who was imprisoned in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Yasmeena's shocking journey is a tale of the madness of war, of the sexual brutality unleashed by chaos, and of one woman’s courage to stand in danger’s way to aid her fellow sufferers.
-
-
Horrific treatment and amazing survival!
- By Monika Dabrowska on 2021-08-24
Written by: Jean Sasson
-
Princess
- A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
- Written by: Jean Sasson
- Narrated by: Catherine Byers
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Princess describes the life of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband, and her country. Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: 13-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age; young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "women's room". Princess is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and courage.
-
-
Amazing book
- By Rome on 2020-09-26
Written by: Jean Sasson
-
An American Bride in Kabul
- Written by: Phyllis Chesler PhD
- Narrated by: Janet Metzger
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few westerners will ever be able to understand Muslim or Afghan society unless they are part of a Muslim family. Twenty years old and in love, Phyllis Chesler, a Jewish-American girl from Brooklyn, embarked on an adventure that has lasted for more than a half-century. Drawing upon her personal diaries, Chesler recounts her ordeal, the nature of gender apartheid - and her longing to explore this beautiful, ancient, and exotic country and culture.
-
-
Well written!
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-02-04
Written by: Phyllis Chesler PhD
-
American Daughter
- A Memoir
- Written by: Stephanie Thornton Plymale, Elissa Wald
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marno
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The sharp and surprising true story of a woman who finally sets out to understand her past, and the mother she had one day hoped to forget. Full of unexpected twists and unbelievable revelations, American Daughter is an immersive memoir that will have you on the edge of your seat to the very last minute.
-
-
Words fail me!
- By Jayne on 2023-07-28
Written by: Stephanie Thornton Plymale, and others
-
Escape
- Written by: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 15 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When she was 18 years old, Carolyn Jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger - a man 32 years her senior. Merril Jessop already had three wives. But arranged plural marriages were an integral part of Carolyn's heritage: She was born into and raised in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church.
-
-
I love memoirs! This is one of the best !
- By Nikki on 2020-04-28
Written by: Carolyn Jessop, and others
-
Unorthodox
- The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots
- Written by: Deborah Feldman
- Narrated by: Rachel Botchan, Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a member of the strictly religious Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism, Deborah Feldman grew up under a code of relentlessly enforced customs governing everything from what she could wear and to whom she could speak to what she was allowed to read. Yet in spite of her repressive upbringing, Deborah grew into an independent-minded young woman whose stolen moments reading about the empowered literary characters of Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott helped her to imagine an alternative way of life among the skyscrapers of Manhattan.
-
-
Witnessing the struggle !
- By Louise P. on 2020-10-09
Written by: Deborah Feldman
-
Yasmeena's Choice
- A True Story of War, Rape, Courage and Survival
- Written by: Jean Sasson
- Narrated by: Parisa Johnston
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the true story of Yasmeena, a bright and beautiful young Lebanese woman who was imprisoned in Kuwait during the first Gulf War. Yasmeena's shocking journey is a tale of the madness of war, of the sexual brutality unleashed by chaos, and of one woman’s courage to stand in danger’s way to aid her fellow sufferers.
-
-
Horrific treatment and amazing survival!
- By Monika Dabrowska on 2021-08-24
Written by: Jean Sasson
-
Lost Boy
- Written by: Maia Szalavitz, Brent W. Jeffs
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable, even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet's compound and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.
Written by: Maia Szalavitz, and others
-
Independence
- A Novel
- Written by: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Narrated by: Sneha Mathan
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set during the partition of British India in 1947, a time when neighbor was pitted against neighbor and families were torn apart, award-winning author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s novel brings to life the sweeping story of three sisters caught up in events beyond their control, their unbreakable bond, and their incredible struggle against powerful odds.
-
-
A bit melodramatic
- By Raman N. on 2023-09-19
Written by: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
-
The Imam's Daughter
- My Desperate Flight to Freedom
- Written by: Hannah Shah
- Narrated by: Christine Rendel
- Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hannah Shah is an Imam's daughter. She lived the life of a devout Muslim in a family of Pakistani Muslims in England, but behind the front door, she was a caged butterfly. For many years, her father abused her in the cellar of their home. At 16, she discovered a plan to send her to Pakistan for an arranged marriage, and she gathered the courage to run away. Relentlessly hunted by her angry father and brothers, who were intent on executing an "honor" killing, she moved from house to house in perpetual fear to escape them.
-
-
Great Eye Opening Book
- By Monika Dabrowska on 2021-09-02
Written by: Hannah Shah
-
The Sound of Gravel
- A Memoir
- Written by: Ruth Wariner
- Narrated by: Ruth Wariner
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruth Wariner was the 39th of her father's 42 children. Growing up on a farm in rural Mexico, where authorities turned a blind eye to the practices of her community, Ruth lives in a ramshackle house without indoor plumbing or electricity. At church, preachers teach that God will punish the wicked by destroying the world and that women can ascend to heaven only by entering into polygamous marriages and giving birth to as many children as possible.
-
-
Loved this!!
- By Raquel Wilson on 2024-03-27
Written by: Ruth Wariner
-
Church of Lies
- Written by: Flora Jessop, Paul T. Brown
- Narrated by: Eve Bianco
- Length: 10 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"I was one of 28 children born to my dad and his three wives. Indoctrinated to believe that the outside world was evil, and that I resided among the righteous, I was destined to marry a man chosen for me by the Prophet. I would then live in harmony with my sister-wives, bear many children, and obey and serve my future husband in this life and throughout eternity. But my innocence didn't last long." Flora goes on from there to tell the dramatic true story of how she ultimately escaped and has been rescuing women and children from the FLDS.
-
-
Unintentionally Funny
- By Langer MD on 2023-11-21
Written by: Flora Jessop, and others
-
The Last Girl
- My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State
- Written by: Nadia Murad
- Narrated by: Ilyana Kadushin
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nadia Murad was born and raised in Kocho, a small village of farmers and shepherds in Northern Iraq. A member of the Yazidi community, she and her brothers and sisters lived a quiet life. Nadia had dreams of becoming a history teacher or opening her own beauty salon. On August 15, 2014, when Nadia was just 21 years old, this life ended. Islamic State militants massacred the people of her village, executing men who refused to convert to Islam and women too old to become sex slaves.
-
-
Inspirational
- By Lourdes Jaafar on 2021-12-05
Written by: Nadia Murad
-
Triumph
- Life after the Cult - a Survivor's Lessons
- Written by: Carolyn Jessop, Laura Palmer
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee
- Length: 9 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2003, Carolyn Jessop, a lifelong member of the extremist Mormon sect the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), gathered up her eight children, including her profoundly disabled four-year-old son, and escaped in the middle of the night to freedom. After detailing the shocking conditions of FLDS and her harrowing flight in her memoir, Escape, Carolyn reveled in her newfound identity as a bestselling author, a devoted mom, and a loving companion to the wonderful man in her life. She thought she had put her past firmly behind her.
-
-
Amazing Book
- By Nikki on 2021-05-11
Written by: Carolyn Jessop, and others
-
The Witness Wore Red
- The 19th Wife Who Brought Polygamous Cult Leaders to Justice
- Written by: Rebecca Musser, M. Bridget Cook
- Narrated by: Rebecca Musser
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The revealing and inspiring memoir of a woman forced into polygamous marriage in FLDS Church and her brave struggle to protect others from the same fate. Rebecca Musser grew up in fear, concealing her family's polygamous lifestyle from the "dangerous" outside world. Covered head-to-toe in strict, modest clothing, she received a rigorous education at Alta Academy, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' school headed by Warren Jeffs.
-
-
Amazing and eye opening
- By Pamela on 2019-08-04
Written by: Rebecca Musser, and others
-
Zarifa
- A Woman's Battle in a Man's World
- Written by: Zarifa Ghafari, Hannah Lucinda Smith
- Narrated by: Ariana Delawari
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zarifa Ghafari was three years old when the Taliban banned girls from schools, and she began her education in secret. She was seven when American airstrikes began. She was twenty-six when she became mayor—the only female mayor in the country—of Maidan Wardak, Kabul. An extremist mob barred her from her office; her male staff walked out in protest; assassins tried to kill her six times. Finally, they killed their father. Ghafari stood her ground. She ended corruption in the province, promoted peace and tried to lift up women, despite constant fear for herself and her family.
-
-
I love this book!
- By TS on 2023-05-05
Written by: Zarifa Ghafari, and others
-
KERI 6
- The Original Child Abuse True Story (Child Abuse True Stories)
- Written by: Kat Ward
- Narrated by: Bridget Thomas
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Despite leaving the courtroom with her reputation intact, Kat's inner life was in turmoil, and it was only due to the loyal support and steadfast encouragement of her ever-increasing fan-base that she managed to complete the sixth volume so soon. Following on from the fifth book, in which she lost her identity but somehow found herself a husband, Karin now finds herself in the precarious position of having to move in with her partner's family - a move known to strain even the tightest of marital bonds.
-
-
Wanting more
- By Karen Charron on 2022-12-02
Written by: Kat Ward
-
Breaking Free
- How I Escaped Polygamy, the FLDS Cult, and My Father, Warren Jeffs
- Written by: Rachel Jeffs
- Narrated by: Rachel Jeffs
- Length: 8 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this searing memoir of survival in the spirit of Stolen Innocence, the daughter of Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed Prophet of the FLDS Church, takes you deep inside the secretive polygamist Mormon fundamentalist cult run by her family and how she escaped it. Born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Rachel Jeffs was raised in a strict patriarchal culture defined by subordinate sister wives and men they must obey.
-
-
Fascinating and Gribbing!
- By Sue Volpe on 2017-11-28
Written by: Rachel Jeffs
-
Well-Behaved Indian Women
- Written by: Saumya Dave
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simran Mehta has always felt harshly judged by her mother, Nandini, especially when it comes to her little "writing hobby". But when a charismatic and highly respected journalist careens into Simran's life, she begins to question not only her future as a psychologist, but her engagement to her high-school sweetheart. Nandini Mehta has strived to create an easy life for her children in America. It isn’t until an old colleague makes her a life-changing offer that Nandini realizes she's spent so much time focusing on being the perfect Indian woman, she’s let herself slip away.
-
-
A Story worth telling!
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-10-18
Written by: Saumya Dave
Publisher's Summary
She faced years of abuse after arriving in Canada as a teenage bride in a hastily arranged marriage, but nothing could stop Samra Zafar from pursuing her dreams
At 15, Samra Zafar had big dreams for herself. She was going to go to university, and forge her own path. Then with almost no warning, those dreams were pulled away from her when she was suddenly married to a stranger at 17 and had to leave behind her family in Pakistan to move to Canada. Her new husband and his family promised that the marriage and the move would be a fulfillment of her dream, not a betrayal of it. But as the walls of their home slowly became a prison, Samra realized the promises were empty ones.
In the years that followed she suffered her husband’s emotional and physical abuse that left her feeling isolated, humiliated, and assaulted. Desperate to get out, and refusing to give up, she hatched an escape plan for herself and her two daughters. Somehow she found the strength to not only build a new future, but to walk away from her past, ignoring the pleas of her family and risking cultural isolation by divorcing her husband.
But that end was only the beginning for Samra. Through her academic and career achievements, she has gone on to become a mentor and public speaker, connecting with people around the world from isolated women in situations similar to her own, to young schoolgirls in Kenya who never allowed themselves to dream to men making the decisions to save for their daughters’ educations instead of their dowries. A Good Wife tell her harrowing and inspiring story, following her from a young girl with big dreams, through finding strength in the face of oppression and then finally battling through to empowerment.
Featured Article: 8 Hidden Gems of Canadian Memoir
A quick search brings up lists of the memoir bestsellers: stories of celebrities, athletes, politicians and the rest. But what about the lesser-known stories? Unknown books? The unsung heroes? These memoirs can be just as - if not more - powerful, often because listeners can relate to them on a more personal level. We’ve compiled 8 of the finest hidden gems books of the memoir genre that tell these underrated but no less powerful real-life stories.
What listeners say about A Good Wife
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Monika Dabrowska
- 2021-08-29
Amazing story of perseverance and triumphs!!!
What a wonderful and inspiring story. Its hard to hear about the harsh treatment and culture restrictions. It's amazing how the determination of education drives Samra and how it changes her life in the end. Loved Samra story and specially the ending. Great Book!!!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brittaney
- 2021-12-11
Great listen for my daughter and I
First I read it and them listened to the audiobook at nap times with my 10yr old. She was quite taken with it once she understood the premise.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2021-04-29
Inspirational story
A great story about persevering and overcoming odds. A look into one persons determination to not give up and push forward no matter what. Found the story a bit slow at the bugging but once it got started, it was riveting stuff.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Trish
- 2021-08-11
Wow
This book should be read by everyone, women and men. A heartbreaking illustration of humility, humanity, survival, and success.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Melva T
- 2021-05-08
Great motivator!
From tragedy to triumph, Samra carries us on her journey and I truly cheered her success! A great read and great example to all women of all walks of life!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jennifer Gurini
- 2021-11-14
Very inspirational and motivating life story!
Thank you for sharing your story with the world. It is one that needs to be heard!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Caroline Wharton
- 2022-07-30
Spectacular true life story!
I couldn’t stop listening…one of the most inspirational books I’ve ever read. I loved every word. It was beautifully written and narrated.
I appreciate Samra’s bravery in telling her deeply personal and often tragic story. I’m inspired by how she eventually succeeded in living a successful, independent life as a single mother against so many odds.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Joanne
- 2021-10-31
bravery
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will be sharing this book with my daughter. I will be reading it again later on down the road.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Roanna P.
- 2022-01-10
Loved
Empowering and a amazing read ..could not put down . Emotional roller coaster ..excellent portrayal of resilience
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- fareeha
- 2021-04-28
Very inspirational 🌺🌺🌺🌺
Samra, I could relate to many situations you endured in your married life and it was motivating to learn how you worked thru the tough ones to get back on your feet. Super proud of you girl.🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!