by Aysha Baqir
Acknowledgements
Thank you Ammi for believing in me and pushing me when I was about to give up. This novel would not have possible without your love and prayers.
I am deeply grateful to the fantastic team at Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) for their support and commitment. Thank you Anita Teo, She-reen Wong and Mindy Pang.
Thank you Tara Dhar Hasnain for your zeal and meticulous editing. I appreciate the dedication and skill with which you worked on the manuscript from our first meeting to the last edit.
Aran Shetterly, your feedback and encouragement has been invaluable in bringing this novel to life.
Fran Lebowitz, thank you for your insightful comments and keen eye. Thank you Mehvash Amin, for your wise comments and critique.
Thank you Eman Khan, Zawi Hoodbhoy, and Manal Mohsin. Your feedback and comments shaped the beginning of the novel and made it what it is today.
I am immensely grateful to Danish Khan, Sumeera, and the Kaarvan team for helping me fine-tune the details and for getting back to me so promptly.
Thank you to all my family and friends. Naveen, Tariq, and Nomi – I am so grateful to you for your support and encouragement.
Thank you, Singapore, for giving me the space to write this novel. And I’m thankful to The Singapore Writers Group for providing a supportive and nurturing environment that got me started on this project.
Thank you, Lahore American School, for teaching me how to dream and to pursue my dreams.
Thank you, Mount Holyoke College, for sparking a passion for development and giving me the strength to believe in what I could accomplish.
Thank you, LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences) - some said that we didn’t quite fit, but you taught me an invaluable set of skills, for which I will always be grateful.
There are probably some unacknowledged influences and phrases; I apologise in advance for such omissions.
About the Author
Aysha grew up in Pakistan. Graduating as valedictorian of her class, she won a scholarship to Mount Holyoke College, where she studied International Relations. Her time in college sparked a passion for economic development, and upon her return to Pakistan, she saw that the poor needed access to economic resources and networks before they could voice their demands for social justice. In 1998, armed with an MBA, she founded a pioneering not for profit economic development organisation, Kaarvan Crafts Foundation, focused on poverty alleviation through the provision of business development and market-focused trainings for girls and women. In 2013 she relocated to Singapore.
She is on the Board of Kaarvan Crafts Foundation, an Ashoka Fellow, and member of the Singapore Writers Group.
Find her on Facebook: Aysha Baqir