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Sold to Be a Wife cover art

Sold to Be a Wife

By: Maggie Hartley
Narrated by: Penny McDonald
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Summary

Fourteen-year-old Shazia has been taken into care after a conversation at school leads her teacher to suspect that the teenager's family are planning to send her to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. 

To her family's fury, Shazia is sent to live with foster carer Maggie Hartley whilst social services investigate. But with Shazia denying everything and social services unable to find any evidence to support the teacher's fears, Shazia is allowed to return home. 

But a few weeks later, Maggie is woken up in the middle of the night by a phone call from a terrified Shazia, who has managed to escape the family home through a window. Sobbing, she confesses to Maggie that her parents are planning to send her to Pakistan to be married in a few days and have threatened to kill her if she speaks out again. 

Returned to Maggie's care, Shazia is petrified that her parents will track her down and kill her, and Maggie must be on constant alert. But the worst is yet to come when it emerges that Shazia is the victim of FGM. Can Maggie help this damaged and traumatised young girl understand what has happened to her and to find a way to heal?

©2018 Maggie Hartley (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group

What listeners say about Sold to Be a Wife

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Heart breaking

WOW!! As heart breaking as this story was to listen to, I was completely engrossed in it. The content of the book had me feeling so angry about other cultures beliefs and traditions. Working at a school I knew about FGM and all the consequences it bought but to actually have an 'experience' with it 'first hand' bought me to tears and can't believe a parent would allow something as barbaric as FGM to be performed on their daughter.
Once again, superbly read, overall, a 5* read, highly recommended.

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Well written and engaging

Maggie Hartley's fostering memoirs are well written and very moving. They give an insight into the world of fostering, adoption and parenting that has, I believed made me a better teacher and parent. Along with other fostering memoirs, these books have inspired my mum to consider a fostering carer and I hope to foster once my own children are older. Thank you Maggie.

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1 person found this helpful

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Fantastic book

Such a sad story beautifully told. Really hope this poor girl has a happy life now.

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  • 08-03-24

Another excellent listen from Maggie Hartley

Heartbreaking, I was in floods of tears by the end. Always love listening to Maggie Hartley books and this one didn't disappoint.

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Good listen

sad but well written and narrated. it feels like an honour Maggie shares her Foster stories with us. this girl showed so much courage and bravery. I really do hope and pray she finds peace in her new beginnings xx thankyou Maggie.

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Heart breaking

Poor girl. I do hope where ever you are sweetie you are free ❤️ fantastic book

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Such a heartbreaking story but so well written

Heart breaking story, well written and good narration. Horrible to hear what these girls are forced to do 😢

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good just missing something

while I really enjoyed it it was just missing something however I would still recommend for a light read

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A harrowing read I couldn't put down

The Story had me gripped from beginning to end and I found myself feeling the emotions of Zadia as she processed the horrors her family subjected her to. Without spoiling it, the way things turned out for her in the end had me sobbing in the realisation what she went through happens to girls in these cultures even here in Britain. Such an important awareness of the topic of traditions in such cultures even in 2019.

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brilliant book and well read. such a sad tale

such a sad story but really lovely at the same time to know there are foster carers out there like this lady

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