Review by Choice Review
The Kalasha are a tiny non-Muslim minority living in the valleys of the Hindukush Mountains of northwestern Pakistan. The high mountains have historically harbored a culturally diverse number of indigenous tribes who, until very recently, managed to escape conversion to Islam and maintain their distinct religious beliefs and cultural traditions. Anthropologist Maggi (Univ. of Colorado) spent two years living in a Kalasha village. Her book offers a nuanced and sympathetic analysis of the status of Kalasha women and of the key role they play in representing and preserving Kalasha ethnic identity. The Kalasha claim that, in contrast to their Muslim neighbors, their women are "free"; the concept of their women's freedom has, in fact, become a central marker of Kalasha ethnicity. Maggi examines the meaning of "freedom" from the perspective of the Kalasha women themselves and the way it is expressed in their daily lives. Whereas Kalasha women go about unveiled, dressed in colorful dresses, have some choice in marriage, and are free to move around in public spaces, their freedom remains constrained by their patriarchal society, in which all positions of power and prestige are reserved for men. Upper-division undergraduates and above. A. Rassam CUNY Queens College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
