At first glance, there’s nothing that signals that this is a sports book at all. And the sport woven into the story is squash, not one that tends to attract much attention in much of the world. Still, “A Different Kind of Daughter” delivers a powerful story of courage and determination that’s the match of any other athlete’s.
Maria Toorpakai has risen to become Pakistan’s top female squash player and the 48th-ranked player in the world despite having to pretend to be a boy while living in a Taliban-controlled, tribal region of her country. Her participation in sports was forbidden by local Islamic law and led to threats against her. She now lives and trains in Toronto, but returns to Pakistan for further training on a military base. Her desire to support the women’s right movement are shared by sister Ayesha Gulalai, the country’s youngest-ever Parliamentarian, who occupies a seat reserved for women.
Here’s an excerpt from A Different Kind of Daughter:
“Rahim Gul was right: winning was a process – a state of mind. Sometimes I secured it only after a nail-biting inner conflict; at other times, victory slipped into my palm like fallen fruit. It began as a mantra when I walked on court, feeling it braid into my body as I paced the walls – priming muscle and reflexes even before I spun my racquet. The same held true for becoming a champion, the ultimate player, a dream that first stirred when I put on my team colors – green blazer, white dress, polished black shoes – for a tea party at the home of the president of Pakistan. The president had invited the team to celebrate our South Asian victories. The elaborate invitation came on embossed paper so thick my father said he could use it to shave.”
