WARNING: Graphic Images
Climbing Over Grit by Marzeeh Laleh Chini and her daughter Abnoos Mosleh-Shirazi is a ringing indictment of child marriage, in the years leading up to and during the Iranian Revolution of 1979.
A moving story of courage, strength, and love in the face of abuse, Climbing Over Grit is a first-hand account of the early life of Laleh’s mother, Najma.
Neglected by her wealthy but self-absorbed parents, Najma is married at the age of 11 to a man thirteen years her senior who regularly beats and rapes her. Despite horrific abuse, Najma’s spirit is never broken. She forms a close relationship with her mother-in-law and manages to raise four children (becoming a grandmother at the early age of 30).
In the process – and despite her husband’s vehement opposition – Najma resumes her education, attaining a small degree of independence. However, history repeats itself when Najma and her husband arrange a marriage for their daughter, Jaleh, at the age of 15. Continue reading
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