This is a simple but absorbing narrative of a Muslim woman growing up in India at the end of the Raj. The rapidity of change in politics, culture, and thought that marked this period are reflected in the life of this lady, the author of the book. Caught in the middle of this major cultural shift, the protagonist accomplishes what were unimaginable feats for her compatriots. She emerges from purdah and eventually ends up in Parliament. She even gets an ambassadorship to Morocco and is chosen to lead Pakistan's delegation to the UN.