Three Women of Herat - Veronica Doubleday

£14.99

It’s Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion, and Veronica Doubleday and her husband settle in Herat, where John is planning to study the local musical tradition. Veronica makes friends with three very different young women, slowly immersing herself in the unfamiliar world of Herati female culture. Although constrained by tradition, these women are far from submissive, each skilfully exerting influence in the management of their lives. They welcome Veronica into their homes and include her in family events and celebrations. It’s a world of intense friendships, music-making, support and laughter, as well as illness, hardship and sadness.

‘I was fascinated by this story of ordinary life before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The three women are remarkable and unforgettable, and the story of how the author gained their friendship is like a novel.’ Doris Lessing

‘Three Women of Herat is a sensitive, knowledgeable and very moving account of an annihilated civilisation.’ The Sunday Times

It’s Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion, and Veronica Doubleday and her husband settle in Herat, where John is planning to study the local musical tradition. Veronica makes friends with three very different young women, slowly immersing herself in the unfamiliar world of Herati female culture. Although constrained by tradition, these women are far from submissive, each skilfully exerting influence in the management of their lives. They welcome Veronica into their homes and include her in family events and celebrations. It’s a world of intense friendships, music-making, support and laughter, as well as illness, hardship and sadness.

‘I was fascinated by this story of ordinary life before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. The three women are remarkable and unforgettable, and the story of how the author gained their friendship is like a novel.’ Doris Lessing

‘Three Women of Herat is a sensitive, knowledgeable and very moving account of an annihilated civilisation.’ The Sunday Times

Three Women of Herat
ISBN: 978-1-78060-197-7 
Format: 240pp demi pb
Place: Afghanistan

Author Biography

Born in Kent in 1948, Veronica Doubleday studied literature at the University of Sussex and then went to live in Iran and Afghanistan with her husband the ethnomusicologist John Baily. She is an author, musician and academic, recognised as a tradition-bearer and specialist in Afghan women’s music. Along with various articles, chapters and encyclopedia entries, she has published her selected field-recordings in Afghanistan: Female Musicians of Herat (UNESCO Collection, 2002). Another notable publication is Ustad Muhammad Rahim Khushnawaz: Afghan Rubab with Songbirds (Felmay, 2016), a compact disk based on recordings she made in 1994 on a trip to Herat. With her own unique repertoire of Afghan songs, Veronica continues to perform on concert stages and in private gatherings, accompanied by John and sometimes with other noted musicians. Since the advent of the Taliban to power in 2021, they have given several fund-raising concerts to support urgent charitable causes.