Publication Date: April 1, 2022
Born into a Pakistani family and moved to America at the age of three, Through Her Eyes is a story of an American girl who finds her Pakistani roots constantly clashing with her American identity.
At times she feels like she belongs to both cultures and at times to none. Later, she finds out about the struggles her family had to face when she was born in Lahore, Pakistan: a country that fires gunshots in midair celebrating the birth of a boy while in certain areas of the country girls are flushed down the hospital toilet drains as soon as they are born. When Maheen enters her teens, her Pakistani roots constantly come into conflict with the teenage American culture around her. At times, she finds herself belonging to both her identities and at times she finds her Pakistani roots battling with her American identity.
Through Her Eyes is a story of a Pakistani American who has to face many hardships after being born in a country like Pakistan and how her struggles completely changed her life as she grows up and becomes the woman no one ever thought she could become.
Although born in Pakistan, author Maheen Mazhar moved to the United States as a young child. Her book, Through Her Eyes, is an autobiographical account of her life as she navigates the differences between the two cultures.
The book opens from her grandfather’s perspective, which recounts the events leading up to Maheen’s birth to the move from Pakistan. This viewpoint adds an interesting touch to the story in an effort to emphasize how proud the family was to have a girl in spite of a culture that celebrates boys.
Maheen’s health as a child was precarious because of seizures attributed to the birthing experience. These episodes and ensuing medical visits underscore some of her early memories, providing helpful insight.
The second part of the book is told from Maheen’s perspective and is a highly detailed account based on her progress through each year of school and college. A different organizational method might have been more effective in conveying the information.
Through Her Eyes captures the impact two cultures have on a young girl, shaping her into a successful woman who embraces both sides.
Maheen Mazhar was born in Lahore, Pakistan and moved to New York with her parents at the age of three. Growing up as Pakistani-American there was always a clash between both of her identities. She graduated from New York University in 2019 and currently works in the Fashion PR Industry as a publicist. She writes about culture clashes, identity and societal norms and is extremely passionate about such topics. She doesn’t believe in norms and standards and wants to see a world where more people are concerned about being their true selves rather than fitting into cultural/ societal norms of the world we live in.
