<DIV>An unflinchingly honest memoir, <I>The Dancer from Khiva</I> is a true story that offers remarkable insights into Central Asian culture through the harrowing experiences of a young girl.<BR><BR>In a narrative that flows like a late-night confession, Bibish recounts her story. Born to an impoverished family in a deeply religious village in Uzbekistan, Bibish was named &#8220;Hadjarbibi&#8221; in honor of her grandfather&#8217;s hadj, or pilgrimage to Mecca. But the holy name did not protect her from being gang-raped at the age of eight and left for dead in the desert. Bibish&#8217;s tenacity helped her survive, but in the coming years, that same tough-spiritedness caused her to be beaten, victimized, and ostracized from her family and community. Despite the seeming hopelessness of being a woman in such a cruelly patriarchal society, Bibish secretly cultivated her own dreams--of dancing, of raising a family, and of telling her story to the world.<BR><BR>The product of incredible resilience and spirit, <I>The Dancer from Khiva</I> is a harrowing, clear-eyed dispatch from a land where thousands of such stories have been silenced. It is a testament to Bibish&#8217;s fierce will and courage: the searing, fast-paced tale of a woman who risked everything.</DIV>