Sahar Bahrawi

Confined Sahar Bahrawi

Rola, a Saudi hermaphrodite, lives in agony. Scorned by family members and shunned by society for her masculine appearance, Rola is constantly obliged to defend herself. Trapped in her own body, she seeks support from Dr. Suhair, a Boston-educated Saudi psychologist. Throughout her struggle, Rola remains unaware that her battle against her authoritative mother to change her sex mirrors Suhair's own struggle to escape a long confinement in a decaying marriage. Throughout a turbulent decade of unintentional mutual psychotherapy, Rola and Suhair both strive to break their chains and shape their own destinies. Based on a true story, Confined offers a moving novel that explores the complexities of sexuality, mental health and social judgment. "In the months and years after I cut my hair, not a day has passed without Mama making remarks about how provoking my appearance is to people, and how dangerous that is for me -and, more specifically, for her. As a result of her anxiety and her ire, as a teenager, I lived my life at home behind bars. Each night I prayed and pleaded to God to relieve me from the solitary confinement I'd been living in. The mental gap between Mama and me, brought by the generational gap and her volatile nature, led horror to be the cornerstone of our relationship."