Fatima Bhutto: Songs of Blood and Sword, a Daughter's Memoir

The Afghan born Pakistani poet and writer has written a revelatory account of her family’s dramatic role in shaping Pakistan. In 1996, Mir Murtaza Bhutto was murdered by Pakistani police outside the family home in Karachi. His daughter Fatima, just 14 years old, was at home when it happened.

In December 2007, Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Fatima’s aunt - and the woman she had publicly accused of ordering her father’s murder - was assassinated in Rawalpindi. This was just the latest in a long line of tragedies for one of the world’s best-known political dynasties. The history of this unique family mirrors the tumultuous events of Pakistan itself. It is the history of a nation from Partition through the struggle with India over Kashmir, the Cold War, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and right up to the post 9/11 “war on terror.”

In SONGS OF BLOOD AND SWORD: A Daughter’s Memoir, Fatima Bhutto offers a heartbreaking and revelatory first-hand intimate account of the family that shaped Pakistan. Beyond the news value – with its startling claims about the culprit behind Bhutto’s father’s death, vivid reporting about her aunt and uncle (now the President of Pakistan) – the book is a remarkable portrait of one of the most famous families in the world, and an insightful commentary on the political turmoil shaping the country.

Fatima Bhutto studied at Columbia University, and the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. Her work has appeared in The Daily Beast, New Statesman, and other publications. She was a featured panelist at the 2010 Daily Beast Women in the World Summit, and has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition, CNN, and in the pages of Marie Claire. She currently lives in Karachi.

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