Hala Gorani on Identity and Belonging
The Emmy-award winning journalist's new book is a powerful memoir.
Women are amongst some of the greatest blessings in my life— from my feminist mother to my high school AP English teacher to my college roommates to women’s rights icons that I am so lucky to call my friends.
I turned 44 last month and to say things have been intense is an understatement. The last two months feels like two full years as the throws of middle age, motherhood, parenthood and womanhood keep me spinning while being pulled in all different directions.
But everything came to a standstill when I attended Emmy-award winning international journalist, Hala Gorani’s book launch event at Politics & Prose in Washington, DC. It made me reflect on how truly lucky I am to know women who are so courageous and bold in their work and life choices.
As someone who has lived so far away from my parents for so long, I thought a lot of the influences of strong, accomplished women on my own life. But what I loved about being at Gorani’s book event was how it reminded me that the search for our identity never ends. The need to belong and the constant urge to find out where you do belong is ongoing and endless.
Most importantly, I have come to recently understand that you and your answer, just like the search itself, is always evolving and changing. It’s scary but incredibly exhilarating at the same time to think how many boxes you’ve evaded being put in.
I’ve been a lifelong fan of Hala Gorani’s since my student days in Bangladesh, consuming CNN International like it was my job probably because I was raised in a media house with two newspaper editors. Check out her incredible new book here.
Just put this book on my reading list! Thanks!