Fragile Freedom: A young woman’s unlikely emancipation in post-Soviet Azerbaijan

In this sequel to Hammer, Sickle and Broom, best-selling author, Gulara Vincent, continues an extraordinary account of her life with the frankness and vivacity her readers have come to expect.

Seventeen-year-old Gulush takes on a daunting job at the Prosecutor’s Office to support herself and her nana through harsh times, all the while striving to complete her law degree at Baku State University in the newly independent Azerbaijan. She dreams of escaping the suffocating traditions of her rural roots to find freedom as a professional woman.

She loses both her innocence and her trust, grappling with life’s cruel realities. In a country at war with its neighbour and beset with cultural and economic upheaval, we journey with Gulush as she navigates the ordeals of betrayal, sexual exploitation and captivity in the dangerously patriarchal and predatory post-Soviet environment.

This is the story of one woman’s battle for freedom against all the odds. The compelling narrative provides a deep dive into the cultural, economic and historical intricacies of a largely unknown country during a period of rapid change. This transformative tale of enormous resilience and untold hardship will leave readers deeply moved.