A novel exploring the clash of opposing values between different Kurdish and English societies, as well as the complexities of unconventional families. Will the unearthing of a family’s traumatic past lead to ruin or pave the way to redemption, personal growth and healing?

Yasmine has spent her life piecing together fragmented stories of her homeland, Kurdistan—half-truths and evasions from her mother, the only remaining link to a past shrouded in silence.

Her father died long ago in a car accident, or so she was told. But the gaps in her family’s history have always felt deliberate, like a puzzle with missing pieces. Determined to uncover the truth, she embarks on her first journey to Kurdistan.

What awaits her is far from the homecoming she imagined. An embittered uncle shatters the narrative she grew up with. As Yasmine struggles to navigate the weight of her discoveries, she finds an unexpected bond with Tara, an Iranian-Kurdish sex worker whose life hangs in a fragile balance. In a land where past and present collide, Yasmine is forced to confront not just her own identity, but the harsh realities faced by those who have been silenced for too long.

The Cradle and the Cage is a haunting and powerful exploration of heritage, identity, and the meaning of family—set against the backdrop of a region where history is both an inheritance and a battleground.