Beyond the Fields was a very easy novel to get sucked into. Beginning the story in the middle, Aysha Baqir creates suspense and an intense desire to discover what Zara is running from or to. As the story rewinds and takes you back to the dusty roadways of Zara and Tara's village, you quickly become enmeshed in a culture and society very different from your own. 

Not knowing a lot about the governmental structure of Pakistan in the 1980s, I found myself getting angry or frustrated at the obstacles in Zara's path. The moment when Zara mentions Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon in contrast with their non-electrical lives, I was shocked. I had almost forgotten I was not reading a novel set one hundred years ago, but a mere forty. 

Due to some graphic content, I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 15. Women and girls will find special meaning in Zara's heroic journey.