Born in Kosova to Northern Albanian parents and raised in Brooklyn since the age of seven with traditions based on ancient laws, such as (Section 29), “A woman is a sack made to endure.” I feared writing about my life for over two decades, worried about dishonoring my family and being disowned.

 

Believing that a woman’s role was to marry, bear children, and honor her husband, I willingly submitted to an arranged marriage at age 19. After eight years I risked dishonor and disgrace and became the first woman in my circle to divorce—despite threats of being disowned by my mother. I did not ask for alimony, not that I would be allowed one, all I wanted was freedom.

 

Soon after I left my husband, my story was used in an article, “Divorce, Albanian Style”, inspiring me to write a follow up story about "Plight of a Divorced Woman." Both pieces wer written under a pseudonym.  I knew I had stories to tell, but I was not yet ready to publicly share them. In 2006, however, I began taking writing classes, and have been writing ever since.  When I submitted two pieces for publication at MrBellersNeighborhood.com – each made story of the week. Encouraged, I began to bring the magical and painful stories of my family to light.

 

To some, I may be a rebel, however my aim is not to demean Albanians, or my family, but to shed some light, some truth, into a little known world, and help end the suffering that comes with feeling helpless that infiltrates every ethnic culture in one form or the other.

 

My professional life began with answering phones for my brother’s plumbing company because it was the only job allowed by my husband. After my divorce, with only a high school diploma, I went from answering help-desk calls for a MSDW property to CFO of an international company, Crowdsourcing Week, focused on the power and future of the "crowd". I have two grown children and a precious grandson and curretnly reside  in New York City.