The Fragrance of Tears

Book excerpt: A memoir of Victoria Schofield's thirty-year friendship with her Oxford contemporary, Benazir Bhutto. 'Fascinating and moving' Lord Owen 'Abounds with behind-the-scenes gems' Spectator 'Sheds light on the human side of a courageous politican' Financial Times 'Brings unique insights into the life and times of Benazir Bhutto' Lyse Doucet In the summer of 1978, Victoria Schofield travelled to Pakistan to join her friend Benazir Bhutto, whose father, the former prime minister, was facing a charge of conspiracy to murder. In the fevered context of Bhutto's appeal against the death sentence, their university friendship grew into a lifelong bond, ending only with Benazir's assassination in 2007. Schofield's memoir sheds light on the recent history of this turbulent region, and affectionately charts Benazir's transformation from Oxford undergraduate to one of the most charismatic and controversial figures in South Asian politics – a woman whose life and career were defined by tragedy.