I loved the ‘You’ve Got Mail’ vibes of this story, the romanticism of two people conversing online, retaining their anonymity but growing close. There are real-life threads to the book too, that deal with some heavy themes - racism, financial problems, and figuring out who you want to be and what that will mean for you and your family.
The main character, Hana, is real. She has traits that she isn’t proud of, she sometimes does the wrong thing, and she doesn’t have a set, linear plan to follow. All that means you can see yourself in at least some parts of her and you buy into her as a character.
The insights into Muslim culture were great, they weren’t salacious or trite at all. And the fact that these weren’t only attributed to something bad happening or to an heroic act was refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, there are some bad things and heroic acts in this story too, but the representation is much wider.
One thing that really hit me throughout this book was the food references - there is real love for food, and feeding people, and the ritual of food preparation. The writing about this is so rich and engrossing.
Totally enjoyed this, will definitely recommend.
The main character, Hana, is real. She has traits that she isn’t proud of, she sometimes does the wrong thing, and she doesn’t have a set, linear plan to follow. All that means you can see yourself in at least some parts of her and you buy into her as a character.
The insights into Muslim culture were great, they weren’t salacious or trite at all. And the fact that these weren’t only attributed to something bad happening or to an heroic act was refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, there are some bad things and heroic acts in this story too, but the representation is much wider.
One thing that really hit me throughout this book was the food references - there is real love for food, and feeding people, and the ritual of food preparation. The writing about this is so rich and engrossing.
Totally enjoyed this, will definitely recommend.