A novel about what is it to be part of a community
This is a tale about a quintessential English village and the relationships therein. The story centres around Bilal and Mariam Hasham who have been residents of Babbel’s End for eight years, they are involved with the community - Mariam writes for the local paper, Bilal has an accountancy firm which employs locals and he is a member of the parish council.
When Bilal’s mother dies, she makes a request on her deathbed that he build a mosque in Babbel’s End. This request sits uneasy with Bilal for some time until he makes the decision to go ahead with the idea. He presents the idea at a council meeting and suddenly the major concerns of the villagers about overgrown bushes obstructing roadways pale into insignificance.
This is a novel about tolerance and the intolerance of others; and about our relationships with family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, in fact with everyone. We see though various relationships, how people don’t like change and are quick to rally against the unknown; things always seem to be greener on the other side of the fence, as humans we are prone to thinking ‘what if?’. It also illustrates how opposing sides can unite when both their desired outcomes are threatened, and how the acts of one person can change things (for the better, not just for the worse).
I don’t want to write too much more about the story, as I don’t want to spoil it.
This is the first book by Ayisha Malik that I have read, it won’t be the last.
When Bilal’s mother dies, she makes a request on her deathbed that he build a mosque in Babbel’s End. This request sits uneasy with Bilal for some time until he makes the decision to go ahead with the idea. He presents the idea at a council meeting and suddenly the major concerns of the villagers about overgrown bushes obstructing roadways pale into insignificance.
This is a novel about tolerance and the intolerance of others; and about our relationships with family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, in fact with everyone. We see though various relationships, how people don’t like change and are quick to rally against the unknown; things always seem to be greener on the other side of the fence, as humans we are prone to thinking ‘what if?’. It also illustrates how opposing sides can unite when both their desired outcomes are threatened, and how the acts of one person can change things (for the better, not just for the worse).
I don’t want to write too much more about the story, as I don’t want to spoil it.
This is the first book by Ayisha Malik that I have read, it won’t be the last.