Reading: Ayesha at Last (239/365)
Aug. 27th, 2021 06:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
white_hartUzma Jalaluddin's Ayesha at Last is billed as a Muslim retelling of Pride and Prejudice. While it does show some obvious influences from Austen (the initial reaction of the lead characters to each other, and a version of the Lydia and Wickham subplot), it definitely doesn't follow the plot in the same beat-for-beat way as some retellings I've read, and I think it's better for that.
Ayesha at Last is set in Toronto's Muslim community. Ayesha works as a schoolteacher, but her real love is poetry. At twenty-seven, she is still unmarried, and unlike her younger cousin Hafsa, has no interest in the marriage market. When she meets Khalid, who works with her best friend Clara, his traditional dress and long beard lead her to label him as a judgemental fundamentalist, while he disapproves of her visiting a bar with Clara for open mic night, but when they are thrown together on a committee organising a youth conference at their mosque, they find themselves growing closer.
I really enjoyed this book; the characters are delightful (Ayesha and Khalid, of course, but also the supporting cast, especially Ayesha's Shakespeare-quoting grandfather and wannabe-detective grandmother), and it was fascinating to read a romance written by a Muslim author with a Muslim cast. (Also, because the characters are observant Muslims, there are no sex scenes, which is a plus for me though may not be for others.) It was a fun, fast read, and exactly what I needed to get me through a tough week.
Ayesha at Last is set in Toronto's Muslim community. Ayesha works as a schoolteacher, but her real love is poetry. At twenty-seven, she is still unmarried, and unlike her younger cousin Hafsa, has no interest in the marriage market. When she meets Khalid, who works with her best friend Clara, his traditional dress and long beard lead her to label him as a judgemental fundamentalist, while he disapproves of her visiting a bar with Clara for open mic night, but when they are thrown together on a committee organising a youth conference at their mosque, they find themselves growing closer.
I really enjoyed this book; the characters are delightful (Ayesha and Khalid, of course, but also the supporting cast, especially Ayesha's Shakespeare-quoting grandfather and wannabe-detective grandmother), and it was fascinating to read a romance written by a Muslim author with a Muslim cast. (Also, because the characters are observant Muslims, there are no sex scenes, which is a plus for me though may not be for others.) It was a fun, fast read, and exactly what I needed to get me through a tough week.
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Date: 2021-08-29 01:21 pm (UTC)The author has another book out you might like - it's called Hana Khan Carries On. I don't believe it's a retelling of anything, though!
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Date: 2021-08-29 05:53 pm (UTC)