June 12, 2018
It isn’t often that a book manages to tiptoe quietly into my life and steal a piece of my heart as effortlessly as this enthralling beauty. Thought-provoking, insightful and rife with stunning passages, A Place for Us is much
more
than just a novel to spend a few days with—it's one to appreciate, grow from and reflect back on.
Within the first few pages it’s clear, Fatima Farheen Mirza’s writing is something special—there's a distinct beauty to her storytelling. From the intriguing opening, to the family dynamics and the myriad of emotions at play, it’s nothing short of impressive. Mirza writes with an honesty and deep understanding of the inner workings of relationships and the turmoil that can plague those connections. More than just words on a page, this is a living, breathing, body of work that allows the reader to feel each and every possibility, loving connection, heartbreak and misunderstanding.
The story opens with Amar, returning to his family after a three-year estrangement, to partake in his eldest sister, Hadia’s wedding. Amar is the youngest, and only son, in an Indian-American Muslim family of five and he’s always sort of struggled to find his place. Through a series of flashbacks that aren’t quite linear, the author weaves a tale that allows the reader to be an active participant in the lives of the three siblings and their parents—piecing together the timeline like a puzzle, until the full picture of why starts to take shape.
In trying to make sense of Amar’s distance, the story explores the inner workings of the family and their struggles with tradition, faith and outside influences. We have the father, Rafiq, who's set in his ways and often portrayed as the enforcer. Then there’s Layla, mama bear, who wavers a time or two in upholding her beliefs in the face of children wanting to branch out and try things their own way. At times, the number of rules—especially those imposed on women—are a bit stifling, but there’s an undeniable beauty to some of the customs and rich culture Rafiq and Layla try so hard to instill in their children, things they were once taught by their own parents.
Among other things, what struck me hard was the arranged marriage of Rafiq and Layla. On one hand, I admired her strength—putting her faith in a complete stranger and starting over in a new world—but on the other, my heart broke at the thought of "love born from gratitude”. I'm not naive to the fact that this happens everyday, in many cultures around the world, it’s just hard for the lover of love in me to remove the passion from the equation and view marriage as simply an arrangement.
The final piece of the story brings everything full circle and in doing so, it just might make you look at life a bit differently. The thoughts and feelings are so raw, so gut-wrenching; I dare you not to cry. Not to be affected. Not to be moved. Seeing the world through this person’s eyes broke me—completely and utterly. There are no words to adequately capture the power of this ending, so I'll just settle with: I wholeheartedly loved it.
Not only is this an unforgettable journey, but there’s an important and timely message behind the words—don’t ever assume you know what someone else is thinking or feeling. A person’s behavior, outward appearance or words, hurtful or not, are by no means a true indication of what they’re actually feeling or experiencing inside. Being vulnerable should never be viewed as a weakness.
*Thank you to SJP for Hogarth for providing me with an advanced copy for review. I am beyond excited to see what’s next from this imprint.
**I am one lucky, lucky girl to have met such great friends. Thank you to all of my lovely Traveling Sisters for another lively group read and discussion. Being able to share my thoughts and seeing things through all of your eyes, made this treasured read even more special. Just wow. Until next time, ladies. 🧡
Within the first few pages it’s clear, Fatima Farheen Mirza’s writing is something special—there's a distinct beauty to her storytelling. From the intriguing opening, to the family dynamics and the myriad of emotions at play, it’s nothing short of impressive. Mirza writes with an honesty and deep understanding of the inner workings of relationships and the turmoil that can plague those connections. More than just words on a page, this is a living, breathing, body of work that allows the reader to feel each and every possibility, loving connection, heartbreak and misunderstanding.
The story opens with Amar, returning to his family after a three-year estrangement, to partake in his eldest sister, Hadia’s wedding. Amar is the youngest, and only son, in an Indian-American Muslim family of five and he’s always sort of struggled to find his place. Through a series of flashbacks that aren’t quite linear, the author weaves a tale that allows the reader to be an active participant in the lives of the three siblings and their parents—piecing together the timeline like a puzzle, until the full picture of why starts to take shape.
In trying to make sense of Amar’s distance, the story explores the inner workings of the family and their struggles with tradition, faith and outside influences. We have the father, Rafiq, who's set in his ways and often portrayed as the enforcer. Then there’s Layla, mama bear, who wavers a time or two in upholding her beliefs in the face of children wanting to branch out and try things their own way. At times, the number of rules—especially those imposed on women—are a bit stifling, but there’s an undeniable beauty to some of the customs and rich culture Rafiq and Layla try so hard to instill in their children, things they were once taught by their own parents.
Among other things, what struck me hard was the arranged marriage of Rafiq and Layla. On one hand, I admired her strength—putting her faith in a complete stranger and starting over in a new world—but on the other, my heart broke at the thought of "love born from gratitude”. I'm not naive to the fact that this happens everyday, in many cultures around the world, it’s just hard for the lover of love in me to remove the passion from the equation and view marriage as simply an arrangement.
The final piece of the story brings everything full circle and in doing so, it just might make you look at life a bit differently. The thoughts and feelings are so raw, so gut-wrenching; I dare you not to cry. Not to be affected. Not to be moved. Seeing the world through this person’s eyes broke me—completely and utterly. There are no words to adequately capture the power of this ending, so I'll just settle with: I wholeheartedly loved it.
Not only is this an unforgettable journey, but there’s an important and timely message behind the words—don’t ever assume you know what someone else is thinking or feeling. A person’s behavior, outward appearance or words, hurtful or not, are by no means a true indication of what they’re actually feeling or experiencing inside. Being vulnerable should never be viewed as a weakness.
*Thank you to SJP for Hogarth for providing me with an advanced copy for review. I am beyond excited to see what’s next from this imprint.
**I am one lucky, lucky girl to have met such great friends. Thank you to all of my lovely Traveling Sisters for another lively group read and discussion. Being able to share my thoughts and seeing things through all of your eyes, made this treasured read even more special. Just wow. Until next time, ladies. 🧡