Felice Laverne's Reviews > A Place for Us
A Place for Us
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Felice Laverne's review
bookshelves: netgalley, coming-of-age, cultural-surveys, full-review, lit-fic, made-me-cry, multicultural-fiction, read-2018
Jul 01, 2018
bookshelves: netgalley, coming-of-age, cultural-surveys, full-review, lit-fic, made-me-cry, multicultural-fiction, read-2018
How were they to know the moment that would define them? It will affect his personality for his whole life, someone is saying to her, and whose fault will it be then? Mine, a voice replies, and the voice is hers…What had she done to her brother, so that she could survive, so that she could be the one who thrived?
Fatima Farheen Mirza's A Place for Us has been widely celebrated since its release in mid-June. Lauded for the brilliant display of writing found within these pages equally as much as it has been coveted as Sarah Jessica Parker’s first release from her own publishing imprint, SJP for Hogarth, putting on display her own eye for literary fiction. It was a read that built upon itself in a sort of snowball effect: slow and gently vibrating beneath the surface as the foundation was laid then tumbling still gently but faster down the slope. I found myself comparing it to Everything I Never Told You in its elegance of execution and vibrant, meaningful display of first-generation families trying to navigate the complexities of American life, of a culture so unlike their own. This story is told in metaphors and blood ties. It’s told in memories, regrets, hopes and fears. It’s told in a universal language embedded in one specific culture that any reader can see embodied in their own families. Novels like this one remind us that our families are not so strange or cruel or different at their cores. We all speak the same universal language.
There were so many beautiful moments in Mirza’s debut novel—a book written in vignettes of this family’s life like they jumbled together then come back into focus like a stunning glimpse through a kaleidoscope. I won’t give a synopsis here because the one provided is so fiercely accurate, but I will say that there was so much more to the estrangement of the son and brother, Amar, than I had hoped for. At the start of the novel, with no chapter titles or markers for whose POV was coming next, I couldn’t seem to get my bearings enough to plant roots in the narrative and grow with it. But, eventually, I found my way and moved with the story faster and faster as it picked up speed.
The vignettes were light as a gentle breeze softly lifting a lock of hair, like whispers in your ear. And that was lovely, sure. But, admittedly, there were times when I found myself looking for something more—a climax, any hint of tangible, startling tension. And when I did find it, I couldn’t hold on to it long enough to feel fully satisfied. Perhaps that was the point of the read--Mirza's parting message to us, among others--but it left me unfulfilled. (view spoiler) Yet, I felt like I got an honest glimpse at a culture I’m unfamiliar with, like I was sitting at their dinner table with them. At the start I didn’t feel fully embedded in the story. But toward the end, I knew I couldn’t get up from that dinner table and walk away.
All of the characters, especially the siblings at the forefront of the narrative--Hadia, Huda and Amar--are so beautifully and delicately rendered and allowed to unfold. They are complete characters--their parents Rafiq and Layla included--set in their ways and flaws and hopes and dreams in a way that grabs our hearts because we understand them; we root for them and believe we know what their next moves would be, what their truest fears are. A Place for Us is a character-driven piece with such fully imagined characters who quietly take up the page. It tied loose ends together with stunning clarity (view spoiler) .
I truly loved how embedded in the Hyderabadi culture this novel was. I knew nothing of the culture and traditions—had never even heard the word “Hyderabadi” before—and yet I could feel the resolution with which this family lived in their faith, the effect it had on them, the generations upon generations of history that each of them carried—both in their routines handed down and in their hearts.
There were moments here where Mirza truly brought these characters into focus even from a Western standpoint, painting them at the time of 9/11—their reaction to it and the fear they carried with them not at all unlike our own. The racism they endured; the ignorance others harbored about them. Those moments stung the way they were intended to; they spoke loudly as they needed to. I will say I'm not a huge fan of the book title or the cover, but this was certainly a brilliant debut from both Fatima Farheen Mirza and this new imprint--both of which I’ll be sure to keep a lookout for in the future! 4 stars ****
FOLLOW ME AT:
Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Get a Copy of My Book | Book Editing, Author Coaching, Submit Your Book to Me
Fatima Farheen Mirza's A Place for Us has been widely celebrated since its release in mid-June. Lauded for the brilliant display of writing found within these pages equally as much as it has been coveted as Sarah Jessica Parker’s first release from her own publishing imprint, SJP for Hogarth, putting on display her own eye for literary fiction. It was a read that built upon itself in a sort of snowball effect: slow and gently vibrating beneath the surface as the foundation was laid then tumbling still gently but faster down the slope. I found myself comparing it to Everything I Never Told You in its elegance of execution and vibrant, meaningful display of first-generation families trying to navigate the complexities of American life, of a culture so unlike their own. This story is told in metaphors and blood ties. It’s told in memories, regrets, hopes and fears. It’s told in a universal language embedded in one specific culture that any reader can see embodied in their own families. Novels like this one remind us that our families are not so strange or cruel or different at their cores. We all speak the same universal language.
There were so many beautiful moments in Mirza’s debut novel—a book written in vignettes of this family’s life like they jumbled together then come back into focus like a stunning glimpse through a kaleidoscope. I won’t give a synopsis here because the one provided is so fiercely accurate, but I will say that there was so much more to the estrangement of the son and brother, Amar, than I had hoped for. At the start of the novel, with no chapter titles or markers for whose POV was coming next, I couldn’t seem to get my bearings enough to plant roots in the narrative and grow with it. But, eventually, I found my way and moved with the story faster and faster as it picked up speed.
The vignettes were light as a gentle breeze softly lifting a lock of hair, like whispers in your ear. And that was lovely, sure. But, admittedly, there were times when I found myself looking for something more—a climax, any hint of tangible, startling tension. And when I did find it, I couldn’t hold on to it long enough to feel fully satisfied. Perhaps that was the point of the read--Mirza's parting message to us, among others--but it left me unfulfilled. (view spoiler) Yet, I felt like I got an honest glimpse at a culture I’m unfamiliar with, like I was sitting at their dinner table with them. At the start I didn’t feel fully embedded in the story. But toward the end, I knew I couldn’t get up from that dinner table and walk away.
All of the characters, especially the siblings at the forefront of the narrative--Hadia, Huda and Amar--are so beautifully and delicately rendered and allowed to unfold. They are complete characters--their parents Rafiq and Layla included--set in their ways and flaws and hopes and dreams in a way that grabs our hearts because we understand them; we root for them and believe we know what their next moves would be, what their truest fears are. A Place for Us is a character-driven piece with such fully imagined characters who quietly take up the page. It tied loose ends together with stunning clarity (view spoiler) .
I truly loved how embedded in the Hyderabadi culture this novel was. I knew nothing of the culture and traditions—had never even heard the word “Hyderabadi” before—and yet I could feel the resolution with which this family lived in their faith, the effect it had on them, the generations upon generations of history that each of them carried—both in their routines handed down and in their hearts.
If his father had just hit him back, cursed at him, said to Mumma look how despicable our son is, how batamiz, anything—then maybe he could have gone home again. A punishment was a mercy. It marked the end of a sentence. Without one, he could not imagine recovering from his shame. Nor could he forgive himself for giving action to the hatred he had felt for his father, wanting to hurt him the way he had been hurt by him.
There were moments here where Mirza truly brought these characters into focus even from a Western standpoint, painting them at the time of 9/11—their reaction to it and the fear they carried with them not at all unlike our own. The racism they endured; the ignorance others harbored about them. Those moments stung the way they were intended to; they spoke loudly as they needed to. I will say I'm not a huge fan of the book title or the cover, but this was certainly a brilliant debut from both Fatima Farheen Mirza and this new imprint--both of which I’ll be sure to keep a lookout for in the future! 4 stars ****
FOLLOW ME AT:
Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram | Get a Copy of My Book | Book Editing, Author Coaching, Submit Your Book to Me
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Reading Progress
June 7, 2018
– Shelved as:
to-read
June 7, 2018
– Shelved
June 11, 2018
–
Started Reading
June 11, 2018
– Shelved as:
netgalley
June 18, 2018
–
20.0%
"So far, a slow but lovely read. It takes me back to Jhumpa Lahiri and to the poeticism in discussing one's culture I found in Everything I Never Told You."
June 19, 2018
–
30.0%
"...a thought rose...it struck him like a blow: that his sisters never experience the doubts he was feeling, that they never shake in their certainty of being Muslim, never think that maybe there was no hell and no heaven and therefore no point. never wonder if everyone had gotten it wrong or maybe they had all gotten it right in their own way, which meant that no way was superior to any other."
June 25, 2018
–
43.0%
June 26, 2018
–
52.0%
"Hadia can come and go as she pleases and she is supported. Welcomed home and bade farewell extravagantly...It should be a joke, he thinks, but it isn't--how different it is for you if you stay in line, keep your head down, do as you're told. It is as though to be loved at all you must be obedient. To be respected you must tame yourself."
June 28, 2018
–
73.0%
July 1, 2018
–
Finished Reading
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
coming-of-age
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
cultural-surveys
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
full-review
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
lit-fic
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
made-me-cry
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
multicultural-fiction
July 2, 2018
– Shelved as:
read-2018
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Kristin (KC)
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rated it 5 stars
Jun 26, 2018 06:14AM
![Kristin (KC)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1486056026p1/4971692.jpg)
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![Felice Laverne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1548611171p1/50404233.jpg)
Yep, I went back! I think I just needed a quick reprieve to get me going! Using CRAZY RICH ASIANS as my "jaunty aside" read! :-)
![Kristin (KC)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1486056026p1/4971692.jpg)
![Kristin (KC)](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1486056026p1/4971692.jpg)
This review is simply beautiful! I love what you’ve said about this story being told through “metaphors and blood ties...memories, regrets, hopes and fears...”
This review took my breath away. I’m so thrilled u ended up appreciating this one!! ❤️
![Felice Laverne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1548611171p1/50404233.jpg)
This review is simply beautiful! I love what you’ve said about this story being told through “metaphors and blood ties...memories, regrets, hopes and fears...”..."
Oh thank you, Kristin! Yes, I did; I just learned a lesson about varying up my genres more frequently lol so many heavy lit reads in a row really slowed me down! :)
![Felice Laverne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1548611171p1/50404233.jpg)
Really beautiful!!!!! “Softly lifting a lock of hair.......”
You my dear are a writer!!!!"
*HUGS* Thank you so much for those words, Elyse! I'm searching for an agent for my first novel now so please keep your fingers crossed for me! Hopefully my GR friends will see my words in full-length text sometime soon.
![Cheri](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1649628205p1/106692.jpg)
Beyond that I wish you the best of luck in your search for an agent for your *first* novel, such an exciting time for you! Now we all have to wait patiently for a chance to read it!
![Felice Laverne](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1548611171p1/50404233.jpg)