The dynamic among them — playful, complex, unsteady — is the novel’s central appeal. As is Asghar’s generosity: A less assured writer wouldn’t allow the monstrous uncle gestures of kindness, albeit occasional and muted. However, as the girls grow up and apart, the narrative shift to Kausar’s coming-of-age and nascent sexuality feels ploddingly familiar ... This section lacks the energy and intensity of those devoted to the girls’ earlier childhoods ... Toward the end, I missed the electricity of the three siblings’ bond; the conclusion feels comparatively rushed, and somewhat incomplete ... Asghar’s fragmented writing style is distinctive, but her lyricism also serves to mask commonplace observations ... Still, Asghar’s book has a sweetness at its core that keeps the story alive on the page.
Skill of Asghar’s is on full display ... The novel has all the marks of a beautiful Fatimah Asghar production ... Asghar’s prose in her novel is lyric, gentle, and fierce ... The novel is committed to an honest portrayal of the lives of queer women of color ... Kausar’s gentle, natural exploration of her gender feels refreshingly tender. The titular trio in Asghar’s novel proves that the bonds of sisterhood can transcend time, place, and even the confines of gender.
You are in for a beautiful ride ... I knew this offering would be graceful in language, meticulous in form, and rich in narrative. What I didn’t know back then is how much I needed this book, how deeply I would exhale when reading these words, how many tears would fall on the pages of the advance readers’ copy I received at my doorstep earlier this fall ... An incredibly stunning story.
Grief-soaked and gorgeous ... Asghar’s melodic and melancholy work is reminiscent of other novels written by poets ... She is not afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve – there is no stripping back of emotion. When We Were Sisters is not easy reading. Grief is not an easy feeling; it is lonely, slippery, elusive.
Asghar brings that same lyricism from her poetry collection ... crafting vignettes with dark but tender prose that form a striking picture of the sisters’ daily lives. With minimal dialogue, these brief windows are told through the first-person observations of the youngest, Kausar, with occasional interludes from their uncle or father. A debut in fiction perfect for poetry readers, this poignant coming-of-age tale examines a girlhood torn apart by loss.
Kausar’s compelling voice, sometimes lyrical, sometimes heartbreaking, is skillfully crafted, changing subtly as she grows. The book’s ending, a jump forward in time, seems tacked on and less convincing than what went before, but the sisters’ story is a moving journey ... An assured first novel explores the bonds and divides among three orphaned sisters.
... elegant ... Asghar’s poetic sensibilities are on full display in the lyrical and oblique prose and the frequent formal experimentation enlivens the text ... The result is a creative telling of a tender coming-of-age tale.
