Nadia Abbasi's marriage is falling apart. When she stumbles upon some questionable photos in her husband Aman's office, she realises that the kind, thoughtful man she married is having an affair. Determined to find out what went wrong in her marriage, Nadia enlists the help of Zeba, the estranged sister she hasn't seen or spoken to since their mom's funeral over a year ago. As the two sisters fight to reconcile their past, Nadia realizes her relationship with Aman is not the only one that needs mending.
While astute readers will easily see where the story is headed and the resolution seems rushed, the real treat of the book is the relationship between the sisters. Raheem writes of their bond in all its complicated, messy and loving glory.
Heartfelt, well-paced, and engrossing ... The book explores themes of infertility, gender roles, sisterhood, the South Asian diaspora, and the experience of children of immigrants.
Author Raheem has created a story that seems straightforward yet still contains an unexpected twist ... This is an unexpected story that focuses closely on the cultural expectations that face Indian Muslim women—even those born and raised in the U.S.—that deals with love, secrets, the bonds of family, and the emotional pain that can be caused by loved ones.
