Uzma JalaluddinBERKLEY Ayesha at Last

This is one of my favourite books! Love the Muslim rep, and was delivered super fast and in perfect condition. I’ve heard some bad reviews about Amazon’s book deliveries but I’m quite happy :)

"Because while it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single Muslim man must be in want of a wife, there's an even greater truth: To his Indian mother, his own inclinations are of secondary importance."I really enjoyed this one. It is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice, but centered around a Toronto mosque.I was impressed with how well this translated to the original story. And I really enjoyed learning about the Indian Muslim community. The thing I love about books is that I get to experience things I wouldn't otherwise experience in real life, and this was definitely one of those books.Khalid (Mr. Darcy) is a fundamentalist Muslim. He keeps his beard long, wears long robes, and doesn't spend time with women outside of his family without a chaperone. He prays 5 times a day and feels like the only way to honor Allah is in the traditional way.Ayesha (Elizabeth Bennett) thinks Khalid is a fundy snob. She wears her hijab and prays as well. But she also works outside of the house and can't cook like a good woman who wants to be married should.It helps because I have close friends who are Muslim and I was able to ask them questions and have conversations about the things I was reading. They are not Indian though, so there were some things that I wasn't able to get as much personal perspective on (like the idea of rishta rituals where resumes are basically traded in order to find a suitable spouse). But I found it all so interesting.The more I read about different religions and different cultures, the more I see how alike we all are in the end. Indian Aunties and Jewish Mothers (and Chinese moms too) are all very involved and always know what is right for their children. I think that if more people spent the time to get to know people who seem "different", they'd realize the same thing.I liked this book a lot. I liked learning about other cultures, but I also just enjoyed the story. The characters were great and the writing was fun. You should check it out!

Interesting

Pleins de rebondissements, love it !

This was a fantastic, unexpected romance novel which I enjoyed for the positive Muslim and Canada rep. A book featuring Muslims and Toronto were already a winning combination, but the addition of a character called Saleha (Ayesha's mom) put a cherry on top.The references to Pride and Prejudice was evocative especially in the exploration of the importance of marriage both as a personal state and as a community institution. Modern retellings which focus on the character dynamics often ignore this social context. Yes, Pride and Prejudice is a romance but the lead character explore so much more and reflect a vision for personal fulfilment which still resonates today.While lighter in places, this book hit that larger context much better. There was character beats which were different which kept me on my toes. The two leads were fantastic - especially Khalid. His shyness and innocence was refreshing. His 'prejudice' was a little more stretched but in context it was believable. Ayesha is a little flatter but I liked her devotion to her family and her striving for finding her place in her society.I could go on gushing but it's best to read this. Highly highly recommended. I am looking forward to Ms. Jalaluddin's next book.Lastly, I really want to see this as a movie - anyone out there listening.