Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair and what to be when she grows up- but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating – even friendship with a boy – is forbidden. When Naila breaks their ruling by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed- her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif… if he can find her before it’s too late.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Naila is a Pakistani American teenager torn between obeying her extremely conservative parents’ wishes and wanting to have a ‘normal’ social life. She isn’t allowed to hang out with boys – and the possibility of a boyfriend is unthinkable – but when she falls for Saif, the secrets multiply. On prom night, Naila sneaks out to have a good time but inevitably gets discovered by her parents. Thinking that a visit to their hometown in Pakistan might remind her of her promises, Naila’s parents take the family to meet their relatives. But a refreshing vacation filled with sunny days and great food quickly descends into a nightmare. Her parents are goading her into a rishta (relationship; usually means looking for a husband) and will not take no for an answer.
This book starts out with some of the normal struggles that teens with strict parents have but gets dark really fast, which I wasn’t expecting. Seeing this tragic story unfold was heart breaking. I was crying about halfway through the book because things were so helpless (and this was ugly sobbing, not a few tears running down my cheeks).
What I loved was how Naila struggles with the two very different worlds she lives in. On one hand, she is progressive and doesn’t necessarily agree with her parents on most things, but on the other hand the guilt she feels is very real and relatable. She knows her parents are perceived as unreasonable but to them, they are just enforcing the rules that they grew up with. It would have been very easy for Saeed to demonise them from the beginning but this isn’t done.
For the record, this deals with forced marriages. Arranged marriages (which are more common in South Asia) are consensual and take place when the bride and groom both agree to it. Forced marriages are an extreme form of this and definitely not the norm. If you aren’t from a background where arranged marriages are common, please do not read this one book and pretend you know everything about it or Pakistan.
As a side note, I’d like to mention that Saif is an A+ boyfriend. He isn’t there a lot but he won me over very quickly. He wore a black sherwani to their prom so that he could coordinate with his girl- of course I’m in love.
I won’t reveal the ending obviously, but I think the book as a whole is done very well. It isn’t easy as an author of colour to depict negative aspects of one’s culture since there is so little positive representation as it is. Saeed writes in a very simple and honest manner which does justice to the heavy subject.
Trigger Warnings: abuse, rape.
Advertisements Share this:
