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Summary
Summary
With a welcome mix of humor, heart, and high-stakes drama, Sabina Khan provides a timely and honest portrait of what it's like to grow up feeling unwelcome in your own culture.
Fight for love. Fight for family . Fight for yourself.
Seventeen-year-old Rukhsana Ali has always been fascinated by the universe around her and the laws of physics that keep everything in order. But her life at home isn't so absolute.
Unable to come out to her conservative Muslim parents, she keeps that part of her identity hidden. And that means keeping her girlfriend, Ariana, a secret from them too. Luckily, only a few more months stand between her carefully monitored life at home and a fresh start at Caltech in the fall. But when Rukhsana's mom catches her and Ariana together, her future begins to collapse around her.
Devastated and confused, Rukhsana's parents whisk her off to stay with their extended family in Bangladesh where, along with the loving arms of her grandmother and cousins, she is met with a world of arranged marriages, religious tradition, and intolerance. Fortunately, Rukhsana finds allies along the way and, through reading her grandmother's old diary, finds the courage to take control of her future and fight for her love.
A gritty novel that doesn't shy away from the darkest corners of ourselves, The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali provides a timely and achingly honest portrait of what it's like to grow up feeling unwelcome in your own culture and proves that love, above all else, has the power to change the world.
Featured on: Bustle, Seventeen.com, Hypable, Oprah Magazine, NBC News, the BBC, Parade, BookRiot, and Paste Magazine
"An intersectional, diverse coming of age story that will break your heart in the best way." -- Bustle.com
"A much-needed addition to any YA shelf." -- Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi
"Heart-wrenching yet hopeful." -- Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of L ove, Hate and Other Filters
"A story that will stay with you for years to come." -- Sara Farizan, Lambda Award-winning author of If You Could Be Mine
Author Notes
Sabina Khan writes about Muslim teens who straddle cultures. She was born in Germany, spent her teens in Bangladesh, and lived in Macao, Illinois, and Texas before settling down in British Columbia with her husband, two daughters, and the best puppy in the world. Visit her online at sabina-khan.com.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-Rukhsana Ali lives her life on the border of two worlds: one as the daughter of conservative Muslim parents, the other as a 17-year-old teen just trying to make it through the end of her senior year and get into California Tech. Everything seems to be going according to plan until her mother catches her kissing her girlfriend Ariana. Incapable of understanding, her parents whisk her away to Bangladesh where she is caught up in a whirlwind of family dynamics, arranged marriages, and traditions. Through the kind words and understanding of her cousin and grandmother, as well as the gift of her grandmother's diary, Rukhsana searches for the courage to fight for her right to love whomever without also losing her family's approval. This coming-of-age novel is filled with memorable characters, heartfelt moments, and a realistic portrayal of the difficulty of living in two worlds. At times, the writing feels a bit stilted, but the heart of this story will resonate strongly with teens. They will cheer, cry, and rage along with Rukhsana as she balances the ignorance of her friends and family on her quest for understanding and acceptance. VERDICT With an up-close depiction of the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ community with Bengali culture, this hard-hitting and hopeful story is a must-purchase for any YA collection.-India Winslow, Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Like many American teenagers straddling two cultures-that of their foreign-born parents and that outside their home-Seattle high school senior Rukhsana has hopes that diverge from her family's. Though her conservative Bengali-Muslim parents expect her to attend the nearby University of Washington and to marry a young man, she has secretly applied to Caltech in Pasadena, Calif., and is a closeted-to-them lesbian. Her parents eventually give in on Caltech, but when they discover her kissing her girlfriend, Ariana, they furiously spirit Rukhsana away to Bangladesh under false pretenses. Khan skillfully depicts Rukhsana's mix of emotions toward her family-frustration and anger, love and loyalty-as well as resentment at the differing expectations her parents hold for her and for her carefree younger brother, Aamir. Relationships ring true, including the siblings' teasingly affectionate relationship and Rukhsana and Ariana's struggles navigating their romance under difficult circumstances. The complicated plot and the large cast of characters, both in Seattle and in Bangladesh, occasionally overwhelm, but Rukhsana's voice offers a steady blend of compassion and humor as she schemes-with several likable allies-to follow her dreams, perhaps at the cost of losing her family. Ages 14-up. Agent: Hillary Jacobson, ICM Partners. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Bangladeshi-American Rukhsana Ali must choose between her family's wishes and following her heart.Although her Muslim immigrant parents approve of her professional dreams of becoming a physicist at NASA, Rukhsana is sure that they won't be as enthusiastic about her personal dream of spending her life with her secret girlfriend, Ariana, who is white. After winning a prestigious scholarship to Caltech, her professional ambitions seem within reachuntil her mother catches her kissing Ariana and she is whisked away to Bangladesh with plans to arrange her marriage. As she battles her parents' homophobia, Rukhsana simultaneously struggles to help Ariana and her friends back home in Seattle understand the weight of the cultural and social stigmas that she has to fight. Along the way, Rukhsana finds unexpected allies, including her grandmother, who encourages her to fight for what she wants. This witty coming-out story is populated by colorful, nuanced personalities who never lapse into stereotypes. Unfortunately, the fast pace leaves readers little time to digest the most intense moments, including some physical and sexual violence. Likewise, the sheer amount of action leaves certain characters, like Rukhsana's spoiled but loving brother, insufficient time to fully develop. However, the story is told tenderly and unflinchingly, balancing the horrors of homophobia against the South Asian men and women who risk their lives to fight it each and every day.A coming-out story featuring diverse characters and a richly rendered international setting. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Rukhsana Ali chafes against her conservative Muslim parents and their hopes for her future. The 17-year-old has her own plans, like going to Caltech for engineering and openly being with her girlfriend, Ariana. But when her parents ultimately find out about Ariana, they're quick to send Rukhsana to Bangladesh to be married. Can she balance fighting for the life she wants for herself without devastating her family? Khan's moving novel brings humanity and nuance to the topics of arranged marriage and familial obligations, and her characters are beautifully fleshed out. Rukhsana's genuine love and respect for her family and culture amplify the stakes of her choice to determine her own path, and Khan's account of Bangladeshi traditions, food, and various aunties to dodge rings true. While some characters might initially seem very black-and-white, as Khan gradually peels away the layers of their backstories, they become more fully formed. This moving novel offers readers a deep look into Bengali traditions and dreams for a more inclusive future, with a resilient girl at the heart of it all.--Qurratulayn Muhammad Copyright 2018 Booklist