Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Two Indian American teens grapple with cultural differences and the aftermath of an unplanned pregnancy in this thought-provoking novel by Khan (Zara Hossain Is Here). Eighteen-year-old Ayesha Hameed, who was born in the U.S. but raised in India, is finishing high school in the U.S. while living with her Salma Aunty and Hafeez Uncle in Bloomington, Ill. Far from her parents and feeling out of place in the predominately white town, Ayesha forms an immediate and intimate bond with Suresh, also of Indian heritage. When their relationship results in an unplanned pregnancy, Ayesha worries about jeopardizing her academic goals before eventually deciding that adoption is the right option for her. Seventeen years later, Ayesha's daughter, Mira, raised by a kind white lesbian couple, finds a box of letters that Ayesha wrote to her while pregnant. Mira effectively assumes the narrative reins, diving deep into her birth mother's past to unearth unexplored parts of her identity. Khan's sincere prose, which capably flows from Ayesha's perspective to Mira's as each navigates her own emotionally turbulent circumstances, propels this compassionate story toward a hopeful conclusion. Ages 14--up. Agent: Hillary Jacobsen, ICM Partners. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Ayesha is a Muslim student sent by her parents from Mumbai, India, to Bloomington, IL, for her senior year to better her chances of attending Northwestern University. While she stays with her mom's cousin, Salma Aunty, she makes white friends at school but feels lonely for home. When she meets fellow Indian Suresh at a party, she finds comfort in his familiar accent and love of all things Bollywood. As they quickly develop a romantic relationship, Ayesha finds her grades slipping. The pressure of being the oldest daughter means she can't mess up with grades or anything else. While Suresh is in Mumbai visiting his ailing father, Ayesha discovers she is pregnant and feels she must keep it a secret from her family. Eighteen years later, Mira is searching for information about her birth mother. Although she loves the two white moms who adopted her, she wants to know more about her Indian roots. She stumbles upon a box containing some of Ayesha's belongings, which include loving letters and an invite to meet her at a fountain in Mumbai on her 18th birthday. Ayesha and Mira are both sympathetic and reflective characters facing major decisions at the same age. The writing is candid with an atmospheric tone that crosses both place and time. The ending seems a bit rushed with character interactions but provides a satisfying conclusion. VERDICT The dual narratives of Ayesha and Mira provide readers with a contemplative juxtaposition recommended for high school teens.--Lisa Krok
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Eighteen-year-old Mumbai native Ayesha Hameed is determined to make the best of her senior year, which she's spending in Bloomington, Illinois, with her relatives Salma Aunty and Hafeez Uncle. Although she dreams of academic success, Ayesha doesn't count on falling in love with Suresh, a boy she has sex with during their secret Thanksgiving weekend alone at his house. Convinced that coming home to India pregnant and unmarried is not an option, Ayesha decides to give her baby up for adoption. The White lesbian couple that Ayesha chooses to raise her child allow Ayesha to move in with them and go to school in Houston for her final semester of high school--under the guise of attending a university prep program--so that she can hide her condition from her family. Years later, Ayesha's now-teenage daughter--whom her adoptive mothers named Mira--discovers a box full of letters Ayesha wrote her while she was pregnant. They make Mira curious about both her Indian identity and birth mother. But can she explore her past without alienating the family who raised her? Told in two perspectives, this story is filled with action, leaving little room for the characters to fully process the emotional weight of the crises they experience. Consequently, both the characters and their relationships feel rushed and underdeveloped. Nevertheless, the narratorial voices are original, sincere, and frank. An honest story about adoption and family. (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
