Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2018
Genre(s): fiction, romance, contemporary
Part of a Series: No
Rating:
Why I read it: It was a Once Upon a Book Club pick
Summary: Ayesha lives surrounded by Toronto’s Muslim community. She is a poet but has put her plans on hold to pursue teaching, deemed a more sensible career. It will also help her pay off her debts to her wealthy uncle, who then ropes her into helping his daughter Hafsa plan a conference at their mosque.
Khalid is also surrounded by Toronto’s Muslim community. He has been raised to be more traditional, from how he dresses to how he interacts with people. It leads to some problems at work and when he first meets Ayesha, the two clash.
As they work together on the conference, they get to know each other and realize their own prejudices. They grow as people and have a chance to become more – if they are willing to defy the expectations of everyone around them.
Review: “Pride and Prejudice” is one of my favorite novels so I’m a sucker for any take on it. See this past review of a modern take of Pride and Prejudice here. Though I’m glad to say Jalaluddin did much, much better with hers.
Mostly because she understood that Darcy wasn’t misunderstood and had his own issues to deal with before he could be with Lizzy. Khalid is living his life in a way he thinks is best and he looks down on those who aren’t as pious as him. His relationship with Ayesha makes him open his eyes and realize his own prejudices but also realize how he uses his religion as a crutch. Khalid starts to control his own destiny and still practice his religion in a way that works for him, not his mother.
Ayesha has her own prejudices to overcome as she makes a snap decision about Khalid. As she starts to get to know him, she realizes there’s more to him and that maybe he doesn’t see it either. But she doesn’t see how she is holding herself back as well. She’s so focused on being good that she allows her cousin to bully her and she keeps stifling her own creativity in order to be practical. She also needs to find a way to be true to her family and be herself.
“Ayesha at Last” is a beautiful story of self-discovery and learning to stop hiding one’s true self. It was easy to get absorbed into both Ayesha’s story as well as Khalid’s and they intertwined perfectly. I really enjoyed it (and enjoyed seeing some characters get their comeuppance. I won’t reveal who but I’m sure you’ll figure it out once you start reading).
It was also an interesting look into the Muslim community, especially as a white Christian. Religion plays a very important role in the story but it doesn’t overwhelm it and it added to the story, creating just one of the many layers of Ayesha’s and Khalid’s story. And it is beautiful layer.
Jalaluddin takes elements from Pride and Prejudice and doesn’t try to rewrite it. Instead, she transforms it into her own work though we can still recognize the work that inspired her. And I applaud her for it.
Bottom line: A fresh and exciting new take on a beloved classic.
Sex: No.
Moonlight Musing
Do you ever feel like you’re not truly who you’re meant to be?
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