Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - These Impossible Things

It’s no secret that I’m a sucker for stories about complex female friendships. Often, those stories focus on toxic friendships and jealousies, but there are so many other, more subtle (and when done well, more satisfying to read about) ways that friendships can be complicated. @salmaelwardany captures perfectly the complexities that come with long-term friendships that originate in childhood. The difficulties are in growing up, figuring out who you are, and navigating the relationships when who you are is no longer exactly like who your friends are.

I loved this book because I loved these characters. They felt so real and fleshed out and their relationships felt real. Reading El-Wardany’s bio on her website, I realized she put a piece of herself in each of the three main characters, which is probably why she writes them with such empathy. At times I wanted to shake the characters and tell them to stop being so proud, but it was because I loved them and wanted them to be ok.

I’m not a Muslim woman or a child of immigrants, which is a major factor in the plot, but I think this story of emerging adulthood and reconciling who you want to be with who your family wants you to be is universal. I could relate to the feelings the characters were having despite the vastly different cultural implications from my own. And I loved seeing this play out in three very different Muslim families.

Finally, I know I’m reading something special when despite our characters dealing with some decidedly heavy stuff, it never felt excessive or gratuitous, and there were still times I laughed out loud. She captured the dark and light of relationships and grounded it all in love, making for an incredibly satisfying read.

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