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dinipandareads 's review for:
Ayesha at Last
by Uzma Jalaluddin
3.5/5 stars rounded up!
I've had this book on my shelf for so long and when I finally picked it up on a restless whim yesterday afternoon, I didn't think that I'd speed through it in (essentially) one sitting! There was a lot to this that I enjoyed but I also didn't end up loving it as much as I thought I would... That said, I would most definitely recommend it if you're looking for a rich diverse read that's so unapologetically Muslim, likeable and mostly easy to root for protagonists, and a swoony slow-burn romance, all wrapped up in a loose retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice!
I was expecting a pretty on-the-nose retelling of P&P but this is loosely based on it. We have the iconic phrases and scenes from the original that were adapted wonderfully but Jalaluddin puts a dramatic and comedic Bollywood spin to the story which I really enjoyed! Jalaluddin sets the scene well and paints a picture of vibrant and bustling communities of immigrants living in Canada and I think she does a fantastic job showing us the different experiences of settling in a foreign place. It takes so much strength to leave everything you know behind, no matter the reason, and start from scratch somewhere new. I also appreciated the way Jalaluddin explores the diaspora experience and the ways they adapt to familial/religious traditions and create new ones for themselves.
The story is mainly told through both Ayesha and Khalid's perspectives and I really liked both of them. We also get random perspectives mixed in from Carla, Nani, Farzana and Tarek but these were 'one-offs' to push the story in certain directions. It was a bit jarring at first because I didn't expect it but I didn't mind it. As the eldest daughter and the most responsible cousin, Ayesha has a lot of pressure on her shoulders from the expectations set by her family. She was such a relatable character for me because I've found myself in her shoes plenty of times particularly when it came to putting family first even if that means sometimes sacrificing our wants (in the mean time). She's such a force to contend with and I loved her sassiness, her quick wit, and her determination to speak her mind, especially in the face of those nosy aunties who live to gossip and judge others! She's very loyal to her family even she should say no, which sometimes puts in her awkward situations, such as with what happens at the mosque when she assumes her cousin Hafsa's identity in order to be helpful.
In contrast, Khalid is very much Ayesha's opposite. He's extremely conservative and shy and many see him as a boring mama's boy. He's a very pious man and finds great comfort in his Muslim faith and I really appreciated that about his character because I don't think I've read about a romance hero that's so deeply devout! Honestly, I adored Khalid. While he's painfully awkward at times, especially at the beginning when he first meets Ayesha, he was so sweet and thoughtful, and I loved seeing him learn to be himself with her, and even more, seeing her accept him as he is. Ayesha and Khalid's romance was a slow burn and there were also no intimate scenes in this book, much like the 2005 adaptation where Elizabeth and Darcy have little to no scenes of any physical contact. That didn't mean that there were no charged scenes between them though and in fact, I'd argue that their connection felt even more charged because of how they held back from even the smallest of touches despite wanting it so much! There were one or two moments when their hands brushed and that scene where Ayesha brushes something off Khalid's beard(!) that had me holding my breath in anticipation and absolutely swooning with the tension! I don't know about you but I love those "almost touching" moments so much—especially when it's so electrically charged just like it was for these two!
I've had this book on my shelf for so long and when I finally picked it up on a restless whim yesterday afternoon, I didn't think that I'd speed through it in (essentially) one sitting! There was a lot to this that I enjoyed but I also didn't end up loving it as much as I thought I would... That said, I would most definitely recommend it if you're looking for a rich diverse read that's so unapologetically Muslim, likeable and mostly easy to root for protagonists, and a swoony slow-burn romance, all wrapped up in a loose retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice!
I was expecting a pretty on-the-nose retelling of P&P but this is loosely based on it. We have the iconic phrases and scenes from the original that were adapted wonderfully but Jalaluddin puts a dramatic and comedic Bollywood spin to the story which I really enjoyed! Jalaluddin sets the scene well and paints a picture of vibrant and bustling communities of immigrants living in Canada and I think she does a fantastic job showing us the different experiences of settling in a foreign place. It takes so much strength to leave everything you know behind, no matter the reason, and start from scratch somewhere new. I also appreciated the way Jalaluddin explores the diaspora experience and the ways they adapt to familial/religious traditions and create new ones for themselves.
The story is mainly told through both Ayesha and Khalid's perspectives and I really liked both of them. We also get random perspectives mixed in from Carla, Nani, Farzana and Tarek but these were 'one-offs' to push the story in certain directions. It was a bit jarring at first because I didn't expect it but I didn't mind it. As the eldest daughter and the most responsible cousin, Ayesha has a lot of pressure on her shoulders from the expectations set by her family. She was such a relatable character for me because I've found myself in her shoes plenty of times particularly when it came to putting family first even if that means sometimes sacrificing our wants (in the mean time). She's such a force to contend with and I loved her sassiness, her quick wit, and her determination to speak her mind, especially in the face of those nosy aunties who live to gossip and judge others! She's very loyal to her family even she should say no, which sometimes puts in her awkward situations, such as with what happens at the mosque when she assumes her cousin Hafsa's identity in order to be helpful.
In contrast, Khalid is very much Ayesha's opposite. He's extremely conservative and shy and many see him as a boring mama's boy. He's a very pious man and finds great comfort in his Muslim faith and I really appreciated that about his character because I don't think I've read about a romance hero that's so deeply devout! Honestly, I adored Khalid. While he's painfully awkward at times, especially at the beginning when he first meets Ayesha, he was so sweet and thoughtful, and I loved seeing him learn to be himself with her, and even more, seeing her accept him as he is. Ayesha and Khalid's romance was a slow burn and there were also no intimate scenes in this book, much like the 2005 adaptation where Elizabeth and Darcy have little to no scenes of any physical contact. That didn't mean that there were no charged scenes between them though and in fact, I'd argue that their connection felt even more charged because of how they held back from even the smallest of touches despite wanting it so much! There were one or two moments when their hands brushed and that scene where Ayesha brushes something off Khalid's beard(!) that had me holding my breath in anticipation and absolutely swooning with the tension! I don't know about you but I love those "almost touching" moments so much—especially when it's so electrically charged just like it was for these two!