A review by starryeyedenigma
Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Two endearing rom-com books that also talk about important subjects like Islamophobia and finding your identity in a foreign country, has made Uma Jalaluddin a go-to author for me.

If you’re thinking of skipping reading this book because it says ‘rom-com’ or a ‘you’ve got mail’ remake, then I urge you to reconsider. Although the story is inspired from the concept of you’ve got mail, for me, the story was far more than your usual romantic comedy. While our protagonist Hana Khan navigates her own struggles with identity and her feelings for her online friend and her real life nemesis, we also get to know about the stories of other characters in the book and how each one rebelled against some convention to experience freedom in the real sense of the word. The freedom to choose.

Obviously, we have Hana and Aydin at the centre of the story, but my favorite characters were actually the playful yet intelligent Rashid and the feisty and sarcastic Kawkab Khala. There are a whole gamut of supporting characters that I felt endeared to, and I had a lot of respect for Hana’s mother too, as she reminded me of my own hardworking and unwavering yet vulnerable mom :)

The story and the incidents in the book make you realise about the blatant Islamophobia as well as the subtle prejudices that people of colour or of different religions face in a foreign country. I am no novice to the fact that there is such discrimination in my own country. In the outright violence that Hana faces when she goes to watch a game with her family to the subtle preconceived notions that she has to deal with, with her white boss, I felt a form of kinship with Hana and outrage on her behalf. But I love the fact that the author humanises and demystifies Islam by giving us a peak into the lives of a Muslim woman born in a country like Canada. At the end of the day, they’re no different from us. I also appreciated the fact that from this story, Uzma talks about facing hate with love and not giving in to fear. A lovely message to readers.

The pacing of the story is good and an easy read. The romance isn’t steamy and very clean, which is something that I personally prefer. For me however, more than the romance, I enjoyed reading about the friendships that Hana has and makes along the way and learning about the stories of her family.

I enjoyed the book and will be looking forward to Uzma Jalaluddin’s next book with bated breath :)