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A review by naughty_librarian
That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! It’s unique, humorous, cute, romantic, educational, and who doesn’t appreciate a Jane Austen reference?!
The idea of an arranged marriage has always sounded so archaic and horrifying to me—probably because I am so different from my parents and I can’t imagine them picking me a partner who would actually be a good fit for me. But as I have met a few individuals who are happily married in arranged marriages, and as the author points out, marriages people pick themselves don’t have a great success rate—so I tried to approach this memoir with an open mind. Perhaps for some people letting their caring parents look at all the person’s biodata and make a marital decision based on many factors rather than an emotional one is not a bad idea. (I have known quite a few people whose poor track record of picking partners would suggest that they would probably be better off letting someone else pick for them… just saying…)
I like the author’s decision to always portray herself in hijab, because for one, she is being viewed by the public so that seems halal, and also I think for people who don’t know many people who are Muslim, it can help them to remember that those who cover their hair make Harry Potter and Pokémon references like the rest of us.
From this entertaining book, I learned about Islamic customs and beliefs, some new Arabic words, and found some cute moments in here that I just had to lean over and share with my husband. That’s it, I have gotta follow this author!
The idea of an arranged marriage has always sounded so archaic and horrifying to me—probably because I am so different from my parents and I can’t imagine them picking me a partner who would actually be a good fit for me. But as I have met a few individuals who are happily married in arranged marriages, and as the author points out, marriages people pick themselves don’t have a great success rate—so I tried to approach this memoir with an open mind. Perhaps for some people letting their caring parents look at all the person’s biodata and make a marital decision based on many factors rather than an emotional one is not a bad idea. (I have known quite a few people whose poor track record of picking partners would suggest that they would probably be better off letting someone else pick for them… just saying…)
I like the author’s decision to always portray herself in hijab, because for one, she is being viewed by the public so that seems halal, and also I think for people who don’t know many people who are Muslim, it can help them to remember that those who cover their hair make Harry Potter and Pokémon references like the rest of us.
From this entertaining book, I learned about Islamic customs and beliefs, some new Arabic words, and found some cute moments in here that I just had to lean over and share with my husband. That’s it, I have gotta follow this author!