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A review by sarahholliday
Ayesha At Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was such a delightful read, and a refreshing addition to Pride & Prejudice re-tellings. Jalaluddin did a wonderful job of paying homage to Austen's classic, but I most appreciated the ways in which she riffed on original plot or character details. That she didn't feel the need to stick to the source material too closely freed up the story to become truly modern.
Ayesha is the kind of heroine we all want to root for: strong, stubborn, and compassionate. I would've liked to see more introspection when it came to her faith, like we got with Khalid. While it was clear what beliefs she didn't subscribe to, we didn't get much of a picture of what Islam meant to her.
That being said, I LOVED getting to read a modern love story where faith plays such a central role.
Overall, Ayesha at Last is a witty, deeply nuanced spin on P&P that breathes new life into the story and characters we know and love so well.
Ayesha is the kind of heroine we all want to root for: strong, stubborn, and compassionate. I would've liked to see more introspection when it came to her faith, like we got with Khalid. While it was clear what beliefs she didn't subscribe to, we didn't get much of a picture of what Islam meant to her.
That being said, I LOVED getting to read a modern love story where faith plays such a central role.
Overall, Ayesha at Last is a witty, deeply nuanced spin on P&P that breathes new life into the story and characters we know and love so well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Islamophobia and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death of parent