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A review by book_concierge
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin
3.0
Digital audiobook performed by Rosni Shukla
3.5***
Ayesha Shamsi dreams of being a poet but works as a teacher to pay her debts to her uncle. Her family is loud and boisterous, and Ayehsa is constantly being reminded that her younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to collecting her target hundredth marriage proposal, while she seems destined to never marry. Ayesha is lonely, but doesn’t want an arranged marriage. And then she meets Khalid Mirza, who is smart and handsome, and, also very conservative and judgmental.
I had great fun identifying Elizabeth, Darcy, Lydia, Wickham and Mr Collins in this modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, featuring a Muslim couple in Toronto, Canada. Their missteps, misunderstandings, wrong conclusions, and ultimate relationship flow seamlessly from who they are and how they perceive the world. Both Ayesha and Khalid must make an effort to meet in the middle and communicate openly with one another.
I also enjoyed learning a bit more about Muslim culture and traditions. Jalaluddin shows us characters who are faithful and yet living in the modern world, and she doesn’t shy away from exploring work-place (and societal) bias.
Rosni Shukla does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has the skill as a voice artist to sufficiently differentiate the many characters.
3.5***
Ayesha Shamsi dreams of being a poet but works as a teacher to pay her debts to her uncle. Her family is loud and boisterous, and Ayehsa is constantly being reminded that her younger cousin, Hafsa, is close to collecting her target hundredth marriage proposal, while she seems destined to never marry. Ayesha is lonely, but doesn’t want an arranged marriage. And then she meets Khalid Mirza, who is smart and handsome, and, also very conservative and judgmental.
I had great fun identifying Elizabeth, Darcy, Lydia, Wickham and Mr Collins in this modern-day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, featuring a Muslim couple in Toronto, Canada. Their missteps, misunderstandings, wrong conclusions, and ultimate relationship flow seamlessly from who they are and how they perceive the world. Both Ayesha and Khalid must make an effort to meet in the middle and communicate openly with one another.
I also enjoyed learning a bit more about Muslim culture and traditions. Jalaluddin shows us characters who are faithful and yet living in the modern world, and she doesn’t shy away from exploring work-place (and societal) bias.
Rosni Shukla does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has the skill as a voice artist to sufficiently differentiate the many characters.