About the Book and Author
Meet Me in Mumbai is a novel in two acts – told eighteen years apart – gives voice to both mother (Ayesha) and daughter (Mira) after an unplanned teen pregnancy led Ayesha to place Mira up for adoption.
Our review liked that the book does not shy away from including racism and other prejudice issues causing readers to consider the diverse world we live in.
Sabina Khan writes about Muslim teens who straddle cultures. She was born in Germany, spent her teens in Bangladesh and lived in Macao, Illinois and Texas before settling in British Columba with her husband and two daughters.
Sabina is an educational consultant helping young people with academic and personal challenges. She started writing because she couldn’t find stories with characters who looked like her daughters or her students. She discovered that while Canada has a very diverse population, in schools, students are required to read the same books that have been in the curriculum for decades. “There is not much to engage them since they never see themselves reflected in the books they read,” she says. Her mission became to write books, both fantasy and contemporary, where the young people around her could see themselves as heroes overcoming obstacles to find love and happiness.
In The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali, Rukhsana lives in two different worlds that are often at odds with each other. Being Muslim, South Asian and American, she already exists at the intersection of three identities. Being gay as well puts her in conflict with her own family and religious community. The book deftly intertwines complex topics such as sexuality, traditions and culture with the basic human need of wanting to be understood and loved for who you are.
Sabina is passionate about creating awareness around LGBTQIA+ issues and for representation of all peoples in literature. You can read of Zara Hossain is Here
Book Review
I found that the book didn’t hide from issues of racism and prejudices
As this book is in two halves, I thought I’d do this review in two parts.
Part 1: Ayesha. First off the short chapters make the book easy to read, you never find yourself willing the end of a chapter as each one is short and snappy. I genuinely felt bad for Ayesha, you can really emotionally connect with the characters and feel their emotions. As well as the main storyline there are major themes of celebration for culture. Food is a major part of this section in the book, it’s a way Ayesha is able to connect with her home and family, by associating scents and flavours with places the reader is really able to grasp the contrast between India and the USA. I also loved the idea of the baby going to a lesbian couple, I found that, as a whole, the book didn’t hide from issues of racism and prejudices.
Part 2: Mira: This second part of the book I found a little different. I noticed how many chapters had random time jumps. I was left quite confused and sometimes had to reread pages to make sure I was up to speed! However, the section does deal with racism and I found it applaudable, and really eye-catching. The main character, Mira, does live in an ignorant bliss but as a reader I was able to connect with her and feel her emotions myself. Overall, I found the first section easier to read but I loved the story and the emotional depth that was there.
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Reviewer Profile
- Name: Ruby
- Age: 14 years
- Likes: tennis, musicals and ice-cream
- Dislikes: clowns and maths
- Favourite Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Favourite Song: Softly by Clairo
- Favourite Film: Cinderella - live action version
