A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Let me first start by saying I'm not a fan of family dramas and did not have this book on my to-read list specifically for that reason. I have tried reading many many family dramas in my past and I've only liked maybe 1 or 2, so I just know it's not my genre and to stay away. Well, my book club chose this book for January and I am so beyond glad they did as I would have never been able to enjoy this book so thoroughly otherwise! It's not to say I'm going to start picking up every family drama that gets good reviews, but rather this specific book I am enamored with.
This book got it right where so many other family dramas get it wrong. A Place For Us focuses on showing how human beings try their best but are not guaranteed to succeed. Specifically, when parents are trying to raise their children and one tactic may very well work for one child but horribly fail for another. In fact, they may fail so terribly, the family begins to fall apart. This novel moves from the past to present in a carefully crafted but non-linear way that shows the conflict and love within one American-Indian Muslim family. It touches on themes of culture, faith, identity and the dynamic and intricate relationships between family members.
This novel brought me through a myriad of emotions. Fatima Farheen Mirza somehow made me feel each and every possibility, connection, heartbreak and misunderstanding. I would find myself believing I understood where each character came from, and within a few more pages I felt I had it all wrong. And this is the true complexity of family. There is always love, but there is also frustration, anger, confusion that sometimes takes over and chips away at that love.
The final portion of the book brought everything full circle and was so raw and gut-wrenching that I cried multiple times. I can't write too much to capture the beauty of this ending without ruining it, but it was moving and made you see everything a little bit differently. Don't assume you understand what the characters are thinking or feeling, as with this portion of the book everything is different than what it seems.
My only complaint is that there were a few too many times that parts rehashed the same ideas/situations over and over again. I appreciated getting the different POVs for specific moments in time, but certain situations didn't need to be rehashed by each family member. Or, there were several moments that centered around one topic and just seemed to be a bit overboard. I found myself thinking a couple times, "we're back on this again?" when I thought it was taken care of and the added information didn't give me any real substance.
Synopsis: A Place for Us unfolds the lives of an Indian-American Muslim family, gathered together in their Californian hometown to celebrate the eldest daughter, Hadia's, wedding - a match of love rather than tradition. It is here, on this momentous day, that Amar, the youngest of the siblings, reunites with his family for the first time in three years. Rafiq and Layla must now contend with the choices and betrayals that lead to their son's estrangement - the reckoning of parents who strove to pass on their cultures and traditions to their children; and of children who in turn struggle to balance authenticity in themselves with loyalty to the home they came from.