by Aisha Saeed, 284 pages, Grades 8 and up

Naila is 17 and just trying to be a normal American high school student, but her family has other ideas. Naila’s family are immigrants from Pakistan and they want to keep to the traditions they were raised with, after all they have been successful and have created a happy family, right? Consequently, Naila is not allowed to spend time with boys which means her dreams of going to prom are out of the question. Naila is crushing over a Pakistani-American boy, Saif, and they concoct a plan to get around Naila’s parents’ restrictions and sneak off to prom together. When they are caught by Naila’s parents her life takes a sharp turn; her parents are afraid their daughter is becoming too American so they swiftly bring her to Pakistan to reconnect with her family. Obviously Naila is sad to be away from Saif, but she begins to feel happy surrounded by so many relatives and the rich culture feels like home, but then, suddenly she finds herself being forced into an arranged marriage she doesn’t want; this family reunion has become a kidnapping, how can Naila escape and retain this part of her complex identity? 

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Aisha Saeed has written other books we have in our library including:  Amal Unbound, Omar Rising, and a collection of stories called: Once Upon an Eid: stories of hope and joy by 15 Muslim voices. 

Tags: Pakistan, coming of age, families, identity, immigrant experience, teens