A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

“𝓦𝓮 𝓭𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓱𝓪𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓸 𝓼𝓮𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼.”

A place for us is a story of a Muslim family of Indian origin who’re trying to make the best of it in California. Rafiq and Layla, parents to daughters Hadia and Huda and their son Amar try their best to inculcate the values of Islam in their children, asking for nothing but love and respect in return. Their journey through the childhood, teenage and eventually adulthood of their children eventually make them realize what went wrong. Why Amar left. Why Amar never came back.

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Personally, I like stories with a single narrative. I like attaching myself to one person and understanding the story from their perspective. This was not so in this book. Yes, initially it was Hadia who won my heart, mainly because I could relate to her so much but as the story progressed, I did not mind multiple narrators instead, I liked it.

The way Fatima has written the story gave me a chance to understand the characters. Understand Hadia, Amar, Layla and even Rafiq. Actually, understand Rafiq the most. I could relate to the story at so many instances that it’s futile to try and mention them here, they are just too many. Hadia’s determination to come out on top, to be the best version of herself more for her parents than for herself. Her strength, her fragility, her flaws, they all endeared her to me. Layla’s will to do anything for the betterment of her children. Huda’s strong-headedness in the midst of everything that happened. Amar’s love that did not change. And Rafiq. How he had s many regrets and how he wanted to make up for it. How he was the one who concealed everyone’s faults. How he did not retaliate when he was blamed for the hell that fell upon their family, when it was almost everyone who played a part in it. Fatima’s portrayal of the characters that were on the sidelines yet played a significant role in the story, pretty much shaped the story, give you an insight into what a gem of a writer she is. Amira Ali, Abbas, Tariq. These were the people who shaped the worlds of both Hadia and Amar, who shaped their stories.

Other than the characters, it is the portrayal of the family that I loved the most. Every once in a while I come across a movie or a book revolving around a Muslim family. And honesty, it breaks my heart. I do not recognize or understand half of their customs and I hate my own helplessness at not being able to correct them. But A Place for Us was different. Everything the Shi’a family in the story does regarding their faith is something I could relate to, something I have experienced in my own family. Every time the name Ali came in the story my heart filled with love and my eyes with tears, for reasons unknown, for reasons I will never be able to express in words. I guess that’s the power of the name Ali. Ya Ali.Fatima presents an absolutely remarkable portrayal of each of her characters. Her writing is nothing but beautifully enthralling.

Suffice to say, this is one of those stories that I will come back to. Again and again and again. And every time I do, I would love it all over again.