Written in the Stars

I had the honor of meeting Aisha Saeed at the Decatur Book Festival before reading her book. Listening to her speak about Naila’s character and the story she was trying to tell before reading it for myself made the book that much more touching. I will admit I don’t know much about Naila’s culture so I’m not going to say I don’t agree with it. Her culture and beliefs are different than mine and that is perfectly okay. I will say it was interesting to learn about the culture from Naila’s point of view, hearing if from someone living it makes it easier to “see”. Naila lives in America; and she has her entire life, but her family is still enforces their Pakistani beliefs. They live in a community with many other Pakistani families, have weekly get togethers, and still practice arranged marriage. Naila believes things will be different for her though, because her parents are allowing her to follow her dreams for college and medical school. When her parents catch her with an unapproved boy everything changes. Naila’s parents plan a summer trip to Pakistan to visit relatives, to remind Naila of where she comes from, her beliefs, and how a Pakistani girl’s life should be. But the trip takes a turn that Naila did not see coming. How will she survive this change? Will her boy from home be able to help her or is her life doomed to her parent’s choice? Written in the Stars is a beautiful, touching, unwrapped truth of a story. I learned more than I could have imagined from this story. From the culture to the language used I am beyond glad that this book exists. Everyone should read it at some point. 5/5

Written in the Stars is a short but heart-breaking book about what it means to choose your own destiny—and how hard you sometimes have to fight to keep your dreams alive. I was intrigued—and slightly terrified—by the premise of this book: a girl whose parents trick and coerce her into a marriage she doesn’t want. The story is told in lightning fast, beautiful language that really expresses what Naila’s feeling as she goes from in love with her secret boyfriend to fighting for her autonomy halfway across the world in her parents Pakistan homeland. This is a hard story to read. You know it’s not going to go well for her, but you keep reading because you want to be wrong. It also provides a lot of insight into the hidden world of arranged marriages in our contemporary world. As the author points out in her note at the end of the book, this is something that happens a lot more than Americans are aware. Sometimes it turns out great, but other times it’s horrifying, like what happens to Naila. I appreciated the wide range of personalities in the characters, from Naila’s sweet cousin, Selma, who tries to help her escape, to the budding friendship between Naila and her sister-in-law, Feiza. There are definitely the Bad Guy characters, Naila’s chacha who beats and drugs her at one point, as well as Naila’s parents for forcing marriage on their daughter. But there are also morally grey characters, depending on your perspective. For instance, I really wanted to like Naila’s husband, Amin, *except for that part where he basically rapes her* and I could see where his family came from in a weird way. It was interesting reading this book after finishing Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged. Both Sofia and Naila are Pakistani Muslim immigrants, but their cultural expressions are at different ends of the spectrum. While Sofia’s parents let her choose her potential husband, Naila’s parents will do anything to enforce their will on their daughter, even when it makes her miserable. While Sofia talks a lot about practicing Islam, Naila doesn’t really focus on religious practice. Reading this book definitely showed me the stricter side of the coin. At the same time, I think it’s important to not just read one book with a Muslim protagonist, but to read multiple books with slightly different takes on it. Muslim people aren’t a monolith whatsoever—something I think is really easy to forget when you’re a white American surrounded by stereotypes. Like I said, this book was heart-wrenching—but like others, I felt it was a little too short. Everything happens so fast, especially in the beginning. I was rooting for Naila’s happiness, but I didn’t really have a chance to get to know her boyfriend, Saif, or her friend Carla, left behind when Naila’s stuck in Pakistan. I wanted a chance to settle into her character before she’s thrust into this unusual environment. I felt more time could be spent lingering in the rough moments, but the narrative just kept rushing forward. Absolutely, read this book. It will probably break you, but hopefully that’s what you’re into. If anything, Written in the Stars provides a much-needed glimpse into a cultural practice that’s unfamiliar to most white American readers.

**For more reviews, follow me at https://www.goodreads.com/xorubituesdays Written in the Stars is a beautiful eye opening novel for anyone who is ignorant in the subject of arranged marriages. I had heard of them before and knew the basics of what it was, but as a Hispanic it is not something I ever felt the need to really learn about. My favorite thing about reading has always been that it gives you the ability to see life through the eyes of someone who isn't you. Through this story, I was able to see life through the eyes of a scared 17 year old Pakistani-American girl facing a forced marriage. "My mother always says when you fight destiny, destiny fights back. Some things, they're just written in the stars. You can try, but you can never escape what's meant to be." -Naila Although Naila's parents are immigrants from Pakistan, she has only ever known life in Florida, USA. Living far away from their birth country has never stopped them from continuing to practice the same beliefs, religion, and culture. From the age of ten, Naila has been told that she can choose her career, her clothing, and the length of her hair, but who she will marry is not her decision to make. Her future husband will be chosen by her parents. For a year now, Naila has been hiding her relationship with Saif who's family is also Pakistani. In this culture, one of the most important things is not doing anything to bring shame to your family's reputation. Unfortunately, Saif's family is looked down upon by the rest of the community and is therefor not someone her family would even consider. When Naila's parents find out of their relationship, they are determined that visiting their roots will change the way she feels. Naila agrees to make the trip to Pakistan under the impression that they are there to visit family for the summer. What Naila doesn't know is that her parents are really trying to set up her arranged marriage! Now, she is in a completely different country that is run by a different set of rules. She knows what she wants is back in America, but leaving Pakistan seems impossible when her own family has turned on her. "I know I will forget many details of this moment, but I will never forget the slap across my face. Or my chacha storming inside, my hands upon the cold concrete floor, the metallic taste of blood in my mouth..." -Naila I don't think I've ever read a book that made me feel so helpless and angry! What upsets me the most is that Naila is such a good daughter. She is graduating salutatorian and has earned a scholarship into med school. Even with everything that is thrown at her, she doesn't want to bring dishonor and shame to her parents. I was obviously not raised in her culture, but a hard working and respectful 17 year old is just a rare gem these days and it made me angry that it wasn't enough for her parents. They cause her so much heartache and scars that will run deep psychologically. "Maybe, I think, if I don't look up, if I simply look down and never look up again for the rest of my life, the feelings buried within will never rise to the surface." -Naila Aisha Saeed, the author, made the chapters very short and it allowed the novel to feel fast paced without being rushed or important details being overlooked. I quickly fell in love with her writing style and ability to make a story flow. She leaves an author's note explaining how although Naila's story is fictional, arranged marriages are very real. Pakistan is only one country out of the many, including the United States, where forced marriages happen. "It is my hope that this novel will provide a voice for so many girls who see themselves in Naila and who shouldn't have to suffer in silence." -Aisha Saeed I really enjoyed getting to see the world through the eyes of a different culture! There were words used that I was not familiar with, such as kamiz and salwar, but I never felt lost. Using context clues made it easy to put things together. However, the author includes a glossary in case you need any help! **For more reviews, follow me at https://www.goodreads.com/xorubituesdays

This novel is just breathtaking - the twists and turns are jaw-dropping, heart-clenching, and will keep you flipping pages until you reach the very last one. Even when you see what's happening, even once you know what direction the story is about to take, it is near-impossible to turn away. I put this book down only once, and with great impatience, to attend to the rest of my life, but really, this is a one-sitting kind of read. Not only that, but the cultural awareness it presents - that alone is worth it's weight in gold. This is an eye-opener. Pick it up and I promise, when you put it down again you will be changed, and you won't regret a thing.

I love reading about different cultures including a woman's life is Pakistan but never had I read a book more inspiring and tear jerking until this story. I found myself so absorbed into this book, unable to put down, and totally emotionally unstable. I recommend this book to everyone who want a fast and exceptional read. Just wow! There are no words really more that convey truly my love for this book!

Written in the Stars is about a Pakistani girl named Naila. She grew up in Florida with her mother, father, and younger brother. She was all set to graduate high school, go on to college with her friends, and become a doctor. But, as so often happens, a boy got in the way of all that. Saif was also Pakistani, but his family was not respected by the other Pakistani families in their Florida community, so it was NOT okay for Naila to be dating him. Whoops! Now, when her parents found out, they didn’t ground her or forbid her to date him. Nope. They shamed her like you wouldn’t believe then packed the whole family up for a vacation to Pakistan. What happened after that you’ll have to read for yourself. I’ll just say, I yelled at the book for the last 75%. Literally. Yelled. I think I may have woken up my neighbors. I live in a house — not an apartment (just to give you an idea of the volume). Now, I know I’m approaching this book from a Western, American perspective. On top of that I am a feminist. Every atom in my body was repelled by this text. It is my very negative reaction to the content that lowered the star rating on this novel. Perhaps that’s not fair. It is well written, if bland. The characters are well-developed, if abhorrent. There are certainly lessons to be gleaned here from whomever reads it, but I just really hated it. Gah, you should probably read it anyway. If only to experience a small part of another culture.

It’s hard to imagine being held captive by your own family. This story makes you appreciate true freedoms that come with different countries and cultures.

This is a very interesting book for me. I was born and brought up in a Christian American household in rural Vermont. The idea that forced marriage can happen to someone brought up in this country is very foreign to me. It must have been very scary to go to another country, be betrayed by your parents and put in a situation where you are unable to leave and find your life in danger should you try. This is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

It came earlier than the customer said, the book is wonderful. ❤

Loved this book; finished it within 24 hours of having purchased it. Not wanting to put it down, I was able to get into the story super quickly. The characters were very well written, as was the plot. Although I would have liked to read more about what happened in the final chapter, this novel was a small glimpse into the bigger picture that is the unfortunate forced marriage pandemic.

I'm looking forward to reading this book, but my copy was delivered with some relatively minor wear and tear. However, when buying a new book, I don't expect the slip cover to be split, dirt smudges on the pages or for some page edges to be scuffed.

Great critique of conservative Indian and Pakistani societies. Chilling because every desi knows someone who’s been in a similar position.

A story about a very brave young woman. No one should ever have to through what she did and have your right of decision making taken away from you and at such a young age. Then to be brutalized. Sad, but the ending wraps up nicely. I really enjoyed the book. It gave me a perspective of what so many woman go through at the hands of their families in these foreign countries.