Deepa Shankar
ThreeFish Consulting
A Place For Us is a book for anyone who has ever belonged to a family and wondered how that belonging shapes them. This novel reveals the universal complexities of familial relationships with extraordinary empathy. It is not only my favourite book, but it has also become a favourite of anyone I have ever recommended it to.
Written by Fatima Farheen Mirza in 2018, the book follows an Indian-American Muslim family in California as they gather for the eldest daughter Hadia’s wedding. The wedding is where Amar, the youngest son, returns after a three-year absence.
The reasons for his estrangement unspool in the course of the book. The narrative structure resembles memory, employing an erratic, back-and-forth style with perspectives from multiple characters in the book, focusing on Hadia, Amar, and their mother, Layla. Each character adds a deeper layer to our understanding of the family. The dialogue is real, and readers will recognize themselves in it because Farheen writes in a way that reflects how people truly talk.
The characters exist in the context of their family, while also existing in the real world. A large part of the tension in the book comes from trying to balance who one is with who one is expected to be. How can a character be true to who they are if that truth makes them a bad child, a bad friend, a bad sibling, or a bad parent? Is one more important than the other? Can the two somehow co-exist? These are difficult questions that Farheen navigates with immense tenderness and compassion. No character in the book is a villain; they are simply human, and they each have their own reasons and histories, which makes them what they are.
The book examines cruelty, love, forgiveness, sacrifice, patience, understanding, and disappointment—themes at the heart of every family. This shared history forms the essence of family itself and highlights why the novel resonates so deeply: it vividly explores what connects us to our families and to ourselves. If you are part of a family, this book will resonate with you.
Beware, the last chapter may just break you. I was sobbing at 4 in the morning.
