Book Review: A Place For Us

Published: June 12, 2018
Pages: 385
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A rich, deeply engrossing family saga that follows the lives of an Indian-American family in California. The youngest child, Amar, is the pinnacle force of this novel as he returns for his sister Hadia's wedding, following a three year estrangement from his family. From there we are plummeted into the depths of various family members perspectives on the most pivotal moments that have shaped this family. It is like peeling back layers, as each character has their turn, to reveal the magnitude of choices made and their life-long consequences.

"What do children know about love, when they have sacrificed nothing?"

The writing is so monumentally beautiful I simply can't even convey it. Fatima Farheen Mirza simply has a way with words. I guess that is the point of being an author... haha. But seriously, this is something else entirely. I love these types of books, when you are so wholly immersed into the story, you FEEL everything along with the very real characters sitting next to you.

A Place for Us isn't just a book about identity, culture and traditions. It is a book about being HUMAN. The human experience that transcends our differences; and what it means to be a good mother, a good father, a good sibling or even a good member of the community.

"She had tried her best. Her intentions were good, were they not? It was hardly a comfort now. Intentions shrank next to actions. Actions took on their own momentum". 

 It is about a family trying and sometimes failing, catastrophically.

The writing style and jumping timeline really worked for me. I had no problems following it, and thought it was extremely effective in giving a well-rounded picture. The ONLY time it didn't work for me was when the ending was sort of a mash-up of a previous chapter. Since I had already felt those emotions, they were subdued by the time I got to the end.

This is definitely going to be one of my favourite reads for 2018. It will linger LONG after you finish reading the last page.