PRAISE FOR AYESHA AT LAST
12 best books to read this summer
New York Times bestselling authors Elizabeth Gilbert, Jasmine Guillory, Jane Green and Tomi Adeyemi stop by TODAY with their picks for perfect books to pick up this summer, including Joanne Ramos' "The Farm" and Uzma Jalaluddin's "Ayesha At Last."
“A delicious and entertaining novel.”--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Jalaluddin cleverly illustrates the social pressures facing young Indian-Muslim adults…a highly entertaining tale of family, community, and romance.”--Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This modern, Muslim update of Pride and Prejudice will have readers smiling as they recognize the clever ways debut novelist Jalaluddin incorporates Austen’s words into her work. But even more powerful are the updated details." --Booklist (starred review)
"..[A] stellar debut from an author to watch. Jalaluddin takes a familiar plot and transforms it into a contemporary #ownvoices romance that is fresh, insightful, and thoroughly modern. The story of Ayesha and Khalid will leave readers swooning, but it will also get them thinking." -- Library Journal (starred review)
“Ayesha at Last is light and incandescent and deeply pleasurable from start to finish.”--The Christian Science Monitor
“Jalaluddin constructs a timely and enlightening narrative that validates the experiences of many South Asians and Muslims today, while weaving in universal themes of identity, class, and discrimination….Ayesha at Last‘s fictional universe acts as a microcosm of a diverse and oft-misunderstood community, and Jalaluddin’s compassionate and sensitive writing about it radiates off the page.”--NPR
“This sweet debut novel ticks all the boxes for one of summer’s best reads: it’s smart, witty, romantic and utterly charming.”--Canadian Living
“Come for Darcy reimagined as a hyper-conservative young man and Elizabeth Bennet as a wannabe poet frustrated by family obligation; stay for Uzma Jalaluddin’s warm portrait of life for twentysomething Muslims in suburban Toronto struggling to honor their heritage while pursuing their dreams.”--The Globe and Mail
Get an exclusive first look at the buzzy romance novel 'Ayesha At Last'
At last, American readers can get their first glimpse of Ayesha At Last, Uzma Jalaluddin's highly anticipated romance coming to shelves...
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The Book: "Ayesha at Last"
Look out, Mr. Darcy... Uzma Jalaluddin's debut novel offers a Muslim-Canadian twist on Jane Austen-style romance -- with a leading man named Khalid Mirza. She'll be here to talk about her book "Ayesha at Last."
The Changing Face of Romance Novels
Growing up in Minnesota, Helen Hoang suffered from crippling social anxiety and struggled to make friends. She found refuge in romance novels, frothy stories that allowed her to experience intense feelings that were clearly spelled out on the page, always with the promise of a happy ending. “It was like I found a pure, undiluted drug,” she said.
‘Ayesha at Last’ plays on a well-loved story arc
Romance, complicated family dynamics and mistake identity are just some of the ingredients of a juicy summer read—and Uzma Jalaluddin has written a book with all that and more.
5 tips for talking to your kids about global issues - Cityline.ca
It can be tough to talk to your children about what's happening in the world. It's a scary and sensitive topic. Editor-in-chief of Today's Parent, Sasha Emmons and Toronto Star columnist, Uzma Jalaluddin share five tips and strategies for broaching these discussions with your kids.
Toronto women on the future of feminism | Toronto Star
It seems that we're riding yet another wave of the women's movement. The Women's March on Washington in January - which inspired an estimated 5 million demonstrators across seven continents in 82 countries, including 60,000 in Toronto - signalled something is in the air.
Our Top Summer Reads To Feed Your Literary Soul | Canadian Living
Canadian Living staffers love a good book—and we know you do, too. Here are our picks of the first of this year's summer reading bounty. If these page-turners are anything to go by, we're in for a bumper crop!.
Keeping up with hijab chic | Toronto Star
Uzma Jalaluddin demonstrates an easy 1920s-inspired hijab style called 'The Turban.' (Melissa Renwick) The first hijab I fell in love with was a large white cotton triangle bordered with three inches of dangling lace fringe. I tied the scarf in the only style that all truly cool hijabis were sporting: a twisty headband rolled on top, with a bandana underneath.