That Can Be Arranged : A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy

It is typical of me to jump from one readathon to another. 😛 I am participating in the Ramadan Readathon this year and hoping to read as much Muslim Authors I can during this month. So there is no set TBR but I am going for at least 5 books. I guess that is doable.. I got a head start with this educational yet funny memoir.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

Navigating mismatched suitors, gossiping aunties, and societal expectations for Muslim women, That Can Be Arranged deftly and hilariously reveals to readers what it can be like to find a husband as an observant Muslim woman in the twenty-first century.So relevant in today’s evolving cultural climate, Fahmy’s story offers a perceptive and personal glimpse into the sometimes sticky but ultimately rewarding balance of independent choice and tradition.

THOUGHTS

Before getting my thoughts, I want to share how over the moon I was to get a comment from the author itself on my Instagram Post… She is super talented and her posts are always funny and heartwarming. You should definitely check her out. And, I woke to having a fan girl moment when I read this comment –

The Valuable Lesson
Even though this book has a Muslim protagonist and traditions are different and more diverse, even though she chose to spend her youth where people like me would not really believe in as much”spiritual enlightenment” . This imparts a valuable lesson every woman that looks to get married can learn and I am not saying in a way that you will have to decipher the underlying message in the humor because the author has delivered it so aptly that even though you end up laughing at her monologues, you realize that indeed waiting for the right one and investing in yourself is the right thing to do. No matter what kind of love story that might be.

The Humor
This reads like an Own Voices book and while she teases at the dos and dont’s of her culture and faith she chooses to believe, she is equally respectful of her religion.She does that with utmost grace indeed. Also, OMG, she is funny and she knows it.

The Traditions & The Culture
This book is extremely educational when it comes to explaining about their traditions and culture. She talks about the whole courtship process and it is rather enlightening to know the rules, a few Urdu Words and the different rituals that follow. To be honest, I had so much fun sending a few comics to my boyfriend now and again as he is a Muslim too and it sparked up interesting conversations. This one is going to be a memorable book to me.

THE JANE AUSTEN REFERENCE
I am not going to add in spoilers but this book has Jane Austen references so if you’re a fan of Jane Austen you will see those and your heart will flutter. 😛

RATING: ★★★★

Overall, this book reads out like a girl talking about the love of her life and how she met the one. Like the girl that daydreams of her fairy tale love story in the mundane life. It indeed is a good book and I highly recommend this. It is as authentic as own voices books can get. I wish it was longer.