Release date - 13th June 2019
Book length - 464 pages Publisher - Zaffre Worldwide - www.bookdepository.com Amazon UK - www.amazon.co.uk Amazon US - www.amazon.com I want to thank Sahina from www.bonnierbooks.co.uk for providing me with a copy of this book for review. ABOUT THIS BOOK Accountant Bilal Hasham and his journalist wife, Mariam, plod along contentedly in the sleepy, chocolate box village they've lived in for eight years. Then Bilal is summoned to his dying mother's bedside in Birmingham. Sakeena Hasham is not long for this world but refuses to leave it until she ensures that her son remembers who he is: a Muslim, however much he tries to ignore it. She has a final request. Instead of whispering her prayers in her dying moments, she instructs Bilal to go home to his village, Babbels End, and build a mosque. Mariam is horrified. The villagers are outraged. How can a grieving Bilal choose between honouring his beloved mum's last wish and preserving everything held dear in the village he calls home? But it turns out home means different things to different people. Battle lines are drawn and this traditional little community becomes the colourful canvas on which the most current and fundamental questions of identity, friendship, family and togetherness are played out. What makes us who we are, who do we want to be, and how far would we go to fight for it? MY REVIEW If there is a book that the world needs right now, it is THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Ayisha Malik. Bilal and his family have integrated easily into the small, quaint village of Babbels End. They are on all of the committees, work in the community and feel a part of it all. But when Bilal's mother dies, he struggles with his grief and his identity because his mother's last request is for him to return to Babbel's End and build a mosque. A little lost Bilal believes that in honouring his mother's last wish he will find the sense of peace that he has been searching for but he never expected the opposition that appears in the shape of some of his friends. As most of the community close ranks and demand that he forgets all about building a mosque in their village, Bilal and his family must decide whether to stand up for their rights to pray in their hometown, or whether to walk away from it all. But you cannot walk away from who you are. As more trouble brews and Bilal's marriage begins to show cracks, he will question whether all of this trouble is worth it. Can a community with different beliefs and traditions find a way to come together? THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Ayisha Malik is such a powerful and emotional story told in a gentle and almost hypnotic way that you find yourself really emotionally invested without even realising it. This story delves into faith, grief, loss, and uncertainty in such a way that makes you stop and think and really feel what is happening in these characters lives. But there are also moments of laughter and light in the shape of Bilal's extended family, and Khala Rukhsana is a treasure and I loved the gentle part she plays throughout because she often had the greatest impact with her kindness. In a world full of divides, THIS GREEN AND PLEASANT LAND by Ayisha Malik is a book that should be in every library and every bookstore. An exquisite story of tradition, beliefs, and hope for the future. AUTHOR BIO Ayisha is a British Muslim, lifelong Londoner, and lover of books. She read English Literature and went on to complete an MA in Creative Writing (though told most of her family it was an MA in English Literature – Creative Writing is not a subject, after all.) She has spent various spells teaching, photocopying, volunteering and being a publicist. Now, when she isn’t searching for a jar of Nutella in her cupboards, she divides her time between writing and being managing editor at Cornerstones Literary Consultancy. For more information: Website - www.ayishamalik.com Twitter - twitter.com/Ayisha_Malik Facebook - www.facebook.com/AyishaMalikAuthor/ Instagram - www.instagram.com/ayisha82/
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WelcomeHi fellow bookworms. My name is Linda and I'm a reviewer & blogger, wife & mother who loves all things books! Currently ReadingUPCOMING BLOG TOURS
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