Fatima Farheen Mirza Helps Enlightens Emergence of New South Asian American Narratives

Late 20th century literature has celebrated a shift in how younger members of the South Asian American community reflect on their heritage. Fatima Farheen Mirza, who recently published A Place for Us, represents this new wave.

In her first novel, Mirza shares a compelling narrative of an immigrant family grappling with societal obstacles and cultural values in the United States. The story follows Hadia, who falls in love with a man whose faith contradicts with her own.

The story weaves through an immigrant’s journey, going beyond culture shock to explore what it means to be Muslim in America.

“The first image came to me when I was 18,” said Mirza to The Guardian. “It was of a family gathered at the wedding of their eldest daughter and, as they’re about to take the family photograph, their son, Amar, cannot be found. The entire novel was written as a way for me to understand this moment. What were the dynamics in this family? What caused this fracturing [with Amar]?”

A Place for Us is for sale on Amazon and in many local bookstores.

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