The Writing on My Forehead (P.S.) - Softcover

Haji, Nafisa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061493864 ISBN 13: 9780061493867

Publisher: William Morrow & Company, 2010

Synopsis

Free-spirited and rebellious, Saira has grown up in California with her sister Ameena. From childhood, she has broken the boundaries between her desire for independence and her family's traditions. Now, curious about the world, Saira travels to Karachi for a wedding, and stumbles on family secrets that will shape the rest of her life.

About this title

Review

"A masterful first novel." -- Booklist

A masterful first novel. --Booklist

"(A) deeply moving and beautifully written novel about different generations of an Indo-Pakistani family takes the reader on an emotional journey into how family and traditions define us and our choices in life. It's a fast read, but its deeper meaning resonates long after the last page."--Associated Press

"THE WRITING ON MY FOREHEAD by Nafisa Haji explores how a family's history--one spanning continents, love affairs, and political revolutions--can both haunt and heal."--Parade (Parade Pick)

"(An) impressive debut. Haji achieves an effortless commingling of family and social history in this intricate story that connects a young woman and her family over continents and through generations."--Publishers Weekly

"A masterful first novel."--Booklist

""An elegantly written look at family dynamics and how cultural traditions shape lives. Poses questions and doesn't give all the answers, allowing the reader to draw his or her own conclusions and continue the dialogue long after finishing the book."--Deseret News

"Just as Saira's mother tenderly traced the words of protective prayers on her daughters' foreheads each night, so too does this book leave a stamp on us. As we open ourselves to this culture, it becomes inscribed within us, as if its rich history was written onto our foreheads."--Chattanooga Times Free Press

"Grab a cup of chai (tea), and curl up in a big chair to read; time will fly and you'll want to refill your cup before you even think about putting this book down. (The story) will stay with you for a long while."--Wichita Falls, TX, Times Record News

"THE WRITING ON MY FOREHEAD is not only a family history but also a social history with an ambitious arc. Haji deftly illustrates how the Qaders' lives intersect with defining world events. (Haji is a) talented new writer of sense and a distinct sensibility."--San Francisco Chronicle

From the Back Cover

From childhood, willful, intelligent Saira Qader broke the boundaries between her family's traditions and her desire for independence. A free-spirited and rebellious Muslim-American of Indo-Pakistani descent, she rejected the constricting notions of family, duty, obligation, and fate, choosing instead to become a journalist, the world her home.

Five years later, tragedy strikes, throwing Saira's life into turmoil. Now the woman who chased the world to uncover the details of other lives must confront the truths of her own. In need of understanding, she looks to the stories of those who came before—her grandparents, a beloved aunt, her mother and father. As Saira discovers the hope, pain, joy, and passion that defined their lives, she begins to face what she never wanted to admit—that choice is not always our own, and that faith is not just an intellectual preference.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0061493864
• ISBN 13: 9780061493867
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336