Four Eids and a Funeral

by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, Adiba Jaigirdar

Overview

Ex-best friends must work together in this romantic story of rekindling and rebuilding, from award-winning authors Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Ace of Spades) & Adiba Jaigirdar (Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating)!

When Said Hossain's favorite hometown librarian dies, he must return from boarding school for her funeral and for the summer. Too bad being home makes it a lot harder to avoid facing his ex–best friend, Tiwa Olatunji, or facing the daunting task of telling his Bangladeshi parents that he would rather be an artist than a doctor.

Tiwa doesn’t understand what made Said start ignoring her, but it’s probably that fancy boarding school of his. Though he’s unexpectedly home for the summer, she’s determined to take a page from him and pretend he doesn’t exist. Besides, she has more than enough going on, between grieving her favorite librarian and her broken family while helping her mother throw the upcoming Eid celebration at the Islamic Center—a place that means so much to Tiwa.

But when the center accidentally catches fire, the mayor plans to demolish it entirely. Tiwa and Said will need to put their feelings aside if they're going to get the mayor to change his mind. Will all their efforts be enough to save the Islamic Center, save Eid, and maybe even save their relationship?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250890122
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	02/17/2026
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is the instant New York Times, international bestselling, & award-winning author of Ace of Spades. She is an avid tea drinker, a collector of strange mugs, and a graduate from a university in the Scottish Highlands where she received a BA in English Literature. She also has an MA in Shakespeare Studies from Kings College London. When she isn’t spinning dark tales, Faridah can be found examining the deeper meanings in Disney channel original movies.

Adiba Jaigirdar is the critically-acclaimed and bestselling author of The Henna Wars, Hani & Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating, Rani Choudhury Must Die, and co-author of Four Eids and a Funeral. A Bangladeshi/Irish writer and teacher, she has an MA in Postcolonial Studies from the University of Kent, England and a BA in English and History from UCD, Ireland. All of her writing is aided by tea, and a healthy dose of Janelle Monáe and Hayley Kiyoko. When not writing, she is probably ranting about the ills of colonialism, playing video games, or expanding her overflowing lipstick collection. She can be found on Twitter and Instagram.

Editorial Reviews

"The engaging writing tackles grief, anti-Black racism within the Muslim community, and the teens’ navigating and reconciling parental expectations with personal dreams. A love story that successfully blends the lighthearted with the serious to demonstrate the power of community." —Kirkus

"Writing duo Àbíké-Íyímídé and Jaigirdar pen a charming tale of two teens whose love for their community restores their strained relationship. The funny intro and excellent overarching themes create the enjoyable dual perspective of miscommunications and growth as Said and Tiwa face challenges within their families and friends. A sweet romance about finding your way back to those who matter most." —School Library Journal

"Àbíké-Íyímídé (Where Sleeping Girls Lie) and Jaigirdar (A Million to One) craft a lighthearted rom-com that’s bookended by potent depictions of cultural customs, personal revelations, past hurts, laugh-out-loud moments, and a satisfying romantic conclusion." —Publishers Weekly

"Even while touching on some thorny topics—racism within the Muslim community, microaggressions—the novel creates a dynamic sense of second-generation immigrant Muslim teenage life. . .the captivating characters and their unique voices make for an entertaining and lively read." —Horn Book

"A warm hug of a book. FOUR EIDS AND A FUNERAL feels like coming home for the summer. Readers are certain to root for Tiwa, Said, and of course, Laddoo the cat." —Farah Naz Rishi, author of It All Comes Back to You

"Hilarious and heartfelt, this young adult romance about ex-best friends thrown back together to save their local Islamic center—-and perhaps their fractured relationship—-is a charming collaboration between two of the best Muslim authors in contemporary YA. Àbíké-Íyímídé and Jaigirdar are a dream team!" —Priyanka Taslim, author of The Love Match

“Bursting with joy, humour and so much love – for romance, for community, for home and the people who make us – Four Eids and a Funeral is a beautiful and poignant rom-com. I would do anything for Tiwa and Said and their enemies to lovers romance is fraught with tension, complexity and yearning – not to mention a very excellent cat.” —Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

“Said and Tiwa’s love story is sweet and uplifting, and their quest to save their community’s Islamic centre will have you cheering! A fresh take on the classic friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romcom.” —Michelle Quach, author of Not Here to Be Liked

“I loved the representation of two Muslims who are at different stages in their faith walk but they both are passionate about fighting for the Islamic Centre and making sure that Muslims are represented in their community. Four Eids and a Funeral is a slow-burn, will-they-won't-they, sweet romance that celebrates faith, community and second chances.” —Abiola Bello, bestselling author of Emily Knight I am

From the Publisher

2024-04-05
Tragedy reunites estranged childhood friends.

When Ms. Barnes, his beloved hometown librarian, dies, Said Hossain’s older sister, Safiyah, picks him up from boarding school a week before summer vacation so he can return home to Vermont for the funeral. The somber occasion puts Said back in contact with childhood friend Tiwa Olatunji, who hasn’t forgiven him for leaving her and their community behind. Thrust back together, Said and Tiwa must reconcile their past while dealing with current challenges, which include saving the local Islamic center (after being damaged by a fire on the day of Ms. Barnes’ funeral, it’s now slated to be torn down and replaced with apartments), ensuring that the upcoming community Eid celebration can go off without a hitch, and figuring out how to heal their friendship and move forward as romantic feelings grow between them. Told from Said’s and Tiwa’s alternating first-person perspectives, the narrative successfully transitions between the co-authors’ equally strongly executed chapters. The engaging writing tackles grief, anti-Black racism within the Muslim community, and the teens’ navigating and reconciling parental expectations with personal dreams. The characters reflect the lived diversity of the American Muslim community: Said is Bangladeshi American, while Tiwa, who’s Black, is Nigerian American; lesbian Safiyah embarks on a sweet relationship with another girl from the Islamic center.

A love story that successfully blends the lighthearted with the serious to demonstrate the power of community. (Romance. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews