Publishers Weekly
06/26/2023
A queer teen travels from Kansas to attend the wedding of her estranged father, a famous polo player treated like Indian royalty, in this madcap romance by Khan (Meet Me in Mumbai). Ever since queer 18-year-old Mehar Rabbani and her mother emigrated from India to the U.S. without Mehar’s father when she was four, her relationship with him has been strained. When he invites Mehar to attend his wedding, she agrees, hoping to rebuild their relationship. Once she’s in India, however, her father has little time for her; it turns out that planning a wedding between a beloved athlete and a well-known socialite is a lot more involved than Mehar expected. While he’s preoccupied navigating press and media junkets with his fiancé and her social media influencer daughter, Aleena, Mehar is thrust into a world of opulence and grandeur previously unknown to her, all the while growing closer to her extended family and finding friendship—and budding first love—with her grandmother’s assistant, Sufiya. A convoluted plot that feels reminiscent of The Reluctant Debutante sometimes moves in fits and starts. Khan nevertheless depicts Mehar’s trip to India—including a romantic midnight visit to the Taj Mahal—in dazzling detail that elucidates a lush and inviting atmosphere. Ages 12–up. (July)
From the Publisher
Praise for What a Desi Girl Wants:
"A madcap romance. Lush and inviting." — Publishers Weekly
Praise forZara Hossain Is Here:
Featured in The New York Times
* "[Zara Hossain Is Here] establishes Khan as a powerful rising voice in YA." — Booklist, starred review
"Fans of Samira Ahmed, Tahereh Mafi, and Randa Abdel-Fattah will find Khan's powerful work timely and affecting." — School Library Journal
"Khan's examination of the legal difficulties many immigrants face on their road to citizenship, and the precariousness of the immigrant experience more generally, fortify this timely novel." — Teen Vogue
* "Khan unapologetically tackles prejudice in its various manifestations while simultaneously engaging openly with the complexities of accountability. A vivid account exploring issues many immigrant teens face." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Khan creates a gripping story line centering the conflict between prejudice and tolerance." — Publishers Weekly
Praise forThe Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali:
Featured on NBC News and the BBC
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Teen Indie Next List Pick (IndieBound)
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
"An intersectional, diverse coming of age story that will break your heart in the best way." — Bustle
* "With an up-close depiction of the intersection of the LGBTQIA+ community with Bengali culture, this hard-hitting and hopeful story is a must-purchase for any YA collection." — School Library Journal, starred review
"This book will break your heart and then, chapter by chapter, piece it back together again. A much-needed addition to any YA shelf." — Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi and From Twinkle, With Love
"Heart-wrenching yet hopeful. Sabina Khan crafts a powerful, poignant story about finding yourself, about speaking your truth, and about stepping out of the shadows and into the light." — Samira Ahmed, New York Times bestselling author of Love, Hate and Other Filters
"A daring and timely novel." — Tanuja Desai Hidier, author of Born Confused and Bombay Blues
"Bold, heartbreaking, yet hopeful. A story that will stay with you for years to come." — Sara Farizan, Lambda Award-winning author of If You Could Be Mine
"The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali unapologetically explores the complex ties between families, friends, and intersectional diversity. Khan brings talent and voice in this brilliant novel that will keep you reading until the very last page." — Nisha Sharma, author of My So-Called Bollywood Life
Kirkus Reviews
2023-04-24
Mehar Rabbani reluctantly travels from Newton, Kansas, to Agra, India, over winter break for her father’s wedding, hoping to mend their relationship and meet his new family.
Mehar’s famous polo player father’s luxurious royal lifestyle, his impending wedding to a socialite, and the constant online documentation by his fiancee’s social media influencer daughter ensure many soirees and paparazzi always hot on their trail. Though reconnecting with her grandmother and aunts brings back fond childhood memories, Mehar is often baffled by royal etiquette. Sufiya, her grandmother’s young assistant, helps her find her bearings, which leads to a growing friendship that blooms into a romance. Mehar uncovers secrets behind the unravelling of her parents’ marriage and continues to harbor nagging suspicions about her future stepmother’s and stepsister’s motivations. Convinced they have less than noble intentions for marrying into her father’s family, she plans to stop the wedding. The story explores the secret Sapphic romance as well as concepts such as personal sacrifice and societal pressures to bow to tradition over pursuing self-realization and love. Richly described palatial surroundings, lavish feasts, and bedazzling clothes and jewelry embellish the plot. However, the lightly developed characters end up in contrived situations, and the revelations of family skeletons and internal relationship dynamics don’t have the intended tensions or satisfying resolutions.
Leans on glamour and the countdown to an opulent wedding to balance out a thin plot. (Fiction. 12-18)
