Have you been thinking about reading These Impossible Things? Read on for my book review of this fabulous book!
After having my baby a little over a year ago, I tended to reach for lighter, fun reads that didn’t require a lot of mental capacity. Thankfully, now I’m getting a full nights sleep again, which means I am starting to get back into more contemporary fiction. (but the lighter reads will always have a place in my reading line up!). These Impossible Things by Salma El-Wardany is a stunning piece of writing that addresses many of the challenges that women face in our world today.
Synopsis
Malak, Kees, and Jenna have been friends since childhood. Together they have always navigated what it means to be Muslim women in London. However, one night, underlying tensions come to the surface and the three women suffer a terrible rift in their friendships. Sadly, they go their separate ways, and each woman faces incredible hardships on their own when they could use their friends more than ever.
Review/Thoughts
- This is a coming of age story of three different women.
- I loved the character development! These are real women who simultaneously grapple with what it means to be religious, modern, sexual, and traditional.
- The book alternates between the different women with each chapter focusing on a different character.
- The women are forced to grow up on their own as they are barely speaking to each other any more. This is an interesting plot choice.
- Perhaps El-Wardany is arguing that sometimes we need to branch out on our own to truly discover who we are and what is important to us.
- El-Wardany tackles big issues that women face.
- At times her writing is absolutely chilling, making you experience the suffering of her characters.
- There is one, short paragraph describing an event in Jenna’s life that really stuck with me. El-Wardany’s matter-of-fact tone juxtaposed with what she was saying was really powerful.
- I think every woman can relate to this story in some way as we all try to navigate early adulthood and balance who we are with what we’ve been taught by our family and culture.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
You can buy These Impossible Things by clicking here. Happy reading!