Thank you to Atlantic Books for providing me with a physical copy for the review purposes!
Synopsis:
Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.
When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.
As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.
My review:
Going into this book, all I knew was that it was by the same author as Ayesha At Last, which I enjoyed last year, and that this book would feature a restaurant rivalry and rivals-to-lovers trope. Of course, that was all I needed before delving into this book.
Hana Khan is a funny and sweet book – it features a hijabi protagonist, a loving family and of course, drama. The author is able to weave a heart-warming book about familial love, devotion and hope, while still keeping it light-hearted. Though there is a hate crime that occurs, the central element of this story was the theme of hope and dreams and we get to go on a journey with our protagonist. Hana works 2 jobs, is 24 and aspiring to have her own broadcast series. Everything, is of course, turned upside down with the arrival of Aydin, the rival restauranteur and love interest. What follows is an intense rivalry, filled with sabotage and a healthy dose of awkward moments.
My main enjoyment came from seeing Hana put into these awkward and less than ideal situations as well as the introduction of her cousin, Rashid, and Kawkab Khala, an aunt visiting from India. Both Rashid and Kawkab Khala provided the majority of the comic relief and their humour was greatly placed in between the other aspects of this story. There was of course a story involving climbing a tree and suspicion of Rashid being from a mafia family that made me laugh.
Hana, as our main protagonist, undergoes significant development over the course of this book. She starts off unable to reconcile with the failing family restaurant and her own stagnation at the radio station she interns at. We first see her as petty and being quick to sabotage and revenge instead of taking on the criticisms thrown her way. However, she grows as an individual and recognises her shortcomings as well as going after her dreams. Islamophobia is discussed in this book as well as micro-aggressions in the workplace and indirect discrimination. I was reminded of the author’s previous work, Ayesha at Last, which also displayed direct racism and Islamophobia against the practicing Muslim male protagonist. In my opinion, I felt that it was well handled in Hana Khan and as a reader, you do pick up on it faster than Hana, however, it becomes clear that she would disregard the comments made by her boss, Marissa.
Hana was also able to apologise and take accountability of her lying and spreading of very unsavoury rumours which was comforting to see, especially if younger readers pick up this book. That said, it is marketed as an adult rom com, but due to it being between 2 practicing Muslims, the content is teen friendly, with the exception of cursing.
Personally, I wasn’t invested in the romance element of this book as I felt it was rushed and under-developed. I wasn’t interested in Hana and Aydin’s feelings and I found myself rooting for the side characters and the other storylines within the book. While there are cute moments between the two characters, I couldn’t find myself caring. I was also disinterested in Aydin, since he was clearly a pawn being used by his father, despite being 27 years old. In my opinion, the romance could have been limited or not even included and my enjoyment of the book would not be affected.
There is a lot contained in this book and I truly appreciated the focus on community and family and the positive representation of Muslims as a whole. Whilst the characters are not perfect themselves, its clear that they were worthy of redemption…except of course, Junaid Uncle. I would have liked a bit more dimension and insight into Junaid Uncle but the book is in first person narrative and so it wouldn’t have been possible without it being very on-the-nose.
I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a light and quick read. I would like to add that the Islamophobia and hate crime as a content warning, since the attacks are very upsetting. Other topics discussed included postnatal depression and loss are also explored. The author is incredibly talented at evoking intense emotions and one scene had me bawling, which is always a plus.
Let me know what you thought of the book!
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