If you were waiting to pick up this stunning and epic family saga, now is the time because it’s just been released in paperback!

The only reason I didn’t read it when it came out last year was, well, all the hype.

The more publicity and hype a book receives, the longer I take to read it. Most of the promotional hype was due to the fact that Sarah Jessica Parker, best known for her role as Carrie Bradshaw in the HBO series Sex in the City, is the editor. SJP’s passion for this story helped propel it to the top of every booklist last summer.

Fortunately, “A Place for Us” lives up to all the critical acclaim, awards, and blurbs.

The story opens as an American Shia Muslim family prepares to gather for the wedding of Hadia, oldest daughter of Rafiq and Layla. There is tension due to rebellious Hadia’s controversial decision to include her estranged younger brother in the festivities. This once close and loving family has secrets and betrayals slowly revealed in multiple points of view.

“An impassioned debut novel. . . Mirza is attuned to the subtle ways in which siblings and parents compete for one another’s affection. A ruminative final section, in which the father addresses his wayward son, is a moving coda.”

-The New Yorker

If you savor a rich, layered family story with complicated characters whose stories you become invested in, you will appreciate “A Place for Us.” Fatima Farheen Mirza is a masterful storyteller and I look forward to following her writing career.

Happy Reading!

P.S. Do you prefer a paperback book?