Nazia is fourteen, on the cusp of becoming woman in Pakistan where her family lives. Her life consists of school and friends until her father suffers a work injury and Nazia is forced to drop out of school and begin work cleaning houses with her mother. Although Nazia's station in life has changed greatly, she feels compelled to help her mother and remain by her side. Despite her diminished status Nazia manages to find more possibilities than she ever imagined for herself and must make some decisions about her own future and whether or not it will include the marriage her parents planned for her.
I enjoyed Nazia's relationship with her mother and it's complexity. Nazia loved her mother yet struggled with being dutiful. She still wished for things for herself but wanted to please her mother. I could feel Nazia being torn in two directions and applauded her final decision.
This is a debut novel by Amjed Qamar, a great young adult novel about another culture.
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