Nishat is a teenage girl living in Dublin who decides to come out to her Bengali parents, only to be met with a silent refusal to acknowledge her identity. When her school announces a business competition, Nishat launches a henna boutique to showcase her heritage. Her plans are complicated when Flávia, a Brazilian-Irish classmate and Nishat’s secret crush, starts a rival henna business. This rivalry triggers a conflict over cultural appropriation, as Nishat struggles to defend a tradition that is hers by birth against a competitor who adopts it for profit.
Teens interested in contemporary queer romance and social justice read this book to see how intersectional identities collide in a high school setting. Readers walk away with a clear understanding of the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation within the immigrant experience. The story provides a template for navigating family rejection while maintaining a connection to one’s cultural roots. It serves those looking for realistic depictions of South Asian life in the diaspora, specifically focusing on the friction between traditional values and individual autonomy.
Practical, inward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Escapist Adventurer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
