Review: Painted Hands

Source: TLC Book Tours

Painted Hands by Jennifer Zobair
Genre: Adult Fiction
Pages:  336 (Hardcover)
Author's Website
Buy it: Amazon | Kindle | B&N | Book Depo

Description:

Muslim bad girl Zainab Mir has just landed a job working for a post-feminist, Republican Senate candidate. Her best friend Amra Abbas is about to make partner at a top Boston law firm. Together they’ve thwarted proposal-slinging aunties, cultural expectations, and the occasional bigot to succeed in their careers. What they didn’t count on? Unlikely men and geopolitical firestorms.

When a handsome childhood friend reappears, Amra makes choices that Zainab considers so 1950s—choices that involve the perfect Banarasi silk dress and a four-bedroom house in the suburbs. After hiding her long work hours during their courtship, Amra struggles to balance her demanding job and her unexpectedly traditional new husband.

Zainab has her own problems. She generates controversy in the Muslim community with a suggestive magazine spread and friendship with a gay reporter. Her rising profile also inflames neocons like Chase Holland, the talk radio host who attacks her religion publicly but privately falls for her hard. When the political fallout from a terrorist attempt jeopardizes Zainab's job and protests surrounding a woman-led Muslim prayer service lead to violence, Amra and Zainab must decide what they’re willing to risk for their principles, their friendship, and love.

The Namesake meets Sex and the City in this engaging and provocative debut novel about friendship and the love lives of American Muslim women.

My Rating:

My Review:

I could not put this book down.  It was so amazing and I loved everything about it.  It's during these times, where it's so hard for me to write a review because I don't want to give anything away and there are so many thoughts buzzing in my head.

We follow Zainab and Amra, two Muslim American women caught in the middle of two cultures because both cultures struggle with the idea of a person belonging to more than one culture at the same time.  Zainab struggles because she doesn't  know where she fits in.  While she is a role model to some, she's the epitome of what's wrong to others.  But before she can get too comfortable, she's reminded that she doesn't completely fit even when she has love and respect.  Amra hasn't had a problem fitting in until she sees her happily-ever-after just within her reach.  She fears if she doesn't stay true to her roots, she'll lose everything.  But does she have to give up her dreams and is that still happily-ever-after if she does?

Gah!  There's so much more that this book is about, but I can't go on and on.  The book isn't solely through the point of views of Amra and Zainab as my description suggests, but dives into many affected persons.  I loved how the characters struggled with very real very difficult decisions that had no real answers.  I loved all the characters even though I found Hayden to be a tad bit creepy.  I loved all the grey areas.  I've only mentioned the women but the men are complex and as well.  I had a love/hate relationship with them.  All the characters seemed like real people.  I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.  There were so many moments when I had to pause to bask in the eloquence.  It was truly wonderful.

This one book has made Jennifer Zobair an auto-buy from now on.