“10 Reasons to Love A Place For Us” is an easy post to write because this is one book on my lifetime favorites list. Do you have a list of lifetime favorites?

Genre/Categories/Setting: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Family Life, Cultural Heritage, Diverse Read, California Wedding

10 Reasons to Love A Place For Us

I’m linking up today with That Artsy Reader Girl for Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Things I Love About [Book Title].

***This post contain Amazon affiliate links

1. Complicated Family Drama

I love complicated family drama when it’s not dysfunctional (i.e. unhappy people living unhappy lives). This is the story of a lovely family facing common issues and trying their best.

2. Parents Trying Their Best

I think most of us who are parents can relate to trying our best and still it’s not enough. This is just one of many thought-provoking themes.

3. Multiple Perspectives

I love a story from multiple perspectives and this reading experience reminded me of a kaleidoscope in that we see the situation one way and then we turn it slightly and we can see a new perspective. As is common in a story from varied perspectives, it might take you a bit to adjust to “the kaleidoscope” structure.

4. Sibling Dynamics

This is a story of three siblings: two sisters and one brother. While I grew up with two sisters, my own family consists of two daughters and one son, so I appreciate sibling dynamics!

5. Father/Son Relationship

Near the end of the story the author provides the most exquisitely written and tender father/son section (Prodigal Son vibes) which, in my opinion, is the highlight of the entire story and is the reason I’ve rated it 5+ Stars and have it on my lifetime favorites list. IYKYK. Although it might leave you wanting a sequel, it’s realistic, heartfelt, and hopeful.

“Of all my mistakes the greatest, the most dangerous, was not emphasizing the mercy of God.” ~Rafiq

6. 1st Generation Traditional Family Values in Conflict With 2nd Generation Contemporary Life

This is another compelling theme (and so discussable). I don’t think you have to be an immigrant family to identify with this situation. Children often put a new spin on the values of their parents. There are generational tensions over values and traditions.

7. Faith

When I first considered this book, I thought “What do I have in common with a Muslim family?” Well, I come from a strong faith tradition that spans generations and I found that it was easy to relate to children forming their own relationship to the faith of their parents. Faith is important in my family and in theirs, so it was easy to identify with the devotion, struggles, tension, and feelings.

8. A Mom’s Heart

I completely relate to this mom and the striving to do one’s best for your family and your children and still falling short. Many of us try our very best, and often our efforts are misunderstood or discounted. It’s complicated and heartbreaking at times!

9. A Wedding Structures the Story

A Place For Us begins at a family wedding as the family wonders if the son/brother (the prodigal) will show up. Then we flash back through family history and get to know each character. The story ends at the same wedding with an appearance by the son/brother and a confrontation/heart-to-heart between father and son. Most of us have attended a family wedding and are aware of all the dynamics at play, the history that has brought us to this point. The BELONGING.

10 Admiration For Author

As I read this story, I was continually amazed that a young author could know so much about complicated family dynamics, motivations, and relationships. A Place For Us was published when Mirza was twenty-eight (so she must have been writing it at 26 and 27).

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I hope I’ve given you compelling reasons to justify my love for this book. It’s difficult to share a book you’ve loved so much in mere words. A Place For Us represents my perfect read: thoughtful, poignant, relatable, and memorable. I made significant connections and felt strong emotions. It gave me a book “hang over” and I thought about it for days and weeks. I still think about it.

At the end of conflict, misunderstanding, best intentions, and brokenness, there is grace and mercy and love. I shed a few tears. See my full review here.

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QOTD:

Have you read A Place For Us? What is one book you have on your lifetime favorites list?

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Happy Reading Bookworms!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection!
Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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All books I review are purchased or borrowed from the library unless explicitly stated that the book is free (arc).

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