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WORK TITLE: A Girl Like That
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://tanazbhathena.com/
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY: Indian
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Mumbai, India.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
AVOCATIONS:Traveling, learning foreign languages, watching movies, reading, music, dancing.
WRITINGS
Contributor of short stories to publications, including Blackbird, Room, and Witness.
SIDELIGHTS
Tanaz Bhathena is an Indian-born writer based in Canada. In an interview with a writer on the Rich in Color website, she discussed her unique childhood. She stated: “My parents moved us to Saudi Arabia when I was about a year old and I lived in Riyadh and Jeddah for the first fifteen years of my life. Living in a country as an expat can make you an outsider … but it also allows you to observe things more closely than other people. (I guess that’s what drew me to writing!).”
In 2018, Bhathena released her first novel, A Girl Like That. She discussed the plot of the novel in an interview with Daniela Martinez, contributor to the Pick My YA website. Bhathena stated: “A Girl Like That is about a girl named Zarin Wadia. She’s sixteen years old, an orphan, a troublemaker known for her romantic entanglements among her classmates. You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, people often say.” Bhathena continued: “But when Zarin is found dead in a car crash with a boy named Porus on a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the religious police arrive on the scene and everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is brought into question. As the story is pieced together through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that there was more to Zarin than what met the eye.” Zarin is stigmatized not only for her romantic relationships, but also because of her illegitimate birth and her religion, Zoroastrianism. Bhathena told Lucas Maxwell, writer on the Book Riot website: “Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion that originated in ancient Iran and was propagated by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra). It essentially revolves around the conflict between good and evil—represented by Ahura Mazda (God) and Ahriman (the Devil)—and predates Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Thousands of years ago, a group of Zoroastrians migrated from Iran to settle in India. They are known as Parsis and that’s where my heritage comes from.” Zarin’s aunt is judgmental and strict, but Zarin finds ways around her authority. She rebels by smoking cigarettes with her friends and spending time with boys, something that is frowned upon in her culture. Her aunt insinuates that Zarin’s mother is promiscuous and warns Zarin to choose a different path. Zarin’s life changes when she reconnects with Porus, a friend of hers from many years ago. Since both are Indians and non-Muslims, they bond over feeling like outsiders in Saudi Arabia. Her friendship with Porus helps her to become more vulnerable. Other characters in the book include Zarin’s crush, Farhan, her sister, Mishal, and Abdullah, a boy Zarin used to date. In the same interview with Maxwell, Bhathena noted: “My main inspiration behind writing this novel was to depict a part of Saudi Arabia that few, if any, books have been written about—the world outside royal palaces and gated compounds—with a focus on the expatriate middle class, not all of whom are Saudi and/or Muslim.”
“Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel about a free-spirited girl in present-day Saudi Arabia,” asserted a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Mahnaz Dar, critic in School Library Journal, suggested: “Bhathena’s lithe prose effortlessly wends between past and present.” Referring to the characters in the book, Dar stated: “Though these many voices aren’t always distinct, together they portray a restrictive society that attempts to subdue every woman.” A writer on the online version of Kirkus Reviews described A Girl Like That as “a fast-paced, fascinating read about a community rarely seen in young adult novels” and “a refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, November 27, 2017, review of A Girl Like That, p. 63.
School Library Journal, February, 2018, Mahnaz Dar, review of A Girl Like That, p. 97.
ONLINE
Book Riot, https://bookriot.com/ (January 28, 2018), Lucas Maxwell, author interview.
Kirkus Reviews Online, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (February 20, 2018), review of A Girl Like That.
Pick My YA, http://www.pickmyya.com/ (February 25, 2018), Daniela Martinez, author interview.
Rich in Color, https://richincolor.com/ (February 20, 2018), author interview.
Tanaz Bhathena Website, https://tanazbhathena.com/ (March 20, 2018).
BIO
Tanaz Bhathena was born in India and raised in Saudi Arabia and Canada. She is the author of A Girl Like That and The Beauty of the Moment (forthcoming in 2019). Her short stories have appeared in various journals including Blackbird, Witness and Room. A wanderer at heart, Tanaz can often be found travelling to different countries, learning bits and pieces of a foreign language, and taking way too many photographs. She loves slapstick comedies and any kind of music that makes her dance. She lives in the Toronto area with her family.
FAQ
How do I pronounce your name?
Tuh-naaz Bhaa-thay-naa. You can hear me pronounce it here.
What inspired you to write A Girl Like That?
I have a blog post about this on Fierce Reads.
Is A Girl Like That #ownvoices?
A Girl Like That is #ownvoices for Zoroastrianism and expat life in Saudi Arabia. Click here to learn more about #ownvoices.
Can I get an advanced reading copy (ARC) of your novels?
Please get in touch with my publisher for ARCs.
I would like you to write a guest post for my blog/website.
Please send me details about your blog/website and the topic at tanazbhathenabooks@gmail.com. If interested, I’ll be in touch with you.
What do you do for fun?
Apart from the obvious (reading!), I listen to music, travel to different countries, and watch Bollywood movies. (Lots of Bollywood movies!)
QUOTED: "Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion that originated in ancient Iran and was propagated by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra). It essentially revolves around the conflict between good and evil—represented by Ahura Mazda (God) and Ahriman (the Devil)—and predates Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Thousands of years ago, a group of Zoroastrians migrated from Iran to settle in India. They are known as Parsis and that’s where my heritage comes from."
"My main inspiration behind writing this novel was to depict a part of Saudi Arabia that few, if any, books have been written about—the world outside royal palaces and gated compounds—with a focus on the expatriate middle class, not all of whom are Saudi and/or Muslim."
LUCAS MAXWELL
01-28-18
Tanaz Bhathena was born in Mumbai and was raised in Saudi Arabia and eventually Toronto, Canada. She has been an award-winning short story author for almost ten years. Her debut YA novel A Girl Like That is a disturbing plunge into gender equality, mental health, abuse, bullying, rape and religion.
A Girl Like ThatA Girl Like That focuses on Zarin, a 16 year old girl with a bad reputation. She’s the girl parents tell their sons to stay away from. Her reputation is the source of endless gossip in school. Underneath it all, Zarin is much more than what the gossip says. In this scorching novel her life and the lives of those around her will be unfurled for everyone to see. It’s a punch to the gut that will no doubt will have people talking.
I was fortunate to have a chance to sit down with Tanaz to ask her about A Girl Like That and other things.
Lucas Maxwell: Can you describe how it felt to move to Canada from Saudi Arabia as a teenager? How did it change your perception of the world? Did you experience racism after you arrived?
There was a great deal of culture shock initially and it took a few years to adjust to everything around me. For example, in Saudi Arabia, I went to an all-girls school and had next to no interaction with boys.
I had to wear an abaya in public and didn’t care much about fashion. While all of these things changed eventually, I think the best part about moving to Canada was growing more confident in myself and my own abilities as a girl and a woman. I also learned to drive, which I wouldn’t have been able to do at the time in the Kingdom.
On the downside, I did experience racism shortly after I arrived. People would snicker or make rude comments if I wore Indian clothing. Once a girl tried to run me over with a bike on the sidewalk! Legally, Canada is a free country, but there was a strange sort of irony where you had to wear a uniform of sorts (in this case, Western clothing) to blend in here without being heckled, just like Saudi Arabia.
LM: Why do you feel it is important for teens to see themselves in the books that they read?
TB: Growing up, I never found myself in the books that I read. If I wanted to read about a Parsi character or a book set in Saudi Arabia, I’d usually end up reading something written for adults. Though I found some excellent books in the process, such as A Fine Balance and Girls of Riyadh, these novels essentially focused on adult problems. I always, in some way, felt isolated from the rest of my peers who did see themselves in the books they read.
Teens deserve to have stories that are entirely their own—from a perspective they can completely relate to—especially marginalized teens.
LM: Was it difficult to write from a teenage perspective? How did you ensure the voice was authentic?
TB: When I first started writing professionally, I had a creative writing mentor who would always mark up my manuscript with one word—“Why?”—the main question being: Why is your character doing this?
Questioning your characters and their actions, to me, forms the cornerstone in writing them authentically, whether they’re teen or adult. I think things only become difficult or inauthentic when, as a writer, you tell yourself “this is how someone from this age group would typically behave,” and leave it at that without examining how they’re influenced by their upbringing, life experiences, their political and cultural environment along with their interests and personality. It leads to stereotyping and caricatures, when what you really want to do is connect to the individual within the character.
All that said, I definitely enjoy writing teens a lot more than I do adult characters.
LM: Can you describe Zoroastrianism to someone who knows nothing about it? How influential was it in writing this novel and in your life growing up?
TB: Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion that originated in ancient Iran and was propagated by the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra). It essentially revolves around the conflict between good and evil—represented by Ahura Mazda (God) and Ahriman (the Devil)—and predates Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Thousands of years ago, a group of Zoroastrians migrated from Iran to settle in India. They are known as Parsis and that’s where my heritage comes from.
Zoroastrianism isn’t a well-known religion—people often thought I was making things up when I told them about it or that Freddy Mercury was Parsi! Growing up, I’d often cringe at the stereotypical depictions of Parsi characters in Hindi movies. It’s not until I read books by Bapsi Sidhwa, Rohinton Mistry and Thrity Umrigar—Zoroastrian authors who authentically portray Parsi life in their books—that I finally was inspired to start writing my own stories, one of which eventually became A Girl Like That.
LM: A Girl Like That sheds some disturbing light on how women and teen girls in particular are viewed and treated in Saudi Arabia. Do you feel the western world is largely unaware of this treatment and was it part of your inspiration to write this novel?
TB: My main inspiration behind writing this novel was to depict a part of Saudi Arabia that few, if any, books have been written about—the world outside royal palaces and gated compounds—with a focus on the expatriate middle class, not all of whom are Saudi and/or Muslim.
These days the western world is more aware of what goes on in Saudi Arabia when it comes to women’s rights—and I think we need to thank Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and various Saudi bloggers and activists who have been disseminating accurate information online about the Kingdom.
However, there are instances when western media tends to propagate stereotypes, and this was my biggest concern while writing this book—I didn’t want to pander to this perspective. At the same time, I didn’t want censor myself the way I might have, had I still been living in Saudi Arabia. I simply wanted to tell a story and tell it honestly.
LM: Can you describe how you landed on the decision to have your main character die on the first page?
TB: I had this vague idea that I wanted to write a dark comedy where the main character was dead and looking down at the scene of their accident. The comedy idea was a flop, but Zarin Wadia’s voice came forth—strong, sarcastic and funny—and I just let things evolve organically from there.
LM: In A Girl Like That, Zarin experiences both online and physical bullying. What do you think the effect that bullying (online especially) has on the mental health of teens today?
TB: Online bullying has immense impact on mental health—especially since teens these days spend more and more time on their computers or phones, for studies and for entertainment. It’s easy to grow desensitized, to forget that there is another human being at the other end of your screen, reading your words, until something terrible happens.
While it’s important to create safe spaces for teens to interact with each other online and take measures to protect them from bullies, it’s equally important to encourage them to spend time offline and engage in other activities. Bullies only thrive on attention from the bullied—the less they get it, online or off, the less energy they possess.
LM: Zarin is a strong character who finds herself in full conflict with Saudi Arabia’s societal rules and expectations surrounding women. Do you think this is the norm in today’s society? Are teenagers in Saudi Arabia starting to push back against these laws?
Saudi Arabia is currently in an interesting position because after a long period of stagnancy, many changes are being implemented in a short time by the new regime.
They hosted their first ever public concert for men in early 2017 and most recently their first ever public concert for women. Jeddah hosted its first ever Comic Con—an event open to both sexes—which was surprising even to the people who live there. In June 2018, after years of activism, women will finally be allowed to drive. These may seem like small changes to a westerner, but if you’ve lived in the Kingdom for a long period of time, you know this is big.
A Girl Like That is set in 2014, so there are still many issues discussed in the novel that are still relevant today when it comes to women’s rights and societal perception of women in Saudi Arabia. I’m sure there will be pushback—change isn’t accepted easily anywhere—but I do think that young people in the Kingdom are ready for it. They’re more connected to the world through social media, are more vocal about their opinions, and they’re very aware of how they’re perceived.
The key will be to find a balance between preserving the best parts of Saudi culture and heritage and continuing to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
QUOTED: "My parents moved us to Saudi Arabia when I was about a year old and I lived in Riyadh and Jeddah for the first fifteen years of my life. Living in a country as an expat can make you an outsider ... but it also allows you to observe things more closely than other people. (I guess that’s what drew me to writing!)."
Today we welcome Tanaz Bhathena to the blog. We’re excited to hear more about her new book, A Girl Like That, and learn more about her writing life.
Summary: A timeless exploration of high-stakes romance, self-discovery, and the lengths we go to love and be loved.
Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school. You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.
This beautifully written debut novel from Tanaz Bhathena reveals a rich and wonderful new world to readers. It tackles complicated issues of race, identity, class, and religion, and paints a portrait of teenage ambition, angst, and alienation that feels both inventive and universal.
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us about your work. What was the most difficult aspect of writing A Girl Like That?
The multiple perspectives! Some voices came a lot easier than others.
Where is your favorite place to write? Do you like to have any specific foods or drinks to encourage the process?
I love writing next to a big window. Even while travelling, I’ll always look for a place that has tons of natural light. I’m not much of a snacker, but during breaks I’ll have tea, medjool dates, fruit, sometimes cheese and nuts.
Who are the authors you’ve learned from and been inspired by in your reading and writing life?
There are many, but I’ll list the few whose books I’ve consistently read and loved over the past decade. Rohinton Mistry, Arundhati Roy, Khaled Hosseini and JK Rowling.
Where have you lived and how has that shaped you?
I was born in Mumbai, India. My parents moved us to Saudi Arabia when I was about a year old and I lived in Riyadh and Jeddah for the first fifteen years of my life. Living in a country as an expat can make you an outsider—in that country and your own—but it also allows you to observe things more closely than other people. (I guess that’s what drew me to writing!). In a strange way, though, I’m also now able to navigate different cultures with more ease; I know different words from a variety of languages; like many Third Culture Kids, I enjoy travelling.
On your FAQ page, you list watching Bollywood movies as something you do for fun. Could you share some favorite titles?
Warning: my tastes run into slapstick comedy. Favorites include: Satte pe Satta, Padosan, Hera Pheri (the one with Paresh Rawal), Deewana Mastana, 3 Idiots, Munnabhai MBBS, Lage Raho Munnabhai, and Queen.
I’m currently really looking forward to Padmaavat. (Wait, you said only favourites. Okay, I’ll shut up now…)
What would tell your teen self if you could send a letter back through time?
It won’t get any easier, but you’ll be a lot stronger.
Are you able to tell us anything about The Beauty of the Moment (coming in 2019)?
The Beauty of the Moment begins a year after A Girl Like That. Though it isn’t a true sequel (you can read it as a stand-alone), it follows a girl from Zarin Wadia’s school (Qala Academy in Jeddah) to Mississauga, Canada, where she comes across new challenges and finds new love.
A Girl Like That will be released on February 27th, so we’ll all be able to read it soon. Thanks again Tanaz!
QUOTED: "A Girl Like That is about a girl named Zarin Wadia. She’s sixteen years old, an orphan, a troublemaker known for her romantic entanglements among her classmates. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, people often say."
"But when Zarin is found dead in a car crash with a boy named Porus on a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the religious police arrive on the scene and everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is brought into question. As the story is pieced together through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that there was more to Zarin than what met the eye."
Hey, welcome back! Daniela here! For today’s interview, I’m joined by the incredible Tanaz Bhathena, lover of Bollywood movies and slapstick comedies. Her debut novel, A Girl Like That, is beautifully written story that you’re guaranteed to love once it hits bookstores this Tuesday! You may have already heard of Tanaz as her stories have been featured on journals such as Blackbird, Witness, and Room. Alright, I don’t want to keep you waiting. Let’s get to the interview!
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Daniela: Hey Tanaz! Thank you for joining me today and welcome to #BeyondTheBio! Your debut novel, A Girl Like That, comes out in just two days! Can you tell our readers little a bit about what they should expect?
Tanaz: Thanks, Daniela! Delighted to be here! A Girl Like That is about a girl named Zarin Wadia. She’s sixteen years old, an orphan, a troublemaker known for her romantic entanglements among her classmates. You don't want to get involved with a girl like that, people often say. But when Zarin is found dead in a car crash with a boy named Porus on a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the religious police arrive on the scene and everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is brought into question. As the story is pieced together through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that there was more to Zarin than what met the eye.
Daniela: I have to admit, my heart broke quite a few times while I was reading. This is not a very happy story, but it is a very important one. What inspired you to write about Zarin Wadia and heavy topics such as mental illness, rape culture, bullying, physical abuse, and gender roles?
Tanaz: There are two things which might surprise you:
1) I wanted this to be a short story.
2) I wanted it to be funny. (In a dark sort of way.)
Clearly, I failed on both counts, but the truth is that when I started writing Zarin’s story I had no idea about what themes or issues I’d be exploring. All I knew back then were these things: Zarin Wadia had some of my own religious background; she was very different from me in personality; she lived in Saudi Arabia; and she was already dead.
I also knew I wanted to write in a way I wouldn’t have been able to while living in the Kingdom: without censoring myself yet without pandering to the image Westerners have of that region.
The deeper I dug into Zarin’s story and the stories of various other characters, many issues began to surface. Some of these were very personal and there were many others that I wouldn’t have had the courage to openly discuss with a friend when I was sixteen, let alone write about. So, naturally, I had to put them in my first book.
Daniela: This book has parts with words and phrases in Arabic, Avestan, Hindi, and Gujarati. Are you fluent in all of those languages?
Tanaz: I wish! I’m fluent in Hindi and spoken Gujarati. I also have a rudimentary knowledge of Arabic and can read and write the script. Avestan is the language of the Avesta, which is the Zoroastrian holy text, and unfortunately, I have very little knowledge of that.
Daniela: Girl Like That features four different perspectives. Personally, I loved reading Porus’ kind and thoughtful words. What was your favorite perspective to write?
Tanaz: For me, it has to be Zarin because it was her voice that started this book and eventually propelled me into what became a ten year journey into publication. For some reason, it was easiest for me to slip into Zarin’s perspective whenever I was writing, even though we’re so dissimilar in real life. I also loved writing scenes that involved Zarin and Porus bantering.
Daniela: In one of the chapters, Porus writes about the importance of stories: “Stories, My father used to say, would always change the course of our lives, the greatest ones being retold over and over again, not to simply convey morals, or life lessons, but to bring other people together.” I believe Zarin’s story is one of the great ones that has the power to bring people together. How did you decide to become a writer of such stories?
Tanaz: Wow! That’s a massive compliment and I’m flattered! I think all I really wanted to do was create a story that resonated with readers, regardless of their cultural and religious backgrounds, and if I succeeded in doing that, I’m grateful.
Daniela: Do you see yourself in Zarin?
Tanaz: I do. There are bits of me in every character that I’ve written, even the villainous ones.
Daniela: What advice would you give to all the girls who, like Zarin and Mishal, feel trapped by expectations of what it means to be female?
Tanaz: When I was very young, my mother told me that girls belonged in the kitchen. The first thing I said was “Why?” followed shortly by: “No.”
I didn’t know back then that being female meant that I would have to say these two words quite often and in different situations throughout the years. Or that I would have every right to.
Never be afraid of challenging people with difficult questions. And never be afraid of saying no, if you don’t like the answer. Zarin and Mishal inspire me because they never stop fighting even in the face of all odds. I hope they will inspire you as well.
Daniela: Most of the book takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. There were so many great locations, but I especially loved the Corniche. What's your favorite place to visit in Jeddah?
Tanaz: The Corniche is my favorite, too! I especially love the Jeddah Fountain and the north end of the Corniche where a small Island Mosque juts out into the water by a coastline of gleaming black rocks. In fact, you can see the same mosque reflected in Zarin’s sunglasses on the book’s cover.
Daniela: Your novel is beautifully written, inspiring, and, most importantly, honest. What other books would you recommend for people looking for more of the same?
Tanaz: The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter, Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea, Difficult Women by Roxane Gay, milk and honey by Rupi Kaur, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini and A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.
Daniela: Lastly, is there anything you can tell us about your next novel, Last Days, First Days, which will be coming out 2019?
Tanaz: This is a sort of sequel to A Girl Like That, but it can be easily read as a stand-alone as it’s very different in terms of the topics and themes it deals with. The protagonist, Susan, who also went to Qala Academy (Zarin’s school in Jeddah), moves to Canada where she faces all sorts of new challenges and discovers new love.
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That’s it for today’s interview, but we’ll have another one next week so be sure to come back then! Also, we’ve got some pretty exciting things in the works for March. Join hundreds of your fellow YA lovers and sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss any of the awesomeness!
QUOTED: "Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel about a free-spirited girl in present-day Saudi Arabia."
A Girl Like That
Publishers Weekly.
264.48 (Nov. 27, 2017): p63.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* A Girl Like That
Tanaz Bhathena. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $17.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-374-30544-4
Bhathena makes an impressive debut with this eye-opening novel about a free-spirited girl in present-day
Saudi Arabia. Orphaned at a young age, Zarin Wadia moves in with her uncle and abusive aunt, who
constantly shames and beats her. "Some people hide, some people fight to cover up their shame," Zarin
explains. "I was always the kind of person who fought." Her treatment at school is even worse--she's
shunned for being different (she's Zoroastrian, for starters) and responds by smoking cigarettes and
sneaking out with boys. After Zarin gets reacquainted with a childhood friend, Porus, she becomes
dependent on him for escape, protection, and the type of gentle affection she has not felt since her mother's
death. Readers know from the outset that Zarin and Porus die in a gruesome car accident, and their
reflective post-death narratives share space with chapters written from the perspectives of others in their
orbits. Bhathena's novel should spur heated discussions about sexist double standards and the ways societies
restrict, control, and punish women and girls. Ages 14-up. Agent: EleanorJackson, Dunow, Carlson &
Lerner. (Feb.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"A Girl Like That." Publishers Weekly, 27 Nov. 2017, p. 63. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A517575742/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=a89205c6.
Accessed 3 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A517575742
QUOTED: "Bhathena's lithe prose effortlessly wends between past and present."
"Though these many voices aren't always distinct, together they portray a restrictive society that attempts to subdue every woman."
3/3/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/marklist.do?actionCmd=GET_MARK_LIST&userGroupName=schlager&inPS=true&prodId=ITOF&ts=1520131531277 2/2
BHATHENA, Tanaz. A Girl Like That
Mahnaz Dar
School Library Journal.
64.2 (Feb. 2018): p97+.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No
redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
* BHATHENA, Tanaz. A Girl Like That. 384p. Farrar. Feb. 2018. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780374305444.
Gr 8 Up--When Zarin and her friend Porus die in a car accident in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, everyone, from the
religious police to Zarin's classmates, is suspicious--was Porus one of Zarin's many romantic liaisons? Only
the deceased teens know the truth, and as their spirits hover above the wreckage, they look back on what led
up to this point. Raised by her aunt and uncle, Zarin knows that her origins are a shameful secret to her
family ("Illegitimate. Half-Hindu. Gangster's daughter."). Her domineering aunt, who fears seeing Zarin
follow the same path as her "loose" mother, keeps a tight grip on the girl, to no avail. After the teen and her
family move from Mumbai, India, to Jeddah, she defies convention, dating boys and smoking, but
reconnecting with gentle Porus, who's been entranced by Zarin since they met as children. He helps to
soften her hard exterior. Bhathena's lithe prose effortlessly wends between past and present. This
contemplative novel is primarily narrated by the two young people, both outsiders as non-Muslims and
Indians in Saudi Arabia, but the author also incorporates the perspectives of "insiders": Zarin's ex-boyfriend
Abdullah; his righteous sister, Mishal, who bullies Zarin for her wayward behavior; and Farhan, the popular
but predatory student on whom Zarin nurses a crush. Though these many voices aren't always distinct,
together they portray a restrictive society that attempts to subdue every woman, whether a stickler for the
rules like Mishal, or a rebel like Zarin. VERDICT A powerful debut; for most col lections.--Mahnaz Dar,
School Library Journal
KEY: * Excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject or in the same genre | Tr Hardcover trade
binding | lib. ed. Publisher's library binding | Board Board book | pap. Paperback | e eBook original | BL
Bilingual | POP Popular Picks
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Dar, Mahnaz. "BHATHENA, Tanaz. A Girl Like That." School Library Journal, Feb. 2018, p. 97+. General
OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A526734100/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c5bb4c28. Accessed 3 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A526734100
QUOTED: "a fast-paced, fascinating read about a community rarely seen in young adult novels."
"a refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East."
When Zarin Wadia dies in a car crash with a boy named Porus, no one in her South Asian community in Jeddah is surprised—what else would you expect from a girl like that?
Originally from Mumbai, half-Parsi, half-Hindu Zarin moved in with her aunt and uncle after her mother died. The family relocated to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to escape rumors about Zarin’s mother’s death, plunging her into a world of abuse and gender-based restrictions against which she rebelled. It was only after Porus, a Parsi friend from Mumbai, moved to Jeddah for work that Zarin began to reconsider her behavior—and her capacity for love. Featuring a diverse cast of Arab and South Asian characters of various classes and faiths, the story is a gripping and nuanced portrait of how teens, both boys and girls, react to patriarchy (the novel contains graphic descriptions of abuse and sexual assault). Bhathena’s prose can be stilted, and her excessive use of multiple voices limits both character development and the resolution of some storylines. In addition, the beginning and ending chapters narrated by Zarin’s ghost feel disjointed from the otherwise searingly realistic narrative. All in all, though, the book is a fast-paced, fascinating read about a community rarely seen in young adult novels in the West.
A refreshingly nuanced narrative about gender in the Middle East. (Romance. 16-adult)