Hana Khan Carries On

Starred review from April 1, 2021

Hana Khan is a radio station intern who dreams of sharing people's stories on air. Until now, her life in Toronto's Golden Crescent neighborhood has been peaceful. She lives with her family, works at the station, and waitresses at her family's halal restaurant. When handsome Aydin Shah comes to the Crescent to open a competing halal restaurant, he brings chaos into Hana's world for the first time, forcing her into a journey of self discovery. Packed with emotion, this romance is also a beautifully written coming-of-age story about a first-generation immigrant. Hana is a relatable, flawed narrator, and the other characters are complex, nuanced, and well-developed. The story is intricately plotted, with dramatic, often heartwrenching scenes that build to a satisfying, realistic conclusion. VERDICT Readers won't be able to put this Own Voices Muslim romance down. Highly recommended for most public library collections.--Heather Miller Cover, Homewood P.L., AL

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2021
A young Canadian Muslim woman finds that sticking to one's principles is not for the faint of heart, especially when you're juggling two jobs--and a brewing romance. Twenty-four-year-old Hanaan "Hana" Khan has her hands full: She has an internship at a local Toronto indie radio station; a job at her family restaurant, Three Sisters Biryani Poutine; and a self-produced podcast, Ana's Brown Girl Rambles. Unfortunately, the internship is not quite the career launchpad that Hana hoped it would be. Worse, Three Sisters is in trouble despite the family's best efforts. Wholistic Burgers and Grill, claiming to do halal right, is opening across the street, threatening to further sink the Khan family's fortunes after 15 years of business. It doesn't help that handsome Aydin Shah is spearheading the new restaurant with his rich father and threatening to gentrify the diverse Scarborough neighborhood. Hana's podcast might be the one lifeline she has, especially as she finds a confidant in devoted admirer StanleyP. But Hana is not one to give up without a fight. She recruits Rashid, her newly arrived cousin from India, and other neighborhood players for a restaurant survival plan. But Cupid has other ideas. Hana finds there's more to Aydin than his sexy silver shades and is not sure what to make of her budding feelings for the enemy. Jalaluddin has a keen ear for rapid-fire dialogue and lively characters who add plenty of color. Hana's feistiness and occasional impulsiveness make her an endearing protagonist, and you'll root for her especially when darker events threaten to torpedo the carefully constructed community festival her family has cobbled together. Certain predictable plot elements notwithstanding, there's plenty of lighthearted whimsy to warm a reader's heart. A delicious treat filled with South Asian fervor and Canadian heart.

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April 1, 2021
Hana Khan works at her family's struggling halal restaurant in Toronto's Golden Crescent neighborhood, but her dream job is telling resonant stories on the radio, a dream undermined by a white boss whose spins on "diversity programming" hurt more than help. So instead, Hana focuses on a loyal, anonymous fan, whom she may be falling for. When flashy Aydin Shah moves his equally flashy new halal restaurant in across the street, and bold Aunt Kawkab Khala and cousin Rashid move in with Hana's family for an extended visit, Hana is pushed into unfamiliar and uncomfortable waters to protect her family, her future, and her heart. Jalaluddin's second novel isn't a spin on an Austen novel like her first, Ayesha at Last (2018), but the clever and independent protagonist, large cast of vivid characters, strong family ties, and satisfying enemies-to-lovers trope all have the feel of a classic remake and will thoroughly delight readers looking for modern Indian Muslim representation in a love story that hits real-life issues on the way to a very satisfying conclusion.

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