Bright Lines

June 15, 2015
Three Brooklyn girls grapple with their Bangladeshi roots and modern sexual challenges in Islam’s debut novel. Ella, orphaned by her parents’ murder, lives with her aunt Hashi and uncle Anwar, serving the role of an honorary daughter; further complicating the family dynamics is her suppressed romantic love for their daughter, her cousin Charu. The family also welcomes Maya, the daughter of an Islamic cleric, who has run away from her father’s oppressive household. When the family travels to Bangladesh in an effort to restore their bond, they find answers but also tragedy. Too often, the narrative is distracted by Anwar’s many spiritual and sensual conflicts, including his brother’s unresolved murder. But Islam depicts lush Bangladesh and a gritty Brooklyn very well, and she’s at her strongest when following the free-spirited young women. The characters’ halfhearted feelings toward their Muslim identities provide an original and intriguing backdrop for their misadventures.

With great energy, Soneela Nankani performs this audiobook so beautifully that the listener is transported to the Saleem home in Brooklyn. This is a family story filled with complex relationships; Nankani makes all these clear with her vocal flexibility. Each character has a strong voice: Matriarch Hashi is no-nonsense and sharp-tongued, daughter Charu is sassy and bold, conflicted cousin Ella is practical and reserved, and patriarch Anwar is the man trying to keep up. Nankani balances the lyrical Bangladeshi accents of many of her characters with a perfectly paced narration that connects the lively conversations. This audiobook provides an excellent look at the lives of family members who are dealing with change, questions of identity, and conflicts large and small. L.B.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine