The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali

Narrator Richa Shukla has the ideal voice for Bangladeshi teen Rukhsana Ali and the close-knit traditional community she loves--even though she fears what would happen if they find out she is a lesbian. Shukla's performance is spry, upbeat, and optimistic as Rukhsana navigates her two separate lives. Later, her performance captures the sudden emotional turmoil Rukhsana faces when she is caught kissing her girlfriend. The tension ramps up as Rukhsana is whisked away to Bangladesh and forced to make an impossible decision that leaves her planning a daring escape. Shukla excels at creating the heartfelt and maternal voices of Rukhsana's mother and grandmother, whose hardships help Rukhsana decide the life she wants to live. J.E.C. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

October 15, 2018
Like many American teenagers straddling two cultures—that of their foreign-born parents and that outside their home—Seattle high school senior Rukhsana has hopes that diverge from her family’s. Though her conservative Bengali-Muslim parents expect her to attend the nearby University of Washington and to marry a young man, she has secretly applied to Caltech in Pasadena, Calif., and is a closeted-to-them lesbian. Her parents eventually give in on Caltech, but when they discover her kissing her girlfriend, Ariana, they furiously spirit Rukhsana away to Bangladesh under false pretenses. Khan skillfully depicts Rukhsana’s mix of emotions toward her family—frustration and anger, love and loyalty—as well as resentment at the differing expectations her parents hold for her and for her carefree younger brother, Aamir. Relationships ring true, including the siblings’ teasingly affectionate relationship and Rukhsana and Ariana’s struggles navigating their romance under difficult circumstances. The complicated plot and the large cast of characters, both in Seattle and in Bangladesh, occasionally overwhelm, but Rukhsana’s voice offers a steady blend of compassion and humor as she schemes—with several likable allies—to follow her dreams, perhaps at the cost of losing her family. Ages 14–up. Agent: Hillary Jacobson, ICM Partners.