A Place at the Table

April 27, 2020
When 11-year-olds Elizabeth and Sara meet in an after-school South Asian cooking class, they don’t immediately hit it off. Pakistani-American Sara is anxious about her family’s finances and upset about starting sixth grade at a big public school instead of the private Islamic one she’s always attended, while Elizabeth, who is Jewish, worries about her British mother’s depression and her old best friend replacing her. When the girls become cooking partners, though, they embark
on a cautious friendship with some realistic bumps: Elizabeth fails to stand up for Sara when a classmate makes racist comments, and Sara quickly tires of Elizabeth’s lack of knowledge about Muslim life. Despite these
occasional clashes, the pair become close, entering a cooking contest with an ingenious British-Pakistani fusion recipe and setting their mothers up to study for their U.S. citizenship tests together. Told in alternating voices, Faruqi and Shovan’s nuanced tale about the thrill of budding friendship is relatable without sacrificing challenging topics, such as casual racism and financial difficulties. Ages 10–12. Agents: (for Faruqi) Kari Sutherland, Bradford Literary; (for Shovan) Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.

The authors have collaborated on a timely story about first-generation immigrants finding their place as they navigate the challenges of middle school. Nikhaar Kishani is the voice of Sara, daughter of Pakistani immigrants and recent transfer from a small Islamic academy to a huge public middle school. Kishani gives Sara a believable voice as she struggles with feelings of loneliness, anger, and otherness. Kishani uses a subtle accent for Sara's parents and for Pakistani words to add realism. Elizabeth, who has a British mother and a Jewish father, is given a believable teen voice by Caitlin Kelly. She easily communicates Elizabeth's excitement for the cooking club, willingness to build new friendships, and worry over her mother's sadness. This is an audiobook to share and discuss. N.E.M. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine