Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion by Bushra Rehman - Available

Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion

A Novel

by Bushra Rehman
Bushra Rehman
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

This program is read by the author.
For fans of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and My Brilliant Friend, an unforgettable story about female friendship and queer love in a Muslim-American community

"I LOVED EVERY MOMENT." —Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!
"Bushra Rehman performs her novel of a queer Pakistani American girl who is coming of age in the 1980s and '90s. As Razia begins rebelling in small ways, Rehman adds a layer of emotional intimacy to Razia's conflicted feelings. "- AudioFile
"The lush and poetic descriptions of the setting and culture serve as a love letter to the Pakistani American community and to Queens, with the audiobook elevated by Rehman's finely tuned narration."- Library Journal
Razia Mirza grows up amid the wild grape vines and backyard sunflowers of Corona, Queens, with her best friend, Saima, by her side. When a family rift drives the girls apart, Razia's heart is broken. She finds solace in Taslima, a new girl in her close-knit Pakistani-American community. They embark on a series of small rebellions: listening to scandalous music, wearing miniskirts, and cutting school to explore the city.
When Razia is accepted to Stuyvesant, a prestigious high school in Manhattan, the gulf between the person she is and the daughter her parents want her to be, widens. At Stuyvesant, Razia meets Angela and is attracted to her in a way that blossoms into a new understanding. When their relationship is discovered by an Aunty in the community, Razia must choose between her family and her own future.
Punctuated by both joy and loss, full of '80s music and beloved novels, Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion is a new classic: a fiercely compassionate coming-of-age story of a girl struggling to reconcile her heritage and faith with her desire to be true to herself.
A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    December 6, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781250868855
      • File size: 269968 KB
      • Duration: 09:22:25

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from September 26, 2022
      Rehman beautifully conjures in her stellar debut a Queens, N.Y., Pakistani American community and a girl’s coming to terms with her identity. As children, Razia and her friends bounce between houses under the watchful eyes of Pakistani aunties and loll about in backyards overgrown with roses, sunflowers, and grapevines, as well as weeds, old sofas, and rusty cars. The scenes brim with the pluck and tumult of young friendship while also portraying the uneasy racial balance that the first-generation children navigate in 1980s Queens. In the summer, of ’85, Razia and her friend Saima secretly collect cans to scrounge up money, defying their parents. When treated with disdain by employees at the collection center, Razia realizes why they were told to stay away from it. Back at school in the sixth grade, a group of mean girls descends upon Razia and her friend Taslima, shouting, “Pajama People!” While acutely aware of how her Muslim faith differentiates her, Razia finds comfort and beauty in her heritage, connecting her “like a kite string” to everyone she loves. Razia happily coexists among cultures, excelling at reading the Quran and harboring an intense crush on George Michael, until she gains a spot at a competitive high school in Manhattan. There, she falls in love with a girl, forcing her to choose between her true self and her family. A distinctive and infectious voice takes hold of the reader from the first page, where Razia introduces her neighborhood: “the Corona F. Scott Fitzgerald called the valley of ashes... but what me and my own know as home.” This deeply immersive novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new writer.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Bushra Rehman performs her novel of a queer Pakistani American girl who is coming of age in the 1980s and '90s. Razia Mirza is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants in Corona, a neighborhood in Queens. Though her parents are very traditional, preparing her to one day marry a man and have children, Razia feels the stirrings of wanting something different. Rehman brings complexity to her performance of Razia's story. As Razia begins rebelling in small ways, Rehman adds a layer of emotional intimacy to Razia's conflicted feelings. By the time Razia is accepted to a prestigious high school in Manhattan, she is beginning to realize she will have to choose between her family and the freedom to decide what she wants for her life. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from June 10, 2024

      Rehman debuts with a queer coming-of-age story that follows Razia, a Muslim Pakistani American girl growing up in the 1980s in Corona, a neighborhood in Queens, NY. Rehman narrates her own work, which presents Razia's first-person point of view. The book highlights key moments during Razia's adolescence, from her preteen years through high school, as she begins to recognize her growing attraction to a fellow classmate in her all-girls school. Razia struggles to balance the expectations of her traditionally religious family and her hopes to become her own person. Her steady internal dialogue runs throughout, revealing her rebellious desires, her questioning of faith, and her ineffable feelings of being different. Rehman herself grew up in a Muslim community in Corona, and her narration feels deeply personal and intimate. The lush and poetic descriptions of the setting and culture serve as a love letter to the Pakistani American community and to Queens, with the audiobook elevated by Rehman's finely tuned narration. VERDICT A contemporary classic about navigating friendship, love, faith, and culture. This timeless coming-of-age story is a must-purchase for all libraries.--Meghan Bouffard

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading