Courting Samira
A Novel
Will be published approx. on 23. November 2023
Book
Paperback/Softback
336 pages
978-0-06-331767-3 (ISBN)
Description
Set in Sydney, Australia, Courting Samira is a charming, big-hearted rom-com about a twenty-seven-year-old Palestinian woman who finds herself in an unexpected love triangle-a sparkling ode to meddling best friends, traditional courtship, The Princess Bride, and, of course, the possibility of love.
"Come for the drool-worthy mentions of kanafeh and baklava; stay for the wit and relatable family politics. A must-read for anyone looking for a romantic comedy that's heavy on the comedy, with a heavy sprinkling of sweet, clean romance." -Sara Sharaf Beg, author of Salaam, With Love
"A wry, endearing Bridget Jones set in Sydney's Muslim community." -BookPage
Coming from a moderately traditional Muslim family, twenty-seven-year-old Samira Abdel-Aziz has endured her fair share of arranged matches-first dates she calls "doorknock appeals," where she and her possible suitors eat snacks in her living room in the company of both sets of parents. Her general rule: no shoes with tassels, no cheesy leather jackets, no mustaches. A girl has to have some standards, right? The truth is, Samira is already experiencing enough wedding drama as an assistant at Bridal Bazaar magazine and as a gofer for her soon-to-be-married cousin and nemesis Zahra. She's not sure she needs to add any of her own.
When she meets the charismatic Menem at a work retreat, Samira finds herself intrigued. But her best friend Lara insists Menem isn't right for her, and now her childhood friend Hakeem has begun behaving oddly. Adding to the confusion, Samira is seeking a promotion at work, yet isn't sure it's the job of her dreams. Suddenly, her life is full of drama and complications, and she realizes that part of growing up is making difficult choices about what-and whom-she really wants.
"Come for the drool-worthy mentions of kanafeh and baklava; stay for the wit and relatable family politics. A must-read for anyone looking for a romantic comedy that's heavy on the comedy, with a heavy sprinkling of sweet, clean romance." -Sara Sharaf Beg, author of Salaam, With Love
"A wry, endearing Bridget Jones set in Sydney's Muslim community." -BookPage
Coming from a moderately traditional Muslim family, twenty-seven-year-old Samira Abdel-Aziz has endured her fair share of arranged matches-first dates she calls "doorknock appeals," where she and her possible suitors eat snacks in her living room in the company of both sets of parents. Her general rule: no shoes with tassels, no cheesy leather jackets, no mustaches. A girl has to have some standards, right? The truth is, Samira is already experiencing enough wedding drama as an assistant at Bridal Bazaar magazine and as a gofer for her soon-to-be-married cousin and nemesis Zahra. She's not sure she needs to add any of her own.
When she meets the charismatic Menem at a work retreat, Samira finds herself intrigued. But her best friend Lara insists Menem isn't right for her, and now her childhood friend Hakeem has begun behaving oddly. Adding to the confusion, Samira is seeking a promotion at work, yet isn't sure it's the job of her dreams. Suddenly, her life is full of drama and complications, and she realizes that part of growing up is making difficult choices about what-and whom-she really wants.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 206 mm
Width: 136 mm
Thickness: 22 mm
Weight
248 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-331767-3 (9780063317673)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Amal Awad is a journalist, author, and screenwriter. She has written for Elle, The Guardian, and other publications and held senior editorial roles at a number of trade media publications. She has spoken at schools, universities, and writers' festivals around Australia, and she facilitates workshops on diversity, multiculturalism, women's issues, and pop culture. Amal is the author of eight books, including four novels-Courting Samira, This is How You Get Better, The Things We See in the Light, and Bitter & Sweet-and the nonfiction books The Incidental Muslim, Beyond Veiled Cliches, Fridays With My Folks, and In My Past Life I was Cleopatra. Courting Samira is the first of her books to be published in America.