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    Saffron Dreams
    Saffron Dreams
    Saffron Dreams
    Ebook277 pages4 hours

    Saffron Dreams

    By Shaila Abdullah

    4/5

    ()

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    About this ebook

    From the darkest hour of American history emerges a mesmerizing tale of tender love, a life interrupted, and faith recovered. Arissa Illahi, a Muslim artist and writer, discovers in a single moment that no matter how carefully you map your life, it is life itself that chooses your destiny. After her husband's death in the collapse of the World Trade Center, the discovery of his manuscript marks Arissa's reconnection to life. Her unborn son and the unfinished novel fuse in her mind into one life-defining project that becomes, at once, the struggle for her emotional survival and the redemption of her race. Saffron Dreams is a novel about our ever evolving identities and the events and places that shape them. It reminds us that in the midst of tragedy, our dreams can become a lasting legacy.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherShaila Abdullah
    Release dateMay 25, 2011
    ISBN9781458036384
    Saffron Dreams
    Author

    Shaila Abdullah

    Noted as "Word Artist" by critics, Shaila Abdullah is a Pakistani-American author based in Austin, Texas. Her award-winning novel Saffron Dreams explores the tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of a Muslim widow. Abdullah's debut book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall is a collection of stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. The author has received several awards for her work including the Golden Quill Award, Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction, DIY Award, Reader Views Award, Written Art Award, and a grant from Hobson Foundation.

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    Reviews for Saffron Dreams

    4/5

    55 ratings19 reviews

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    • 4/5
      There is so much to like about this novel, especially that it is a moving account of grief and personal confusion and growth. I would offer the following points to consider:(1) I believe there is too much story here, yet not enough development of some very large, compelling ideas. For example, I would have found greater satisfaction if there had been deeper exploration of the loss of husband, the relationship with birth mother, main character's personal growth, the fulfillment of the husband's manuscript, and their relocation to Texas. That in itself would be a complex book. The birth of a child with disabilities and the growth of a new, bicultural life, especially the development of the artwork of the main character (with good explanations of the role of art in Islam and in the west), the differences between New York City and Austin, could form a second book. I feel like there is a lot packed into Saffron Dreams which deserves more development.(2)Another point to consider is that there may be too much 'I' in this book. It's a very internal work, but I wished to see the protagonist from a viewpoint other than her own. For example, in the ARC, pages 138-139, we learn more about Arissa's art mostly from herself; it seems to be an afterthought that Juhi was an art instructor, yet her character says little about the art and how it relates to Arissa's world. (Arissa says, 'I sometimes forgot that Juhi was an art instructor. We never conversed about art much.' p. 138) If Juhi were more fully developed, with more of her own voice, it could have enriched the aspect of Arissa's art as part of the story. In fact, if more of the characters had been developed and had their own voices, the entire story could have blossomed beyond a single woman's loss, grief, and recovery of life. I'm in complete awe of Ms. Abdullah's use of English to write her story. She obviously has enormous creative energy and ideas which beg to burst forth, and I hope to see many more books from her.
    • 4/5
      I had not intended to read this book for A More Diverse Universe, but when I was browsing my shelves the other evening--just because, as I often do--I pulled Saffron Dreams out and decided the timing could not be more perfect, both for A More Diverse Universe, but also because of the recent anniversary of September 11, 2001, a day that needs little explanation at this time in our history.

      Saffron Dreams is fiction, but it felt so real as I was reading it. It is the story of Arissa Illahi, a Pakistani woman who was living in New York City at the time the World Trade Center was brought down by terrorists. She was barely awake when her husband left for work that morning. She had no idea she would never see him again.

      Arissa and her husband were Muslim, having married in their home country and moving to the U.S. to start a new life. They were expecting their first child. The loss of her husband devastated Arissa, not surprisingly so.

      Shaila Abdullah paints a picture with words that is extremely visceral. The grief and anger and loneliness left by the death of Arissa's husband made my heart ache. Arissa wanted to hold onto his memory as tightly as she could. It is through her grief and her reminiscing that we get to see how the couple met, how their marriage was arranged, and how they were living their life once married. They had their ups and downs, but they were so in love.

      As if the loss of her husband was not enough of a burden to bear, Arissa learns the child she is carrying has birth defects, the extent of she will not know until the child is born. It frightens her, but she knows it is something she must come to terms with.

      Arissa is fortunate not to be alone through all of this, even in those moments she feels most alone. Her family surrounds her, working through their own grief and helping her through hers. I felt the love and respect she felt for her parents-in-law. Arissa and her mother, however, are estranged; yet another conflict in Arissa's life she must struggle with.

      Saffron Dreams tells the story of how easily life's course can be changed by unexpected events. It is Arissa's story of how she met with one such horrible event and other challenges that forced her to re-evaluate her life and decide what direction to go next. She has to come to terms with what's happened and what is, It isn't easy for her and she makes mistakes, but she is a strong woman even in her weakest most doubtful moments. I admired this about her.

      The author captured the cultural and ethnic tensions well during a time when they were quite high (and to some extent, still are). Arissa's decision to wear a veil in public marked her as the enemy in the eyes of some. The veil was a symbol of faith and tradition for Arissa. It was a part of her. She endured threats and nasty looks from people who unfairly judged her. It angered me to see her treated in such a way.

      I was not entirely satisfied with one small aspect of the ending, admittedly. I think though that was more my wish for a happier ending on that front than anything else when the reality of it is that the Abdullah's version is probably more true to life--and deserved. I also felt that the flow of the novel changed a little too abruptly just past the mid-way point of the book. It was a place in which a major change in the characters' lives had occurred, and so to some extent that could be expected. It was as if there was a shift in the narrative voice even though the entire book is written in first person, in Arissa's voice. Those were minor things though.

      Overall, I found Saffron Dreams to be an emotionally charged novel, one that will stay with me for a long while. I still remember where I was and what I was doing the morning of September 11, 2001, as I am sure many of you do.
    • 4/5
      A emotionally rich book built around an event that changed our modern world. Told from a very personal perspective of a young, new bride. You feel the bedrock of sorrow and even hope that forces a movement forward to a new way of living.
    • 5/5
      When reading Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah, I was emotionally moved on several instances. This book is great in many ways. It tells about the ways people have to struggle in life, and the things they have to go through. When reading this book, you will meet a girl named Arissa. When she meets an incredible man and moves from Pakistan to New York with him, things seem pleasant, then the unthinkable happens..Her husband is killed in the tragic and devastating accident of 9/11. Arissa, being a Muslim living in America at that time, faces many struggles. Many people stereotype against her. They associate her with the terrorists who took down the Twin Towers. When it seems like she has hit rock bottom, even more tragedy strikes. She has been told that her unborn son has serious birth defects and has slim chances of ever living a full life. As her life came tumbling down, she struggled through; all the while, defending her race against the harsh slurs of the American world.What makes this book so unique is that, instead of being told by a typical American, it is told by an American immigrant. This makes the book more heart-touching because, everyone always considers how the Americans felt during 9/11, but no one really ever considered how the Muslims have felt. It wasn’t just stereotypical white Americans affected by that tragedy and many times people of other nationalities are forgotten. But, people already have a tendency to stereotype, and when people are going through a really hard time, they do and say things that they may not mean.This book really shows you that everyone has struggles to go through. I doesn’t matter what race or religion you are; you can push through the toughest times in life, and end up okay. Not only does this book tell a great story, but the book is well written and the story has a freat flow. I would suggest this book to anyone who loves to read books with a story that is worthwhile!
    • 4/5
      Wonderful story of a Pakistani woman who loses her husband in the 9/11 attacks in New York City and is left to raise a disabled child in a world that looks down on her. A brilliant insight into the realistic and possible life of one a woman who was isolated and condemned, unfairly associated with terrorists.
    • 5/5
      This book surprised me. I expected a book about being a Muslim American woman in a post-9/11 world. I expected it to deal with issues of differences and prejudices. The book had some of that, but primarily it was a book about grief and about building a life and seeking happiness through challenges - loss of a spouse, a differently-abled child, a move, and prejudice. The book was about similarities - emotions, love for family, grief, our hopes for our children - that transcend all differences and are the same regardless of sex, race, religion, and any of the surface things that make us different. The book dealt with "differences" by making readers look beyond to see the similarities.I loved it!My one question, however, is the title of the book. I am not sure how it truly related to the story.*** Reviewed for member giveaway***
    • 3/5
      This book was good but not one of the best I have ever read. It's a tale of a woman who after the loss of her husband on 9-11 discovers herself again and struggles to move on in america due to her religion and race she finds many doors closed to her. Later finding her husbands manuscript she struggles to raise her son and to become more than what the world sees her as which is the skin, religion and creed of her life. It's a touching tale. Something that I'm sure others will find more interesting than I however, it's not often I read books like this and I'm pulled into their story. I say pick it up you may or may not like it the choice however, will always be yours.
    • 5/5
      "Saffron Dreams," is about letting go and learning to live despite every challenge life brings. It's about the strength of women and relationships. It's about the experience of women left behind in the 9/ll Twin Towers/World Trade Center terrorist attack. And, it's about the Muslim woman's experience in America. It's also about what immigrants have to leave behind and let go of when they choose to become a part of a new country and people. ...a letting go to gain something else of value.Ms Abdullah has a big order to fill, and she comes shining through like a bird of paradise! I loved this book for so many reasons, it will be difficult to convey them to you, so you'll ultimately just have to read the book for yourself to understand. I had to keep reminding myself that it was a novel and not a memoir...looking back again and again at the gorgeous cover and searching the eyes of the beautiful Pakistani woman for clues of the inner soul of such a writer.The main character, Arissa, is a young woman who was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan. After having survived a home of material wealth and non-existent maternal love, Arissa becomes wed in a traditional "arranged marriage." Surprisingly, this marriage is to a young man she had previously met on a trip to New York visiting relatives! Fortune seemed to be with them from the beginning. On the flip side of that fortune, however, rests a bad omen flung at them by a seer woman who predicts that the young husband will dance with fire. Arissa and Faizan also have dreams of flames and smoke, but set these things aside and ignore them. Of course, these omens find their fulfillment as Faizan is killed in the 9/11 World Trade Center attack.We learn along the way such interesting information as Muslim life in the everyday workings of the kitchen cookery (recipes are included), the different meanings of the veils the women wear, the landscape and gardens of Pakistan, and the role saffron plays in the life of Arissa. I will never look at or smell Night Blooming Jasmine in quite the same way again. Arissa is an artist, writer, observer of the world, and faithful woman. Her agony is quietly and honestly shared with us.Ms Abdullah knows grief and heartbreak. Her novel tells us truly the pain of loss and the redemptive qualities that keep one living despite them. I was widowed at a young age with young children so I speak from experience, when I say that this book conveys the feelings and experiences I had so profoundly and gently that it was shocking to me. I was moved by Ms Abdullah's gift for giving life to her characters.I learned that women and widows are the same no matter what their religion or culture. I learned that not all Muslims are terrorists. I knew that children can save you, but was delighted to see that Arissa found that gift. That family can hold you up but can't save you. It was good to know that somebody else unknown to you can have the same experiences and live to tell about it. Please do yourself a favor and read this wonderful book. It will help you know how it feels to be a widow of the 9/11 attack.... It is a gorgeous and poetic book with an abundance of truth and beauty for everyone who loves fine literature.
    • 5/5
      HOW DO YOU END A STORY THAT’S NOT YOURS?Saffron Dreams is a fiction novel written by Shaila Abdullah, a Pakistani-American author based in Texas. It is an emotional tale of lost love, unexpected twists of fate, and survival. In a span of 41 days, the main character, Arissa Illahi, went from a blissful married life to bleak widowhood, escaping an attack, ostracized by stereotypical people, and the realization of raising an unborn son alone.Arissa lost her husband in the collapse of the Twin Towers on 9/11. After going through the Ground Zero rubble trying to find limbs that will identify her husband, she is forced to realize he is not coming back. He’s gone forever. In going through her husband’s belongings she finds a finished manuscript of 65,000 words. She knows it was his dream to be an author and have his book released. After careful thought, Arissa decides to finish it herself. But how do you end a story that’s not yours?This book isn’t about how wonderful life is. She isn’t looking at the world through rose-colored shades. Instead, she shares her struggles and lets the readers know that life truly is full of surprises. I believe this story will help the lives of people who were directly affected by 9/11. It will let them know its okay to grieve for lost ones and they aren’t alone.This is one of the few books that took me through many emotions while reading it. At moments I was elated, others I was just as confused as the main character. What new challenges would life bring as the days carry on? The author, Shaila Abdullah, writes such a descriptive depiction of Arissa’s emotions that it translates to the reader. I highly recommend this book for people who have suffered from the loss of a loved one.♠ L Marie ♥
    • 3/5
      This is about widowhood. It reminded me somewhat of The Pilot's Wife minus the mystery. It is a book basically that goes on and on about a woman's grief. Whereas, I sympathize with Arissa, I felt the story could have used more details regarding her "malfunctioning" son and the stress of raising such a child by oneself and less of the mourning stuff. Arissa has lost her husband in the Trade Towers collapse. She is five months pregnant. Forty One days later, she finds out that the child she is carrying has a cleft lip, malformed kidneys, bad urinary tract, and much more. (Upon birth, he is also half blind and deaf.)She carries the child to term, struggles as a single mom, faces predijice due to her veil and tosses it in the wind, attempts another relationship, and completes her dead husband's book. My issue is the jumping back and forth. In one paragraph, Arissa is 5 months pregnant and taking vicodin. (Funny, she never once stops and asks herself if her usage of both vicodin and valium while pregnant has caused her child's retardation! Another issue for me.) The next paragraph, her and the husband are making love or having a fight. The third paragraph may go back ten years and be about her mother abandoning her. Didn't work for me, but I can see it hitting Oprah's book list.
    • 5/5
      FEELINGS ON THE BOOK: I fell in love with this book on page 3. These are the words that gripped me so: "Who was I bidding farewell to? I wondered: the age-old tradition or the husband I had kept alive in my heart?"This book was full of contradictory responses for me. The topic was a step outside of my comfort zone and yet the characters were completely comforting to me. The story was tender and it was powerful. It tugged at my heart and it packed a punch. It was just an extraordinary story, in my humble opinion.WHAT I LIKED: * Abdullah's writing kept me engaged throughout the book and never let my A.D.D. brain wander around. * It was culturally diverse (which I love) yet it took place in America (where I live). It dealt with an event I had experienced (9/11) yet I had not come out of it as a pregnant widow (as Arissa did.) * I learned while reading this book! You know how I adore that in a book. * I thought Arissa, while broken down and against the odds, was a strong lead female character.WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE AS MUCH: * While I think the title is fresh and attention getting, I didn't really like it for the story. The world is wrapped in saffron dreams- but what does that really even mean? * Yeah, that's pretty much it. It was a great book. The only reason I did not give it 5 stars is I don't think I want to read it again. But it is definitely worth reading and I am glad I got the opportunity!
    • 3/5
      I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover of this book. It depicts a veiled Middle Eastern woman with sad eyes shielding her face with her bejewelled arms. How appropriate for this novel about a Pakistani-Muslim woman who loses her husband to the tragic collapse of the World Trade Center.I love novels that are of the multi-cultural genre. And this book is filled with the flavours and traditions of the Middle East. Abdullah’s writing is lyrical and poetic, with a sad tone that permeates this story told from the first person point of view of the main character Arissa Illahi. With flashbacks, we come to learn of her childhood and marriage to Faizan, the husband she knew for barely two years. She is pregnant when he dies and her pain is compounded with the knowledge that her unborn baby will have multiple birth defects.The whole story is Arissa’s struggle with losses—her mother’s lack of love throughout her childhood, her husband’s death and his unfinished novel, her child’s disabilities, the age-old traditions of her former country, and her lost dreams. Through her eyes we see what she endures as a Muslim woman in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks—the prejudices, the hatred, the misunderstandings, and her guilt for not wanting to return to Pakistan when Faizan wished it.Throughout, she voices her frustration and philosophy about death and God. It was clear to me that although she believed in God, she lacked faith in Him and struggled with this, too. Arissa also makes it her project to finish Faizan’s novel, no easy task, even though she is an artist and a writer herself. She keeps her husband alive in her heart and fulfills his dream, making it a lasting legacy.Although this novel received great reviews, I had mixed feelings about it. Overall, it gave me a glimpse into the life of an immigrant Muslim widow in America, mourning her many losses and the decisions she made to cope with them. Sometimes, I had to put the book down and read something else because the sombreness of it was all encompassing. Besides her painful losses, it saddened me that her Muslim faith did not provide comfort or answers regarding death and tragedies. This book also contained mildly explicit sexual scenes and unmarried sex, which I did not expect from a Muslim author.
    • 4/5
      In "Saffron Dreams" author Shaila Abdullah gives voice to Arissa Illahi, a Muslim Pakistani-American who loses her husband Faizan in the terror attack on 9/11. Arissa's story begins in Karachi where she is raised by a loving father and an absentee mother. When Arissa's mother moves out, Arissa must fill the void for her younger siblings. In Karachi, Arissa's family is affluent; her father is a doctor. Arranged marriages are a fact of life in Karachi and for Arissa as well. Arissa tells the story of her marriage to Faizan, their life in New York and his tragic death when the couple are expecting their first child. Hers is a mesmerizing story of love, loss, family, healing and recovery. The book opened my eyes to Pakistani and Muslim customs and how immigrants adjust to life in the United States. In the end, Arissa comes to gripes with herself and her future. I was hoping for a better resolution for Arissa and her mother though.I recommend this novel to those who would like to get a Muslim-American's view of the aftermath of 9/11.
    • 5/5
      Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah is printed on 30 percent post-consumer waste and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified book paper. It is also one of the best books I've read in 2009. "Summer in Houston tastes like dirt, thick bellowing mounds of dust piling on and on until you can't breathe anymore. Sometimes a squalling wind arrives, pressing its puckered lips to the window panes. Whooooo, it shrieks, whooooosh, and then it cavorts over the pile of dust, depositing it evenly in our miracle-less world. The rain that follows washes it all away, leaving behind an acerbic mustiness that lingers until September brings in the moldiness that I associate with loss, the dull snicker of an autumn past." (Page 178)A somber tone permeates Saffron Dreams from Arissa Illahi's childhood to her present in 2006-2007, weaving in and out through her past and present. Abdullah's narrative technique will hook readers and carry them alongside Arissa on her journey from Pakistan to America as she matures, marries, gives birth, and reconciles her culture and her religion with her new homeland -- a homeland that has grown wary of Muslims following the 2001 terrorist attacks."With every horn or commotion guilt-ridden with sins they did not commit. They walked faster when alone. Some women took down their hijabs, afraid of being targeted, and adopted a conservative but Western style of dressing. Men cut their beards. Many postponed plans to visit the country of their origin any time soon. Those who did travel preferred to remain quiet during their journey and chose not to converse in their native language even among family members." (Page 60)Saffron's bitter taste is present throughout the novel as Arissa is steeped in grief and guilt, but the fragrance of hay often associated with saffron lulls her character with memories. Ami, Arissa's mother, was absent for much of her upbringing and her father allowed her to find love on her own terms. It is this family life that shapes her ideas about love, marriage, and family. Once married to Faizan Illahi, she finds happiness and revels in it, until her life is obliterated in 2001.Abdullah delves deep into a wife's guilt, particularly a wife who has adopted a nation as her home that would rather root her out and label her as the enemy. The dichotomy between religion and culture, mother and daughter, grief and survival are tangible and heart-wrenching. Some of the best elements in the story include parallels between art and writing and those two talents suffuse the narrative with a dreamlike quality.Readers will get lost in Arissa's grief and her confusion about starting anew. They will cheer her on as her determination takes over. Each chapter provides a date stamp to orient readers, but Arissa's narrative shifts easily from past to present on more than one occasion as memories take over. Saffron Dreams is more than just an emotional journey of perseverance amid the most trying circumstances and tragic events, it is an evolution of one Muslim woman into a whole self, strong enough to stand alone and blossom.
    • 5/5
      A beautiful story about a Muslim woman from Karachi who loses her husband in the 9/11 attacks.Arissa, married 2 years has lost her beloved husband while working a restaurant at the Trade Center. The author poetically details Arissa's memories of her husband and how she attempts to deal with the grief . As Arissa tries to get on with her life, she faces the accusing stares , like she was part of the cause of the attack, the enemy. After receiving some life changing news she knows she must get past the grief to move on. The book is written so beautifully, at time poetic. I highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed. The food she talks about will also make you drool! "I held the book up to my ear. I willed for it to bring back the laughter it had once given us. I shook it, tugged at it, as if worrying it could give me back some past moments. I rubbed the soft cover, now aged and wrinkled against my cheek, urging the lifeless piece to talk to me....."
    • 5/5
      This was a truly moving novel in a number of ways, largely because the protagonist, Arissa, wears so many roles throughout the story. She is a resident of New York City reeling in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. She is a new widow struggling to cope with the loss of her husband. She is a mother tending to a special-needs child. She is an immigrant among people who suddenly regard her as an enemy. Perhaps most of all, she is a woman seeking direction in life. Arissa's challenges and triumphs are woven together in a seamless narrative that I found myself relating to, even as it opened new perspectives for me.SAFFRON DREAMS is told from Arissa's perspective, in non-chronological fashion that ties together moments in time that relate in Arissa's mind. We read about her childhood in Pakistan, her courtship with her husband-to-be, and her married life, though these events take place only in memory. Abdullah truly has a gift for giving the flavor of Pakistani culture without making the story incoherent to a North American like myself.Overall, this was an excellent story that I highly recommend to anyone.
    • 4/5
      The murders of September 11, 2001 were the shock of a generation, a morning forever etched into the memories of those who watched the events unfold in person or on live television. In a world seemingly gone mad, some celebrated the deaths of 3,000 innocents while others yearned for revenge against those responsible for the senseless murders. Lines seemed to be clearly drawn.Some few people, however, had a foot on both sides of that line and Shaila Abdullah tells the story of one such woman in her novel, “Saffron Dreams.” Arissa Illahi, a Pakistani Muslim pregnant with her first child and living in New York City, has her own world shattered on that tragic morning when her husband is killed as the Twin Towers collapse. Not only is her husband, Faizan, suddenly snatched from her forever, Arissa is left alone to cope with the birth of her child in an environment in which many see her obvious Muslim faith as the only proof they need that her sympathies are with those responsible for what happened that day.Arissa is helped through her initial shock by family members who rush to her side, but noticeably absent is her mother, a woman who had abandoned Arissa’s family years earlier. Her in-laws stay behind when everyone else leaves to make certain that Arissa will be able to cope with her loss and her new life, themselves quietly grieving while they help Arissa through the worst of what she has to face. And cope, Arissa does. Showing remarkable strength, and determined to ensure her husband’s legacy, she prepares for the birth of her son despite the multiple handicaps with which he is expected to enter the world so recently left by his father. At the urging of her mother-in-law, Arissa also eventually agrees to complete the unfinished novel left behind by Faizan as another way of marking his place in the world. Her new world is bounded by her son, her writing and her job, but especially by the unique bond she forms with the son who needs her so much.Because Arissa Illahi is not the typical 9-11 widow, “Saffron Dreams” is much more than a novel about coping with the sudden loss of a loved one. The book deals effectively with racism, religious prejudice, fanaticism and hatred on both sides of the divide, the difficulties and rewards of raising a handicapped child, and the slow healing that finally allows a survivor to get on with the rest of her life. Despite the senselessness of what happened in New York City that morning eight years ago, “Saffron Dreams” is filled with strength and hope for the future. It is a reminder that the world is what we make it, one little piece at a time.Rated at: 4.0
    • 4/5
      Saffron Dreams by Shaila AbdullahThis year I decided to read mostly foreign authors and multicultural themed books and this week’s selection was a fiction novel, Saffron Dreams by Shaila Abdullah. This book looks at the treatment and lives of Muslims in America after 9/11. Arissa and Faizan married in Pakistan in a traditional Muslim wedding and were the love of each other’s lives from the beginning. They moved to New York where Faizan worked as a waiter while secretly writing his first novel. After two years of marriage, Arissa finally became pregnant and they were both excited about their first visit to the doctor for an ultrasound. Then, 9/11 happened and Faizan never made it home. “That’s how God made us, in pairs so we complete each other. And then he snatches one away, I thought, and makes us dispensable mortals. Alone we come, and solo our return.” Pg.101Shaila Abdullah gives us a clear picture of what it was like to be Muslim and a widow in America after 9/11 through the story of one courageous woman who faces raising a child alone and the possibility of finishing her husband’s novel. She addresses the balancing of cultural traditions with American realities and her writing flows like a river from the first paragraph to the last sentence. Ms. Abdullah provides an accurate and insightful story of love, loss, fear, anger, and finding the strength to survive. This book is a must read for everyone and can provide understanding for those with little experience with other cultures. Luckily I have had the great pleasure to experience many different cultures, religions, foods and customs and met many wonderful people while traveling and working internationally. I have found many women indicative of the values that Arissa displays in this novel which made this book very personal and identifiable to me. I give this book a big “thumbs up” and can’t wait to read the next novel by Shaila Abdullah.
    • 3/5
      I really appreciated Shaila's writing. It was lyrical and beautiful, something that I have come to expect from South Asian authors. I loved her analogies and descriptions. To me, that helped bring Arissa to life and I felt her sadness and despair at suddenly being a widow in a world that might hate her for the color of her skin.

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    Saffron Dreams - Shaila Abdullah

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