Roses, in the Mouth of a Lion

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.

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

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