Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed | Rating: ★★★★★
Life is full of sadness. It's part of being a woman. Our lives are lived for the sake of others. Our happiness is never factored in.
As a note, a printed copy of this novel was sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.
Every now and again a reader will pick up a book and just know that it’ll be special. Powerful. Somehow, they just sense it. And in Written in the Stars, in spite of that little voice that says “this will be a gift” you never know quite how important it will be until you finish it. Beautifully crafted and easy to devour (and drown in emotion), this is the sort of novel one can start and finish in a night.
Because firstly: Aisha Saeed’s prose is incredible–this much you should know. I’m confident to say that Written in the Stars is the best contemporary release of the year. And it tackles many topics that are often shied away from in literature and it does so with grace, in spite of its horrifying nature.
Saeed pens a tale of love, loss, betrayal and mistreatment in the form of an arranged marriage. It tells the story of one young girl–who’s future is right in her grasp–and one nightmare of a trip to her family’s home country follows. Although it is a tale of fiction, this isn’t an uncommon occurrence and that’s ultimately what makes it all the more upsetting.
