Book Review

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik

I totally enjoyed Sofia Khan is Not Obliged. It’s a little bit Bridget Jones (given that it has a tribute to Pride and Prejudice and a journal format and opens with some resolutions) and a little bit My Big Fat Greek Wedding (several weddings take place during the course of the story and they all involve huge immigrant families) but mostly it has its own unique charm.

Sofia Khan is told as a series of journal entries by, you guessed it, Sofia Khan. Sofia is a young woman who works in publishing in London. She lives with her Pakistani immigrant family. Sofia recently cancelled a wedding to a man, Imran, who wanted her to live with his parents. Her publishing company hires her to write a book on Muslim dating, which leads to online dating, speed dating, and general wackiness.

There’s not a ton of plot here overall. Sofia is single and by the end of the book she isn’t. While this book is not a redo of Pride and Prejudice, it does pay tribute to Pride and Prejudice in its male characters. Imran is boring, safe, conservative, and adored by Sofia’s family. Naim is charming and funny and flirty and totally unreliable. Next-door neighbor Conall barely says a word for at least half of the book. Guess who Sofia will end up with?

Most of the plot comes from Sofia’s attempts to balance her work life, her writing the book, her dating so that she has something to write about, and the emotional crisis of her many friends and relatives. The tone is largely comedic – save towards the end of the book when it turns into a sudden, startling, but very well done portrait of grief. One of the tensions between Sofia and her publisher is that the publisher wants Sofia to write a light book, and she wants to write something more serious – and this is paralleled in the book the reader is holding, as well. The story is more of a coming of age tale than a romance novel. It’s very much about Sofia cementing her purpose and her place in the world.

One thing I loved about this book is that it presents Muslim characters in non-stereotypical ways. Sofia wears a hijab, but it’s not because of pressure from her family. In fact, her family pressures her to take it off  – for one thing, her mother thinks it will make it harder for Sofia to meet a husband.

Sofia is both devout and feminist. Her friends make many different choices about relationships ranging from conservative to liberal, but all are portrayed as the decisions of women with intelligence and agency.

The book also contrasts moments of bigotry with moments of kindness. At the start of the book, Sofia is called a ‘terrorist” by a fellow commuter, something that bothers her all through the book. Usually, however, the bigotry she encounters is more subtle. Her boss wants to pet her hair under her scarf. She is frequently referred to as “That Muslim girl.”

On the other hand, there are some incredibly sweet moments. In one sequence, Sofia discovers that the room she uses for prayer at work has a new key code installed on the door. After considerable explanation of her prayer practice (in a very funny and awkward conversation), she gets the new key code from maintenance, only to discover that the new door is glass, “so everyone in the post room is also able to see my arse in the air.” The next day she discovers that the man from maintenance who gave her the key code is installing blinds. “Din’t wantchya ta worry about people seeing ya when you pray.” (Sofia says, “I could have hugged him but it felt a little inappropriate as I remembered my jean button was undone, plus he was wearing a kilt.”)

Meanwhile, Conall is a delightful character who goes from an almost wordless presence to teaching Sofia how to box. I have a thing for male characters who teach women how to protect themselves instead of just offering to protect them (I also have a thing for women who start off as badasses and men who respect that badassery, but that fits into a whole different genre). He’s a man who knows the value of a good cup of tea and a working car, and you have to respect that, too.

Above all, this book succeeds because Sofia is so delightful. She’s devout but she sneaks cigarettes sometimes (often, actually). She’s smart and funny, but also young and uncertain. She makes a lot of mistakes but she’s always trying to do the right thing. She loves her family and they love her. Her voice is distinctive and endearing.

Next year we are getting a sequel, and I’m looking forward to it – not so much because I’m wondering what happens next, but because Sofia is so enjoyable to spend time with. I feel like I can say, “Oh, in 2017, I get to hang out with my pal Sofia again.” That’s the kind of book this is: it makes the characters feel like people who you know and want to spend time with.

Well, except for Imran. No one wants to spend time with Imran. That guy’s a drip.

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Sofia Khan is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik

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  1. I need to read this book.

  2. Heather S says:

    Thanks for reading it, Carrie! I agree – Sofia is the reason I enjoyed the book so much. I just want to keep hanging out with her!

    Oh, yes. Hole-in-the-wall Imran. Such a loser.

  3. Heather S says:

    Also, the ebook is on sale for $3.59 right now. I paid about $7 for it a few months ago because I didn’t want to wait for a price drop. lol

  4. A contemporary with a Muslim heroine?

    This might actually get me to read a contemporary. 🙂

  5. Anne says:

    This looks awesome! I’ve already overspent my monthly book budget (thanks, SBTB, for recommending the Lady Julia Grey series!), but have requested my local library purchase the paperback.

  6. chacha1 says:

    I’m going to have to stop reading you guys until I get my TBR under control. *Click*

  7. Demi says:

    Oh it’s on sale?! Yeah, I clicked. chacha1 I feel your pain.

  8. Lora says:

    TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!!

  9. Tam says:

    Oh, I did like this. It was like a far less annoying ‘Bridget Jones’. The heroine and her family were absolutely lovely.

  10. Hazel says:

    Love the sound of this. Thank you, Carrie.

  11. ClaireC says:

    Boooooo! Your review made it sound super fun and interesting, and NEITHER the Brooklyn or NYC public libraries have it.

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