The novel often alludes to a culture of individualism in the U.S. As Asghar states in an interview with Jodi-Ann Burey, they not only have to shoulder their own trauma but the trauma of an entire community. On top of losing their parents and the lack of familial belonging and care, the sisters deal with years of generational trauma as Muslim women living in the U.S. “When We Were Sisters” not only focuses on the loss and grief of the three sisters but their struggle growing up, feeling completely isolated from everyone else. The children are mostly left to the care of “Aunty” and “Meemoo” but the story only gets more complicated as they are forced to leave this chosen family.
They are taken into the custody of a careless uncle who pretends to be a good guardian only to satisfy his corrupt moral compass, receive money from the government, and put on a good mask for the public. The novel follows the coming of age of three sisters who are orphaned following the sudden murder of their father. Her newest book “When We Were Sisters” was published October 2022 and was longlisted for the National Book Award for Fiction 2022. Asghar explores so many different forms throughout the chapters of the novel that her narration never gets monotonous while the story flows rhythmically.įatimah Asghar is a Pakistani, Kashmiri, Muslim American writer.
The rhythm in their prose elevates the delivery of the plot and takes the readers on an emotional roller coaster. When I think of books written by authors who were also poets, Ocean Vuong’s “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” and Sabahattin Ali’s “Madonna In a Fur Coat” are the first ones to come to mind. Recently, I read “When We Were Sisters” by Fatimah Asghar, who is known for her poetry collection “If They Should Come For Us.” The lyrical beauty of the book made it an extremely captivating read. Thus, it’s a whole different story when a poet writes a novel. Poems tell grand stories that tend to stick in the reader’s memory much longer than the entire plot of a novel. It has always been my favorite form of literature to consume because of its lyrical beauty and subsequent ability to deliver emotions, that too in just a few stanzas.
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