Read June 2019. Published 13th June 2019.
Bilal Hasham is not a man who is comfortable with his Muslim faith. He cannot even remember the last time he set foot in a mosque.
Some years ago, he moved away from Birmingham, with his wife Mariam and her son Haaris, to an idyllic country village. Their intention was to live an "English" life in the country, and for eight years they have succeeded. For all intents and purposes, they have settled into village life, as members of the community of Babbels End, without bringing attention to their heritage or religion - although they are the only non-white family for miles. On the surface, they seem content with their lives and have made many friends.
Bilal's devout mother worries about him and his lack of faith. On her death bed, she gives him a task, which she hopes will bring him back to Islam - she asks him to build a mosque in Babbels End.
Mariam is horrified and the majority of the villagers are outraged by the suggestion, seeing it as an attack on their way of life - led by the formidable leader of the village council, Shelley. However, Bilal feels compelled to proceed with his task out of respect for his mother's wishes, whatever the cost.
Lines are drawn in Babbels End and a battle is about to begin. The Hasham's will find that many of those they previously called friends have become hostile to them - especially when it becomes clear that the intention is to convert an ancient, unused church into the proposed mosque.
Bilal will be forced to choose between community and identity, faith and friendship.
In the midst of strife, an unexpected light at the end of the tunnel is about to appear, in the form of Bilal's aunt Rhuksana. Rhuksana has lived most of her adult life in the shadow, and home, of Bilal's mother, after being tragically widowed at a young age. She speaks no English and has always been content to stay at home, away from the busy world around her, quietly saying her prayers and writing poetry.
But, Rhuksana has had a fall and needs to stay with Bilal and his family, while she recuperates. Her quiet presence and endless kindness will have a profound effect on the village of Babbels End, because Rhuksana does not understand why everyone is so angry. Why can't they all just get along?
This is actually a pretty complex story, with many themes running underneath the main storyline.
Yes, it is about a Muslim man who is compelled to question his own faith and identity, at the behest of his dying mother, eventhough this will put him out of favour with the community in the village he calls home - and lead to unexpected hostility. But there are also themes of friendship, love, home and the difficult feelings associated with change. Bilial is not the only one questioning his faith, either.
The nature of love is explored in the stories of many of the characters in this book - romantic love, matrimonial love, and parental love - both happy and sad. Friendships are broken and sometimes remade, but the story also shows that kinship can be found in unexpected places too - even if those friends appear to have nothing in common.
What does home actually mean to us, and how is this tied to our identity? Is it the place we are born, where we are living, or the people we live with? Plenty to think about here.
Parts of this book are actually quite funny. It is loaded with humour and there are some odd-ball characters for you to laugh at - in fact, it reminded me a little of some of the characters from the old Tom Sharpe books (Blott on the Landscape springs to mind).
This book was a slow burner for me, and at a third of the way in I was not convinced that it was for me, but Rhuksana began to work her way into my affections. Rhuksana's kindness, her ability to see beyond the surface and her persistence in forming a friendship with the unhappy Shelley - even when she was suffering from her own secret sadness - really made this book for me.
This is a very touching story and has left me with lots of things to think about. I defy you to get to the end without shedding a tear or two.
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