Day’s YA: HOPE ABLAZE

HOPE ABLAZE by Sarah Mughal Rana
9781250899316
2/27/2024
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

“My hope was a firefly, / flickering its wings, / scared to light the darkness of the bleak night  . . . Then my hope was a star ablaze, / warming my blood, / shining me with its rays.”

Nida is a poet, following in her beloved uncle’s footsteps, using her words to describe her experience of being a Muslim Pakistani living in a post-9/11 America. But with her uncle in prison for acts of terrorism that he didn’t commit, she mostly keeps her poems to herself; it’s too risky for her to share her words publicly. After she is targeted and frisked by police and a senatorial candidate, Nida turns her anger to verse, writing a letter poem to Mr. Wilson, the man running for senate. When she learns that she’s won a poetry contest—that she didn’t enter—and her letter to Mr. Wilson is made public, she finds herself the subject of a defamation lawsuit and served with a cease and desist. As Nida and her poetry become a national controversy, she must navigate how to stand for what she knows is right, while also staying true to her religion, her community, her family, and ultimately, herself.

“To write is to show the world your heart / before letting them stomp all over it.”

Sarah Mughal Rana’s debut novel is a beautiful work of art. She seamlessly blends prose chapters with poem letters, addressed to subjects such as “Dear Islamophobia,” “Dear Prayer,” and “Dear America.” She tackles these topics with grace, authenticity, and a touch of humor, unapologetically laying bare the racism that Muslims experience in today’s America. Nida’s story is one filled with horrific injustice, but it’s also one of incredible bravery, as she finds her voice and stands up for herself and her community. This powerful and thoughtful debut is perfect for fans of ALL MY RAGE by Sabaa Tahir and THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo, but should also be considered required reading for anyone who wants a better understanding of these injustices; anyone living in America; anyone.

<3 Emily

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