Four Eids and a Funeral

April 1, 2024
The week before summer break, junior Said Hossain is pulled out of class at his prestigious Virginia boarding school by his older sister Safiyah, who shares devastating news: Said’s beloved childhood librarian and mentor, Ms. Barnes, has died and they must return home to New Crosshaven, Vt., for the funeral. There, Said encounters his former best friend Tiwa Olatunji; their simmering distaste for each other has only grown in the years they’ve spent apart. But when New Crosshaven’s Islamic center catches fire the day of Ms. Barnes’s funeral, Said and Tiwa set aside their feud to try and raise the money and support to both restore the building and throw an amazing Eid celebration. Their well-intentioned plan becomes complicated by family drama, a ticking clock, Safiyah’s sisterly meddling, an unsupportive mayor, Said and Tiwa’s joint ownership of Ms. Barnes’s cat, and the teens’ annoyingly amorous feelings. Via flashbacks to Eids past, Àbíké-Íyímídé (Where Sleeping Girls Lie) and Jaigirdar (A Million to One) craft a lighthearted rom-com that’s bookended by potent depictions of cultural customs, personal revelations, past hurts, laugh-out-loud moments, and a satisfying romantic conclusion. Said is Bengali American and Tiwa is Nigerian American; both are Muslim. Ages 14–up.

May 1, 2024
Tragedy reunites estranged childhood friends. When Ms. Barnes, his beloved hometown librarian, dies, Said Hossain's older sister, Safiyah, picks him up from boarding school a week before summer vacation so he can return home to Vermont for the funeral. The somber occasion puts Said back in contact with childhood friend Tiwa Olatunji, who hasn't forgiven him for leaving her and their community behind. Thrust back together, Said and Tiwa must reconcile their past while dealing with current challenges, which include saving the local Islamic center (after being damaged by a fire on the day of Ms. Barnes' funeral, it's now slated to be torn down and replaced with apartments), ensuring that the upcoming community Eid celebration can go off without a hitch, and figuring out how to heal their friendship and move forward as romantic feelings grow between them. Told from Said's and Tiwa's alternating first-person perspectives, the narrative successfully transitions between the co-authors' equally strongly executed chapters. The engaging writing tackles grief, anti-Black racism within the Muslim community, and the teens' navigating and reconciling parental expectations with personal dreams. The characters reflect the lived diversity of the American Muslim community: Said is Bangladeshi American, while Tiwa, who's Black, is Nigerian American; lesbian Safiyah embarks on a sweet relationship with another girl from the Islamic center. A love story that successfully blends the lighthearted with the serious to demonstrate the power of community. (Romance. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Said and Tiwa haven't been friends for years; in fact, they may just despise each other. But a funeral for their favorite librarian brings Said back to town on the same day a fire destroys their community's Islamic Center. With the mayor planning to demolish the rest of the Islamic Center, Tiwa reluctantly reaches out to Said for help. What begins as an art piece Said needs for his art school application becomes an earnest project to not only save the Islamic Center but also Said and Tiwa's relationship. Writing duo �b�k�-�y�m�d� and Jaigirdar pen a charming tale of two teens whose love for their community restores their strained relationship. The funny intro and excellent overarching themes create the enjoyable dual perspective of miscommunications and growth as Said and Tiwa face challenges within their families and friends. The representation of the diverse Muslim American community, grief over lost loved ones, and familial expectations bring heart to this story, but would thrive with a little more expansion. Even with some fragmented moments, the story ties up nicely (if a bit too easily) and will satisfy readers. Said's family is Bangladeshi and Tiwa's family is Yoruban. VERDICT A sweet romance about finding your way back to those who matter most.-Emily Walker

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Filled with heart and attention-grabbing characters, �b�k�-�y�m�d� and Jaigirdar's unconventional, thought-provoking love story engagingly tackles realistic themes. Estranged best friends Said and Tiwa find themselves together again after years apart, when the death of a beloved hometown librarian brings them back to pay their respects. But tension lies not only in their uncomfortable reunion: Tiwa is dealing with family issues, and Said is tired of hiding from his strict Bangladeshi parents his dream of being an artist. While dealing with the funeral and their grief, Said and Tiwa are also struggling with the impending loss of their town's Islamic Center, where Tiwa's mother was planning to hold an important Eid celebration before a fire destroyed it. �b�k�-�y�m�d� and Jaigirdar realistically depict the long path of Said and Tiwa's relationship (or lack thereof, according to them), showing how there's a way back to a place of understanding even after a broken friendship. With empathetic writing, this story of acceptance and the power of family, culture, and love will give readers a deep look into matters of the heart.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
Said Hossain and Tiwa Olatunji used to be best friends in their artsy village of New Crosshaven, Vermont. But after Said went to boarding school in Virginia, the two became "mortal enemies," each believing it was the other who abandoned the friendship. During one summer vacation, when Said returns home, he and Tiwa are entrusted with the care of the cat who belonged to a beloved, recently deceased librarian, and the two start speaking again, but only for the sake of joint feline custody. After a fire at the community Islamic Center, the town's mayor informs everyone that it will be razed to build housing. Tiwa and Said collaborate on ways to save the center, which involves a mural that Said plans to paint and also intends to use as a portfolio submission for art school. Narration alternates between the two protagonists, with interspersed third-person flashbacks, telling a story of friendship, loss, and misunderstanding through a series of Eid celebrations and one funeral. Even while touching on some thorny topics -- racism within the Muslim community, microaggressions -- the novel creates a dynamic sense of second-generation immigrant Muslim teenage life. Though the plot can feel overcrowded, the captivating characters and their unique voices make for an entertaining and lively read. Julie Hakim Azzam

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
Said Hossain and Tiwa Olatunji used to be best friends in their artsy village of New Crosshaven, Vermont. But after Said went to boarding school in Virginia, the two became "mortal enemies," each believing it was the other who abandoned the friendship. During one summer vacation, when Said returns home, he and Tiwa are entrusted with the care of the cat who belonged to a beloved, recently deceased librarian, and the two start speaking again, but only for the sake of joint feline custody. After a fire at the community Islamic Center, the town's mayor informs everyone that it will be razed to build housing. Tiwa and Said collaborate on ways to save the center, which involves a mural that Said plans to paint and also intends to use as a portfolio submission for art school. Narration alternates between the two protagonists, with interspersed third-person flashbacks, telling a story of friendship, loss, and misunderstanding through a series of Eid celebrations and one funeral. Even while touching on some thorny topics -- racism within the Muslim community, microaggressions -- the novel creates a dynamic sense of second-generation immigrant Muslim teenage life. Though the plot can feel overcrowded, the captivating characters and their unique voices make for an entertaining and lively read.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)