The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
Published by Scholastic Press on January 29th 2019
ISBN: 1338227017
Pages: 336
Goodreads

Rukhsana is afraid of the consequences of being a lesbian in an extremely conservative Muslim family. All she wants is to graduate and go to Caltech with her girlfriend, Ariana. The day that her mother catches her kissing Ariana leads to her being taken to Bangladesh and being forced into a marriage that she has no interest in. To be gay in her culture is a sin and in Bangladesh, many have been beaten or even killed.

Khan brings attention to the cultural diversity that many Americanized children of immigrant families deal with, such as arranged marriages and family obligations that their peers don’t understand. Culturally, LGBTQIA and religiously diverse and emotionally intense. Recommended for grades 9 and up.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.