The Challenge:

Read 22 nonfiction books in 2022.

The Books:

6/22 That Can Be Arranged: A Muslim Love Story by Huda Fahmy

Synopsis:

Chaperones, suitors, and arranged marriages aren’t only reserved for the heroines of a Jane Austen novel. They’re just another walk in the park for this leading lady, who is on a mission to find her leading lad. From the brilliant comics Yes, I’m Hot in This, Huda Fahmy tells the hilarious story of how she met and married her husband. Navigating mismatched suitors, gossiping aunties, and societal expectations for Muslim women, That Can Be Arranged deftly and hilariously reveals to readers what it can be like to find a husband as an observant Muslim woman in the twenty-first century.

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My Thoughts:

This was a sweet graphic memoir about how the author met her husband. Her story gives insight into the years up to meeting her husband and the obstacles she faced. If you’ve ever been curious about Muslim culture and traditions this fast paced and light hearted book is a great place to start. I loved the way she compared the courtship of an arranged marriage to a Jane Austen novel. They both have nosy, older women poking their noses into the lives of young people. There were suitors who came to meet her parents, like in an Austen novel. She also had to be chaperoned on any dates, like Austen’s heroines.

As a non Muslim I appreciated that the author took the time to provide a glossary of commonly used terms for the unfamiliar reader. For example, she mentions mahr (dowry given from the groom to the bride), the concept of nikkah (marriage contract) and the sunnah of a walima (marriage feast).

About the Author:

Huda Fahmy grew up in Dearborn, MI, and has loved comics since she was a kid. She attended the University of Michigan where she majored in English. She taught English to middle and high schoolers for eight years before she started writing about her experiences as a visibly Muslim woman in America and was encouraged by her older sister to turn these stories into comics. Huda, her husband Gehad, and their son reside in Houston, Texas. She continues to identify as a hopeless romantic. Her writing and illustrations can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook under the handle @yesimhotinthis.

What do you think about graphic memoirs? Do you have a favorite?

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