Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin
Contemporary Romance
June 13, 2023 – Berkley
Review by Melanie
I’m not always super fond of Jane Austen retellings – they are usually a bit hit or miss for me – but I think I may be predisposed to loving Persuasion retellings since second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes.
Much Ado About Nada tells the story of Nada and Baz, who have a very storied past. The book is mostly set in the present day but does occasionally take a detour to the past to give us a full account of Nada and Baz and their first meeting to the eventual start of their relationship and how it all fell apart.
The two meet when they’re just 11, during Sunday school at their local Mosque. Nada, who is constantly bullied at school and finds zero support from her parents, decides to turn her wrath on Baz, the unsuspecting new kid in her Sunday school class. What’s that saying, about hurt people who hurt people? This is exactly what happens with Nada and Baz. Nada, unable to find retribution against her own bullies at school, decides to vent her anger and frustration on Baz.
Several years pass before they see each other again, this time at a week-long sleep away camp for Muslim kids when they’re 14. This time, it’s Nada who is publicly humiliated (though not by Baz) and before they part, it’s Baz who comes to her aid and comfort.
Their next meeting takes place when they’re 18 and at university, he is studying English and Sociology, and she is a reluctant student of engineering. Before their newly formed friendship has time to take root, Nada does something exceedingly stupid, a violation of Baz’s privacy, which causes him to disappear until a couple of years later, when they meet again, as Nada is about to finish her studies. It’s at that time that their relationship progresses significantly before falling completely apart before they meet in present times, some seven years later at an annual Muslim conference taking place in Toronto.
One of the reasons I loved this book is the way that culture and religion are woven into the narrative. Some of it feels very familiar from a South Asian perspective, and some of it new and unfamiliar as I’m not a Muslim. Nada, working as a junior engineer, is reeling from a business failure, and living at home, has all but hidden herself away. When her best friend, the newly engaged Haleema, orders her to attend the Muslim conference being held nearby, she has no choice but to go, especially since this is also an opportunity for Haleema to introduce Nada to her fiancé, Zayn. Unfortunately, Zayn also happens to be Baz’s older brother which means a reunion between these former lovers is imminent.
The story of Baz and Nada and their romance is poignant and messy, with unsupportive parents, friends who aren’t sure Nada and Baz know what they’re doing, and a couple who, the first go around, just weren’t mature enough to make it work. But seven years later, both Baz and Nada have grown up and learned some hard truths about life and love and what it takes to make a relationship work. Nada, still living at home with her parents, comes to realize that she’s become stuck in her life, constantly playing it safe, and that falling in love and staying in love requires a level of trust and risk-taking on her part.
I really enjoyed the supporting characters in this book as well, especially Nada’s larger than life family. The book contends with a lot of things that are usually looked down upon in the South Asian and Muslim communities such as divorce and explores the generational divide that can cause a cultural shift. Something I really appreciated and related to in this book is the idea of how Nada’s parents behave, partly because they are immigrants who moved to Canada after the birth of their first child. As someone who also immigrated to this country at a young age, the way immigrants parent their young children really resonated with me.
I thought the romance in this book was strong, Baz and Nada clearly have a lot of unresolved issues and feelings and I liked watching them figure out how to overcome their past and find a way forward together. I also enjoyed the progression of Nada as a character, learning how to fight for herself and prioritize her own needs. This was one of my favorite Jane Austen retellings I’ve read in a while and if you’re into Austen retellings, I definitely recommend this one.
Grade: A
Content Notes: big secrets, misogyny, corporate theft
Leave a Reply