(Jan.)Ĭorrection: The text of this review has been adjusted to correct two proper nouns. Taslim draws from lived experiences, as detailed in an author’s note, to offer a textured exploration of intersectional South Asian Muslim identity.

Characters authentically and humorously code-switch between traditional Bengali and contemporary American sensibilities, imbuing dialogue with a rat-a-tat pace. But as her romantic feelings for Nayim flourish and her pretend relationship with Harun begins to feel real, Zahra is left at a crossroads between what her family expects and what she desires. We chat with debut author Priyanka Taslim about The Love Match, which is a delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial securityjust as she’s falling in love with someone elsethink To All. Meanwhile, Zahra falls for coworker Nayim Aktar, “an orphan from a poor, fragmented family” and recent arrival from Bangladesh. Amma sets Zahra up with handsome, affluent Harun Emon, 18 though the pair have no interest in each other, they fake-date to placate their families. To help make ends meet, Zahra defers her acceptance to Columbia University to work at a Pakistani tea shop in Paterson, N.J. Zahra Khan is basically Bangladeshi royalty but being a princess doesn’t pay the bills in New Jersey. Amma’s concerns about Zahra’s future stem from Zahra’s father’s death, from which the family has struggled to financially recover. To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this swoony and thoughtful romantic comedy from debut author Priyanka Taslim. Teenage Zahra Khan wants to be a writer, but her widowed, meddling Amma has other plans: to match Zahra up with a “suitable” Bangladeshi, Muslim boy.

Jane Austen meets Bengali cinema in Taslim’s joyful debut.

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim